A major art project titled Light and Air. Traditions of impressionism in Soviet painting has been highlighted by the Manege press service. The initiative reframes Soviet art within the broader framework of cultural thought, refined taste, and impressionist aesthetics, offering visitors a fresh perspective on a familiar era. This reinterpretation opens a dialogue between two influential currents in Russian art history and invites audiences in Canada and the United States to consider how impressionism manifested within Soviet practice and how it can be understood today. For the first time in Russian exhibition practice, Soviet art is presented with an emphasis on cultural nuance, critical perception, and the sensory textures of light and atmosphere as central to the works on view. These ideas are presented by the organizers as a bridge between historical material and contemporary sensibilities, inviting a broader discourse about artistic freedom under changing social conditions. [Citation: Manege press service]
Among the artists featured are Yuri Pimenov, Pyotr Williams, Igor Grabar, Boris Ioganson, Vladimir Lebedev, Robert Falk, Isaac Brodsky, Pyotr Osolodkov, Evsey Moiseenko, and a wider circle of contributors. For the first time in St. Petersburg, paintings by writers who have been excluded from scientific research are included, offering Canadians and Americans a rare opportunity to explore works by Alexander Isupov, Mikhail Demidov, Victor Mey, Irina Broydo, Elbey Rzakuliev, and other figures whose voices have not always been part of the formal narrative. This inclusive selection expands the traditional canon and frames a broader conversation about what constitutes Soviet art. [Citation: Manege press service]
Organization directors emphasize that the exhibition challenges long-standing stereotypes about socialist realism as a monolithic, lifeless doctrine. It suggests that many Soviet masters navigated their creative paths by translating social ideals into the energy of individual talent and personal interest. The exhibit positions impressionism not as a mere stylistic experiment but as a vital channel for inner expression, allowing artists to articulate pictorial poetry and emotional resonance. In this view, impressionist techniques illuminate a path toward personal liberation in art, offering new modes of seeing the world and communicating through texture, color, and mood. The curators describe this shift as a meaningful turn that reveals the human heartbeat behind historical narratives. [Citation: Manege press service]
Curatorial design divides the show into four distinct sections that align with common themes in painting: landscape, portrait, study, and entertainment. Each section gathers works that highlight different modes of observation, interpretation, and narrative. The arrangement encourages a fluid reading of pieces across genres, inviting visitors to trace how impressionist impulse can inform a diverse set of subject matter from the quiet breath of a landscape to the intimate gesture of a portrait, and from methodical study to scenes of everyday amusement. The structure is intended to reveal connections between technique and intention, and to demonstrate how light, pigment, and form interact to convey mood and memory. [Citation: Manege press service]
The exhibition features more than 100 works drawn from 27 Russian museums, and it is scheduled to open on December 18, 2023 at 18:00. The scale of the show offers a comprehensive survey of a crucial moment in Soviet art, presenting a cross-section of institutions and creators that collectively illuminate the era’s visual language. For audiences in North America, the project provides a rare archival lens, enabling a nuanced appreciation of how impressionist strategies were adapted to the Soviet context and how those strategies shaped later developments in modern Russian painting. [Citation: Manege press service]
In an era marked by regional and political tensions, the project also invites reflection on how exhibitions can build cultural bridges. It places Soviet painting within a broader dialogue about art history, highlighting how regional centers and international audiences can engage with shared legacies. The initiative underscores the importance of museums as custodians of memory and as active spaces for interpretation, dialogue, and education. It also signals a growing interest in reexamining the boundaries between national traditions and global artistic currents. [Citation: Manege press service]