Creators of the Fatherland - Literaturnaya Gazeta

Pages of the History of Russian Statehood on Vasilyevsky Island

Irina Ustinova, staff correspondent for «LG» in St. Petersburg

An exhibition by the renowned Russian painter has opened at the St. Petersburg State Museum-Institute of the Roerich Family. It brings together about thirty paintings dedicated to key events and heroes of Russian history — from the Battle of Kulikovo to the youth of Peter the Great.

In the year of its 25th anniversary, the Museum-Institute of the Roerich Family presented the public with an unusual gift — an exhibition by an artist whose work seamlessly weaves into the thread of continuity leading from Nikolai Roerich and Ilya Glazunov to modern academic art. Victor Matorin, a student of Glazunov, creates in the best traditions of the Russian academic school, turning to key moments in national history, Russian culture, and the theme of defending the Fatherland. He presented about thirty works within the walls of the museum on Vasilyevsky Island. Here, a monumental portrait of Dmitry Donskoy without a weapon in his hands coexists with the allegorical «The Youth of Peter in Izmailovo» and architectural landscapes that revive the lost appearance of Moscow estates. The exhibition curator, Candidate of Historical Sciences Svetlana Guseva, has arranged the exposition as an extended narrative about the Russian character — creative, spiritual, and aspiring towards the future.

The Museum-Institute of the Roerich Family is a space where the traditions of the Russian academic school of painting seamlessly intertwine with the spiritual quests of the Silver Age. And the choice of this venue for exhibiting Matorin's works is deeply symbolic: the work of Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich had a significant influence both on Matorin's teacher, Ilya Sergeevich Glazunov, and on the artist himself.

«Roerich became a guiding star for Glazunov, and through him, for me as well» Victor Matorin noted at the exhibition's opening. «I am sincerely grateful to fate that my works have found their place here, in the museum that carefully preserves the spirit of this great master. The very walls here are imbued with history, and this gives my canvases a completely different, deeper resonance.»

Opening the ceremony, the museum's director, Alexey Anatolyevich Bondarenko, who was in Mongolia at that moment, addressed the audience via video link: «We are very glad to see Victor Viktorovich. We are very glad to see all our friends in St. Petersburg. We wish the exhibition success and are confident that it will attract a large number of both brilliantly positive reviews and viewers.» Warm words of greeting also came from Ulaanbaatar, where events dedicated to the Roerichs' legacy were taking place during those days.

The central place in the exhibition is occupied by Matorin's new painting, «The Youth of Peter in Izmailovo», completed in February 2026. The canvas is dedicated to a significant date: 1686 — the year the Russian fleet was founded, and the boat that became the «grandfather of the Russian fleet» was found precisely in Izmailovo. The artist chose not a documentary but an allegorical approach: in the painting, young Peter is holding a little ship in his hands, and behind him one can already discern the image of the future reformer of Russia. «This is the birth of an idea, not just an illustration of a fact»,— Svetlana Guseva explained. The canvas, which has a round shape, like an island surrounded by ponds on all sides, recreates the lost appearance of the Izmailovo estate from the 17th century, with its churches, towers, and wooden palace. The curator emphasized: «Everything in it is interconnected — the artist, possessing skill and imagination, reconstructs what has not survived but should live on in memory.» The painting was first presented to the public in June 2026 at the Presidential Library in Moscow, and the current exhibition at the Roerich Museum is only the second for this outstanding work. Victor Matorin has been collaborating with the Presidential Library for many years, and young specialists from this institution were present at the exhibition's opening.

«Holy Blessed Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow» Source/Author: Provided by Victor Matorin

No less significant an exhibit at the exhibition is the portrait of Dmitry Donskoy — a work that has already gained wide recognition and is included in history textbooks. The artist deliberately departed from the established iconography of the warrior prince. Dmitry is not holding any weapon, and in the background, it is not the Battle of Kulikovo, but the Moscow Kremlin under construction. «This is not a military leader, but a builder of the state», Guseva explained the concept. «A symbol of autocracy and peaceful creation. And this idea resonates with Roerich's philosophy: 'When construction is underway, it's real life.'» This is exactly how, according to the artist and curator, the true greatness of a ruler should look — not in military prowess, but in working for the good of the people.

The exhibition also includes works dedicated to the Battle of Kulikovo, including sketches and drafts for monumental canvases that are on display at the «Kulikovo Field» Museum-Reserve. The exhibition also features architectural landscapes — views of Izmailovo and Kolomenskoe, where the artist has been working for seventeen years. «This is the artist's life in the museum. This is also, perhaps, one path of the great artist Roerich and the contemporary, well-known painter Victor Matorin», the curator emphasized.

Addressing the guests of the opening, Victor Matorin reflected on the role of professionalism in art: «In our time, when the boundaries between the genuine and the illusory are blurring, profound thought and mastery honed over the years are especially valued. One can dare to paint like Raphael or compose poetry like Pushkin — and it will be captivatingly interesting if it is based on genuine skill. I am firmly convinced: true art knows no fashion and does not submit to fleeting trends. It exists outside of time — be it painting, music, or poetry. The only thing that matters is honesty and professionalism.» The artist admitted that it was a great honor and a source of excitement for him to be exhibiting in St. Petersburg, as he had studied in the workshop of historical painting at the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Moscow under Ilya Sergeevich Glazunov. «Coming to St. Petersburg with Peter is a special experience», he added with a smile. «And when my friend, the general, said, 'Without Izmailovo, there would be no St. Petersburg,' I realized that this was precisely the connection I was trying to convey in my paintings.»

«The Youth of Peter in Izmailovo» Source/Author: Provided by Victor Matorin

The exhibition «Pages of the History of Russian Statehood» (which will run until September 27, 2026) is a dialogue between generations, a continuity of traditions rooted in the work of Roerich and Glazunov. The exhibition at the Museum-Institute of the Roerich Family has already become an important event in the cultural life of St. Petersburg and yet another confirmation that Russian historical painting is alive, in demand, and continues to seek new paths of development.

Source: Literaturnaya Gazeta