Nikolay Okunev and the biggest exhibition of Russian art in Czechoslovakia

Abstract

The preparation of the biggest exhibition of Russian art organized by the Institute of Slavonic Studies in Prague and N. L. Okunev strated even before Czechoslovakia recognized the USSR. The chosen works of art originated from private collections in Europe and emigrant artists. The establishing of diplomatic relations between the CSR and the USSR in the summer of 1934 resulted in creating new rules for the Czech organizations when working with the Russian emigrants. It started a conflict in the working commission that was organizing the exhibition. A disadvantageous background for the event was the Czech “Manes” organizing an exhibition of Russian and Soviet art from Soviet collections that finally did not take place. The historians of art F. Kovarna, J. Květ, and V. Volavka left the commission because they did not want to exhibit the works by N. Goncharova, M. Larionov, M. Dobuzhinsky, A. and N. Benois, Z. Serebryakova, B. Grigoryev, F. Malyavin and many others and without works of art kept in Soviet museums to take part. In spite of this protest and connected organizational problems, the exhibition took place. It reflected the original view of Okunev on the history of Russian art. But the rumour that it represented works of art that had lower quality created a shadow of conflict that accompanied it before it ended. Later the myth about the low quality of the exposition became stronger. Unquestioned critically, it continues to live in the works of respected specialist even nowadays.