Russian Art

From War to War: Private Collection Spanning Berlin Wall to Ukraine Debuts in Major Exhibition Exploring Trauma and Memory

Erik Bulatov, Untitled, 1990: two figures raising a hammer and sickle against red and blue clouds.

Art from War to War: Chasing Butterflies on the Verge of a Cliff, which opened on May 29, 2026 at Beck & Eggeling gallery, marks the first public presentation of selected works from the private collection of Kyiv-born collector Valeria Rodnianski. The exhibition features works by Georg Baselitz, Anselm Kiefer, Sigmar Polke, Ilya Kabakov, Boris Mikhailov, Irina Nakhova, A.R. Penck and other influential artists whose careers emerged amid the political and cultural upheavals of postwar Europe and the Soviet sphere.

Breaking the Silence: Mihail Rakov’s Audio Drama ‘The Call’ Confronts Workplace Sexual Harassment in Russia and Post-Soviet Countries | VIDEO

The Call, audio drama by Mihail Rakov.

Sexual harassment in the workplace has become one of the most discussed issues in recent years. Women worldwide have found the courage to step forward and share their experiences. This act has been particularly important for those in societies where victim-blaming is the norm in cases of abuse. This is especially true in post-Soviet countries, where sex and sexuality were taboo topics, and sexual abuse was often seen as something for which only the victim was responsible. Over the past few years, movements like #MeToo have exposed the uncomfortable reality of harassment in women’s professional lives. Millions of women have bravely shared their hidden traumas with the public, inspiring others to speak out.

Important Vasily Polenov Masterpiece Sells for $1.7 Million at Bonhams, Setting a World Record

Detail of Vasily Polenov’s biblical painting, with a black-robed woman in a doorway and figures seated inside a vaulted room.

In a remarkable event at Bonhams 19th century and British Impressionist Art Sale today, an exquisite oil on canvas by Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927) stole the spotlight, fetching an astonishing £1,379,000 ($1,760,000). The painting, titled ‘And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept’, is a part of Polenov’s renowned series, ‘The Life of Christ’. Initially estimated to sell for £400,000-600,000, the final price far exceeded expectations, marking a significant moment in the art world.

Bonhams Unveils Important Vasily Polenov Masterpiece at their 19th Century Impressionist Art Auction in London

Detail of seated, robed figures beside a hearth in Vasily Polenov’s And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept.

A rare oil painting by the Russian artist Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927), part of a series titled ‘The Life of Christ,’ will take center stage at Bonhams’ upcoming 19th-century and British Impressionist Art Sale on March 20 at New Bond Street in London. Entitled ‘And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept,’ the artwork is expected to fetch between £400,000 and £600,000. Another painting from the same series, ‘There were also women looking from afar off,’ achieved a price of over £1.5 million at Bonhams last year.

Erma Gallery Opens in Dubai with Olga Tobreluts First Solo Exhibition in the Middle East 

Floral artwork with purple and blue blooms, long arching green leaves and a pale blue and grey background.

Dubai’s vibrant art scene welcomes Erma Gallery, a multidisciplinary art space for experimentation in art and technology. Erma will be supporting both upcoming and accomplished artists in showcasing their work, through technology driven exhibitions set to rouse spectators.

‘0x The Garden’ – is a form of analysis and a way to reconsider classical heritage through contemporary representational approaches. The exhibition includes works made using lenticular printing, classical paintings and digital art. Olga Tobreluts’s paintings are filled with fantastic floral arrangements. Each detail of the pieces is a space for infinite associations; the colors and blossoms can be pondered as a puzzle of one’s own consciousness. Previously, Olga Tobreluts work has been displayed in museums and galleries all over the world, including Tate Modern and V&A Museum in London, the MoMA in New York, the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and many others. 

Vivienne Becker’s Jewellery Designer Vivarium at GemGenève

Gold-colored necklace with a green circuit-patterned pendant and pink, blue, and green accents.

This May, the Designer Vivarium is set to return to GemGenève, featuring five international contemporary designers, with four of them being new to the Vivarium, presenting their work at GemGenève for the first time. As usual, the Designer Vivarium is curated by renowned jewellery historian, Vivienne Becker, who meticulously scouts the globe for fresh and creative talent, seeking out independent, under-the-radar designer jewellers, artists, and goldsmiths who have something unique to offer in their jewellery. Becker’s discerning eye seeks out a strong, singular creative vision, intense individuality, and sophistication of craftsmanship.

Rare Porcelain from Imperial Russia by Philip Batenin

Angled view of the porcelain tea cup, showing its painted waterfront panel, patterned gold-coloured side and ornate handle.

This small bell shaped tea cup, manufactured in 1830s by the famous Batenin Porcelain Factory that belonged to a wealthy merchant Philip Batenin, is a perfect example of valuable antique porcelain from the Imperial Russia. The cup features one of the rarest views ever depicted on Batenin’s creations, the Smolny Cathedral on the Neva River, which is painted completely by hand.

A similar cylindrical cup with a view of the Smolny Cathedral was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in June 2007 for £2400. Another is located in the world-famous Hermitage Museum. Nowadays, Batenin’s porcelain is quite rare and highly prized among collectors.

Who is Yuri Tarasov

Portrait of Yuri Tarasov wearing glasses and a striped shirt.

Yuri Tarasov was one of the strongest painters in the Soviet Union, Russia and Lithuania. While his talent had no borders, Yuri’s fantastic vision and ability to show the true classic Russian art school with a touch of modern European trends made his paintings highly controversial in the Soviet society. As the son of the Head of the Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, he had an opportunity to become one of the best-know artists in the USSR, but Yuri never wanted fame or money, strongly believing that great art must bring recognition and not the other way around. Ignoring the opportunities life gave him, committed only to his art and his family, Yuri Tarasov, nevertheless, became one of the top artists in the entire Soviet Union. The recognition that he so carefully avoided inevitably came to him after each and every one of his exhibitions. His art spoke for itself.

Czeslaw Znamierowski: Multicultural Artist from the Soviet Union

Czeslaw Znamierowski, archival image from Czerwony Sztandar (1965).

“For him there were no boundaries between nationalities. He readily made friends with the natives of any country…. He was no stranger to Latvians, Lithuanians, Jews, Tatars, Karaites, Russians. He was ready to help everyone if possible.”

At a time of great division in the Eastern European community a lesson in multiculturalism, unity and brotherhood can be learned from an unusual person, a Soviet Lithuanian artist Czeslaw Znamierowski (23 May 1890 – 9 August 1977). He was born in Imperial Russia on Latvian territory into a Polish family. At the age of 32 he became a citizen of the Soviet Union and soon after moved permanently to Lithuania, where he lived until his last day.

Ilya Glazunov’s Russian Nationalism | Hokkaido University

Gallery screenshot showing six of Ilya Glazunov’s monumental paintings.

Although lately Western scholars have begun to pay attention to various manifestations of the rise of ethnic Russian nationalism as distinct from official “Soviet patriotism” they have virtually ignored the phenomenon of Il’ia Glazunov, a Soviet painter who is also a foremost protagonist of that nationalism. The chief reason for this lack of scholarly interest lies in the fact that not only has Glazunov been a controversial figure but he was also accused of Russian chauvinism, anti-Semitism, and of being a KGB agent.