Peter Pashkevich. Great Cinema Artist Automatic translate

The Nashchokin House Gallery, in collaboration with the Nikolai Ostrovsky Museum, presents from January 31 to February 27, 2024 a personal exhibition of the People’s Artist of the RSFSR Pyotr Isidorovich Pashkevich (1918–1996). Among the more than 100 works presented, rare sketches made by the famous film artist for many famous films will be shown, as well as graphic and painting works, film posters and photographs from different years. Most of them, although they were created for a specific film, are an independent artistic value and often have long outlived the film itself.

Based on the sketches of Pyotr Pashkevich, half a century at the film studio named after. Gorky created the best films of Soviet cinema of the 1940s–1990s. More than 70 films, hundreds of sketches and scenery were created by this outstanding person. Interiors, landscapes, storyboards - laconic and refined, often lyrical, often restrained, almost always dramatic and expressive - his work is an example of the highest skill of the realistic school.

The dramaturgy of the exhibition will be built around selected films that the film artist worked on, which will allow you to touch the magic of cinema and see what is usually hidden, unknown to the viewer.

This is a movie from the distant past. “The Village Teacher” (1947, directed by M. Donskoy), “Volunteers” (1958, directed by Yu. Egorov), “Different Fates” (1956, directed by L. Lukov). Interesting work connected Pashkevich with Vasily Shukshin. Not only on the famous “Stove Benches” (1972), but also on the more important work on the film “Stepan Razin” in the context of the artist’s work, which was carried out for six months, but, unfortunately, was cut short… The exhibition will show a number of sketches for this failed film.

Tough, gloomy sketches of St. Petersburg and graphic sheets for the film by L. Kulidzhanov “Crime and Punishment” (1969). Powerful sketches for the once famous film “Two Lives” (1961) by A. Kapler and L. Lukov. Visitors will see the master’s works for such famous films as “Red and Black” (1976, directed by S. Gerasimov), “TASS is Authorized to Declare” (1984, directed by V. Fokin), “Mothers and Daughters” (1975, directed by S.. Gerasimov), “Hero of Our Time” (1967, directed by S. Rostotsky), “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” (1975, directed by A. Zguridi) and other films.

The artist lived a happy and fulfilling life. He worked with the brightest and most talented directors of his time. “He was such a brilliant painter that his friends and colleagues often asked: “Petya! The public does not see or understand your work! Why do you need cinema? You are a great artist, sit in your studio and paint pictures. His family was of the same opinion. But the artist always smiled guiltily and ran to his studio, which was oxygen for him; life could not exist without it,” recalls the artist’s daughter, exhibition curator Natalya Rurikova.

The exhibition will be of interest not only to professional artists and filmmakers, but viewers of any age who simply love art will make many discoveries for themselves.

The project includes film screenings.