St. Petersburg has many museums and famous sights that are interesting to see for guests of the city. One of these places is the Repin Museum "Penates", which will certainly interest fans of the famous artist's paintings.
Museum location
Repin's Penaty Museum-Estate is located 45 minutes from St. Petersburg. This place is of interest to those who are interested in culture and art. The museum is located at: 411 Primorskoye Highway. It is open to visitors all days except Monday and Tuesday.
The museum got its name in honor of the Roman gods, who were the guardians of the hearth. Their images can be seen on the wooden painted gates of the estate.
How to get to the estate?
To get from St. Petersburg to the Penaty Repin Museum, you need to take shuttle bus No. 211 from the Chernaya Rechka metro station. You can also use minibuses No. 6890, 425 and 305. In addition, from Finland Station an electric train departs to Repino station. From there you have to walkabout thirty minutes on the Primorskoye Highway.
History of the estate
As you know, Ilya Repin was a prominent representative of Russian art. He managed to create real masterpieces in completely different genres. The artist equally well created portraits, multi-figured canvases and religious paintings.
In 1899, Repin bought a plot with a house in an incredibly picturesque place in the village of Kuokkala, now Repino. After some time, the one-story house has changed a lot. It has extensions, as well as a second floor.
The famous artist spent the last thirty years of his life in this estate. Repin died here in 1930 at the age of 86. He was buried in the park, at the place he chose.
To be fair, it should be noted that the history of the estate is directly connected not only with the life of the artist himself, but also with the history of Russian culture of that era.
Ilya Efimovich moved to the estate in 1903. But for another ten years, under his strict guidance and even with his participation, construction work was carried out on the estate. As a result, elements of wooden Art Nouveau and elements of Old Russian architecture were combined in the new building.
At the time when the artist moved to live in "Penates", he was already a professor at the Academy of Arts. In addition, he was known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. Many academies in Europe have elected Repin as an honorary member. The artist's paintings have repeatedly received awards and gold medals atinternational and world exhibitions.
Works of the "Penat" period
In "Penates" Repin wrote a series of wonderful works on historical themes, on modern topics. Of particular value was a series of works called the gospel cycle. Many portraits were also painted. Unfortunately, the works of this period are not as well known as the earlier ones, but they are no less valuable.
Most of them have spread around the world. It is worth noting that the works are of interest from the point of view of changing the artist's worldview, as well as from the point of view of artistic decision. I. E. Repin in the estate "Penates" continued to work until old age.
Famous guests of the estate
Many famous personalities of that time visited Repin's "Penates". Andreev, Gunzburg, Gorky and Stasov were among the first visitors. Kuprin, Annenkov, Bunin, Rozanov, Andreev and many others also visited here. Chukovsky, who lived in the neighboring village of Ollila, wrote a lot about Repin's life in Penates. Repin and Chukovsky were very friendly despite the difference in age. Korney Ivanovich often came to visit with his futurist friends: Sasha Cherny, Khlebnikov, Mayakovsky. Repin also communicated and made friends with such scientists as Morozov, Pavlov, Bekhterov and Tarkhanov. All of them have repeatedly been to the "Penates". The artist also received such foreign critics as Oggeti, Roche and Briton. Many visitors have become models for artworks.
The idea of the museum
The artist's wife, Nordman N. B., bequeathedafter the death of Repin, the estate of the Imperial Academy of Arts so that a museum would be equipped in it in the future. She really wanted everything in her husband's rooms to remain the same as it was during his lifetime.
Repin read out his will in 1914 and even contributed 40 thousand rubles to the Academy for the future maintenance of the estate. Of course, Nordman's dream to create a museum of I. E. Repin in the Penaty estate came true, but it did not happen right away and the path was not at all easy.
Post-revolutionary years
A lot has changed since the revolution. So, for example, the Principality of Finland, according to the "Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia", became independent. In April 1918, the borders were closed and it so happened that without moving anywhere, Repin ended up abroad. So the artist became a citizen of Finland. He could not travel home. The artist's daughter Vera moved to him from St. Petersburg in 1922. She helped her father run the household and organized exhibitions. The works of the great artist at that time were exhibited in Finland, Czechoslovakia, America, Sweden. Levi helped with this. It was he who supported Repin after the revolution, when he was left completely without a livelihood due to the nationalization of money. Laudatory reviews were the best incentive to work in the last years of his life. In 1930 the artist died. Vera became the owner of Ilya Efimovich Repin's "Penates". She left everything in the estate and in the rooms as it was with her father. Vera willingly showed his rooms to everyone. She lived on the estate until 1939.
And then she had to leave the house and move to another place. She settled in Helsinki. And this happened for the reason that a conflict arose between Finland and Russia. It is known in history as the winter war. It was then that the Finnish government offered people living in the border zone to move further into the depths of the country. So Repin's "Penates" (St. Petersburg) were left unattended.
Creating a museum
After the end of hostilities, the Karelian Isthmus was annexed to Russia. At this time, news came to the art academy that the artist's estate was left without owners, and Repin's things are still stored in it. According to the will of Repin and Nordman, a reasonable decision was made to create a museum of I. E. Repin "Penates".
Employees from the Academy of Arts were sent to the estate, who got acquainted with the condition of the estate. During the Great Patriotic War, personal belongings, drawings and paintings of the artist were in the Academy in Leningrad. The estate itself in 1944 fell into the epicenter of military events. In the newsreels of that period, it is clearly seen that all the houses in the "Penates" were destroyed. But in the same year, by decision of the government, the Repin estate was included in the list of cultural monuments of the country that are subject to restoration. In 1949, the village of Kuokkala was renamed Repino.
Restoration work was carried out by the Academy of Arts. The estate museum became part of the Research Museum at the Art Academy. And to this day it is its branch.
In the estate, not only the house was restored, but also the gate, several pavilions, the Scheherazade tower and Poseidon - an artesian well. And on the grave they erected a monument and a bust of the artist, created by the sculptor Andreev. In 1994, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Repin was celebrated. On this occasion, the monument was replaced with the original version - the cross.
After restoration work, the museum was opened in 1962.
Museum display
The museum exposition includes Repin's memorial rooms. The interiors of the premises recreate the period of the life of the great artist, which he spent in "Penates" - these are the years 1905-1914. In Repin's office, the memoirs "Far Close" written by him are stored. On the walls of the rooms you can see books that the artist once read.
The living room exhibits paintings by friends and students of the artist. From it, the doors lead to a bright veranda, which was the first extension to the house. This place was very much loved by the owners themselves. Here they drank tea, arranged concerts and readings. The veranda also served as a workshop immediately after moving to the estate. Many portraits were painted in it.
In the dining room, paintings by Repin hang on the walls: a portrait of his wife, painted in Italy in 1905, portraits of daughters Nadia and Vera. Also here you can see many other works of the great master.
The new workshop was built in 1906. Its log walls, carved windows and doors, as well as stairs and railings speak of vernacular architecture. Workshop occupiedalmost the entire second floor. Currently, in the center of it is an easel with the last self-portrait of the artist, written in 1920. Repin is depicted on the canvas at the age of 76. Experts say that this work can be safely called the best in the late work of the artist.
Also, the museum stores works related to the writing of the painting “The Ceremonial Meeting of the State Council”. It was written in Petersburg. But in the estate there were sketches. Sketches for portraits made by numerous of the artist's students, Kustodiev and Kulikov, are also kept here.
According to Repin's friends, every morning the artist, barely waking up, went to the workshop. All his life he worked and created a lot.
Reviews about visiting the estate
The Repin Museum is a unique complex that is quite popular not only in Russia, but also abroad. Over the years of its existence, more than five million people have visited it. It should be noted that 1099 exhibits are stored in the house. The Repin Museum has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
According to the guests' opinions, the estate is very beautiful and interesting. It is as if filled with the energy of its owner. The house is surrounded by a beautiful park, it is not surprising that the artist created real masterpieces in such an atmosphere. In the park you can also see the pavilion "Scheherazade". Tourists highly recommend visiting the museum. Especially "Penates" will be of interest to connoisseurs of the work of the amazing Russian artist.
