Tag: USSR

How Russian Czar’s Library Ended Up In America

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Most people in the United States, Russia, and the World don’t know that more than 2,500 volumes from the personal library of the Russia’s Royal Family are in the possession of the Library of Congress of the United States.

This priceless collection was formed in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg’s, Imperial Russia. It survived WWI, the 1917 Revolution as well as the Civil War that followed, eventually ending up in America.

This is the fascinating story of how it happened, told exclusively to the World Art News by a researcher who worked with these rare books.

Who is Yuri Tarasov

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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.

Central and Eastern European Art: A Veiled Treasure

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The global Art market is undergoing change as the world continues its progression towards globalization. That specific change is the diversification of a predominantly Western Art market. This is phenomenal, but it’s also about time because it means that the Art market is finally beginning to include and value Art of all the different cultures that make up humanity. Now, not every culture or type of Art is valued or held to the same caliber yet, but we are getting there. 

One of the regions that still appears to be struggling to break into the Art Market is Central and Eastern Europe. Which is problematic because it leaves a massive gap in our understanding of Art movements, and how we are where we are in contemporary Art today. So, in order to understand what Central and Eastern European Art is, you will first need to understand what distinguishes the region from the rest of Europe. 

Who is Czeslaw Znamierowski

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Czeslaw Znamierowski

Czeslaw Znamierowski was a renowned Soviet Lithuanian painter whose large body of work spanned from the 1920s until the 1970s. During his fifty-year career, he painted over 1,400 landscapes, drew over 800 sketches, and completed over 3,000 artworks. His work is particularly regarded for its featuring of stunning landscapes, some of which cover canvases larger than 8 feet by 4 feet. Due to his affiliation with socialist political movements in Russia, Znamierowski and his work have demonstrated a growing appeal to collectors in foreign markets who hold similar political affinities, particularly China, where his work is reported to have sold for as high as $120,000.

METRO NEWS: Soviet painting by Czeslaw Znamierowski sold in China for $120,000

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Czeslaw Znamierowski, an artist who died forty years ago, is gaining fame in the 21st century. His artwork recently sold for $120,000 in China, setting a personal record.

Znamerovsky’s paintings began to be bought up by oriental auctions, galleries and collectors, according to the Chinese news agencies.

In a relatively short time, the cost of Cheslav Znamerovsky’s paintings increased from several hundred to tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why Soviet Firearms are a Great Investment – Part 1: The SKS

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Despite its relatively short term as the Soviet Union’s main battle rifle, this has not diminished the SKS rifle’s presence on the global market as an increasingly sought-after firearm that is both highly collectible and investible. There are in fact numerous reasons for this. The most readily apparent is the historical aspect. There is of course the SKS rifle’s iconic status as a classic WWII and Cold War era firearm of the Soviet Union. There is also its extensive use by other countries across numerous conflicts throughout history, including the Chinese Civil War and the Vietnam War. To this day, the SKS remains in active, secondary, and ceremonial use across the world.

Czeslaw Znamierowski – Multicultural Artist from the Soviet Union

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“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

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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.