Why are two paintings by the seascape painter Aivazovsky banned from showing in Russia today?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

There were pages in the history of Russia that she carefully tried to hide. However, as they say, words cannot be thrown out of the song … It so happened historically that the Russian people often and thickly had to starve, and not because there was not enough grain reserves, but because its rulers and those in power for their own profit, having ripped off the people to the bone, only decided their financial interests. One of these forbidden pages of history was the famine that swept the South and the Volga region of the country in 1891-92. And as a consequence - humanitarian aid, collected by the American people and sent to Russia by five steamers, for the starving population.

"Unexpected" disaster in Russia

No matter how political scientists tried to blame the cause of the famine of 1891-92 on unfavorable weather conditions, the main problem was the state's grain policy. Replenishing the treasury with agricultural resources, Russia annually exported wheat. So, in the first hungry year, 3.5 million tons of bread were exported from the country. The following year, when famine and an epidemic were already raging in the empire, the Russian government and entrepreneurs sold 6.6 million tons of grain to Europe, which was almost twice as much as in the previous year. These facts are simply shocking. And what was terrifying at all - the emperor categorically denied the existence of a famine in Russia.

… And this was said at a time when people were dying out in villages.

The situation in the country was disastrous, and this terrible news swept Europe and reached America. The American public, led by William Edgar, editor of the weekly North Western Miller, offered humanitarian aid to Russia. However, the emperor delayed with permission and, only after a while, allowed the starving Russian people to be fed.

Lev Tolstoy described the situation in the villages at that time:.

Collecting humanitarian aid for starving Russians by Americans

This movement was organized and supervised by the philanthropist W. Edgar, who in the summer of 1891 published the first articles in his magazine, which spoke about the outbreak of famine in Russia. In addition, he sent about 5 thousand letters to grain traders to the northern states asking for help.

And in the media, Edgar reminded his fellow citizens that during the Civil War of 1862–63, the Russian fleet provided invaluable assistance to their country. Then distant Russia sent two military squadrons to the shores of America. At that time, there really was a real threat from England and France, which at any moment could come to the aid of the Southerners. However, the Russian flotilla stood at the American coast for about seven months - and the British and French did not dare to get involved in a conflict with Russia. This helped the Northerners to win the civil war.

The appeal of the American activist resonated in the hearts of fellow citizens, and fundraising began everywhere. The work was carried out informally and on a voluntary basis, since the American government did not approve of the gesture of friendly assistance, but it could not prohibit it either.

After all, both ideological and political and economic struggle have always been fought between the superpowers. In addition, the aggravation of competition in the world grain market affected. Surprisingly, despite the raging famine in the country, Russian tycoons continued to send grain for export, and this specifically hurt America's financial interests.

But be that as it may, ordinary Americans were not cooled by the negative attitude of their government and the philanthropic movement under the slogan: "This is not a question of politics, this is a question of humanity," acquired a new round. America, as they say, the whole world collected humanitarian bread for the starving Russians. These were representatives of all walks of American society:

However, then ordinary Americans, bit by bit collecting food, could not know that warehouses with export grain in Russia were packed to capacity and the grain was being prepared for shipment to European markets.

Arrival of humanitarian aid to Russia

Three northern states and the Red Cross society took humanitarian aid to the ports of America for several months, and by the end of winter the first two ships loaded with flour and grain set off for distant Russia.

And already in the early spring of 1892, steamers with valuable cargo arrived at the port of the Baltic States. On one of the ships went to Russia and the organizer of the collection of food - William Edgar. He had to go through a lot and see with his own eyes: the pomp of the northern capital and the famine in the provinces, and the unfair distribution of aid, and the godless theft of American food in ports. The American's surprise and indignation knew no bounds.

But be that as it may, from the beginning of spring to mid-summer, five steamships with humanitarian cargo with a total weight of more than 10 thousand tons arrived in Russia, which in total was estimated at 1 million dollars.

Although in the near future the Russian government tried to completely forget about this gesture of fraternal assistance.

Aivazovsky - an eyewitness to a historical event

No matter how hard Russian politicians try to belittle and cover up in oblivion the fact of friendly help from one people to another, there are still many documents and unusual artistic evidence captured on the canvases of an eyewitness artist.

The first transport ships Indiana and Missouri, the so-called Hunger Fleet, arrived with a cargo of food in the ports of Libava and Riga. Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky personally witnessed the meeting of ships with a long-awaited cargo, which helped to overcome the catastrophic situation in the country. In the ports of the Baltic States, steamers were greeted with orchestras, wagons with food went on a journey decorated with American and Russian flags. This event impressed the artist so much that, under the impression of this popular wave of gratitude and hope, he captured this event on two of his canvases: "The Ship of Help" and "Distribution of Food".

Particularly impressive is the picture "Distribution of food", where we see a rushing Russian troika loaded with food. And on it is a peasant proudly waving an American flag. The villagers wave headscarves and hats in response, and some, falling into the roadside dust, pray to God and praise America for their help. We see the extraordinary joy, delight and impatience of hungry people.

The paintings painted by Aivazovsky were categorically prohibited from being shown to the public in Russia. The emperor was irritated by the mood of the people, conveyed on the canvases. And they also served as a reminder of his worthlessness and failure, which threw the country into the abyss of hunger.

Aivazovsky in America

At the turn of 1892-1893, Aivazovsky went to America and took with him paintings that were undesirable for the Russian authorities. During this visit, the painter presented his works as a token of gratitude for Russia's help in a donation to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington. From 1961 to 1964, these canvases were exhibited at the White House at the initiative of Jacqueline Kennedy. And in 1979 they got into a private collection in Pennsylvania and were not available for viewing for many years. And in 2008, at the Sotheby’s auction, both historical paintings by Aivazovsky were sold for 2.4 million dollars to one of the patrons, who immediately handed them over to the Corcoran gallery in Washington.

I would like to add to all of the above - these canvases, written by the artist in 1892, were not allowed for viewing in modern Russia either. And who knows, if the paintings of Aivazovsky had stayed in Russia, perhaps the Russians would have retained a sense of friendly gratitude to the Americans.

and continuing the topic little-known facts from the life of the brilliant seascape painter Ivan Aivazovsky