Exhibition of one work by Dmitry Petrovich Buchkin (born 1927) "The Red Guards of Petrograd" Automatic translate

An exhibition of one work by Dmitry Petrovich Buchkin (born 1927) "Red Guards of Petrograd", dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the poet Alexander Blok, will begin work on November 17 at the Kaluga Museum of Fine Arts (104 Lenina St.).

The picture presented to the attention of the audience is not an illustration of the famous poem by Alexander Blok, however, looking at it, it is impossible not to remember and not refer to the poem "The Twelve". Both works recreate the image of time, they feel anxious tension and fear of the unknown. However, the pictorial image is not so contradictory than the poetic one. The poem, written in 1918, was greeted ambiguously, it shocked many of the poet’s friends and acquaintances. Blok himself urged to perceive the "Twelve" precisely as an image of the era, seen by an eyewitness here and now.

Dmitry Buchkin’s Petrograd is empty and restless, low gray clouds hang over it. Soldiers are walking from the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal, where the building of the St. Petersburg State Economic University (formerly the State Assignment Bank of the Russian Empire) is located. In the silhouettes of the Red Guards, we read determination and inflexibility. Their images are contrasted with the griffins menacing in their path, which may well personify the image of the outgoing era. Petrograd of Alexander Blok is gloomy and cold, a piercing wind blows there, the dark sky contrasts with the white snow. His Red Guards, as swiftly as in the painting by Dmitry Buchkin, are striding forward towards a revolutionary future. There are twelve of them, and, willy-nilly, you compare them with the twelve apostles (in fact, the patrols consisted of so many people). The appearance of the image of Jesus convinces us of this analogy,and it was this image that caused a huge number of conflicting reviews about the poem. Many of Blok’s contemporaries were outraged by the fact that Christ is at the head of a group of revolutionaries who killed a man just a few minutes ago and none of them, except one, thought to repent of this. However, the poet himself said that he could not explain: why Christ? This image appeared by itself. Shortly before his death, Alexander Blok asked his wife to destroy every single copy of the poem "The Twelve". But, in spite of everything, this work is considered one of the heights in the poet’s work and in Russian poetry in general.except one, and did not think to repent of it. However, the poet himself said that he could not explain: why Christ? This image appeared by itself. Shortly before his death, Alexander Blok asked his wife to destroy every single copy of the poem "The Twelve". But, in spite of everything, this work is considered one of the peaks in the work of the poet and in Russian poetry in general.except one, and did not think to repent of it. However, the poet himself said that he could not explain: why Christ? This image appeared by itself. Shortly before his death, Alexander Blok asked his wife to destroy every single copy of the poem "The Twelve". But, in spite of everything, this work is considered one of the peaks in the work of the poet and in Russian poetry in general.

The painting "The Red Guards of Petrograd" tells about a turbulent time, about as contradictory as the work of Alexander Blok, who turned out to be incomprehensible either by opponents or supporters of the revolution. Dmitry Buchkin, who survived the blockade and left very important and valuable notes about the war, turns in his canvas to the history of his native Leningrad. Voluntarily or involuntarily, he manages to create the image of the city, which in some way intersects with the image created by the famous poet.

The exhibition runs from November 17 to December 17, 2020.