The Tambov Regional Art Gallery
The Tambov Regional Art Gallery was opened for viewers on
April 30, 1961. However, the museum collections in Tambov have
longstanding traditions. The first museum
in Tambov was founded in 1879 in honour of the 100th anniversary
of governor-general institution in the region.
The first Tambov museum didn't have its own premises. Five years
later (in 1884) the regional scientific archives commission was founded
on the initiative of N.V.Kalachov (1819 -1885). It was founded
among the first four ones (in the towns of Orel, Tambov, Ryasan and
Tver) and it didn't have its own place either. It was decided to locate
those two organizations in one place. In the State Archives of the Tambov
region there is a document called "Historic Document on the Premises of the
Tambov scientific Archives Commission" (1914), where it is written that the
Committee of the Tambov Public library decided to build the third floor
in the building of the Public library for the Historical Archives, the
Archive Commission, the library and the museum to be placed there.
The Historical Archives and the museum were opened on July 17, 1887.
Two years later "The List of Items Kept in the Tambov Historical
Museum, Compiled by the Manager of the Archives Commission P.Dyakonov"
(Tambov, 1889) was published. It was the first catalogue of the museum.
Some pieces of the Russian and European art endowed to the museum by
individuals were mentioned in it. For example, a portrait of V.Vasilevsky
painted in oil under empress Anna Ioanovna by Vasilevsky himself, who was
one of the first peaple sent by Peter the Great to Europe for studying art.
The portrait was endowed by S.I.Gargiegauzen. In the same list number 151
is an oil painting "Knights at the Castle" by Perezinotti, endowed by
N.N.Yaroshevsky. A.D.Perezinotti (1708 - 1778) was an Italian decorator,
an academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.
The next important step in the development of the Tambov public collection
was connected with the construction of the building for the Public Reading
Society (1891 - 1892). The expenses relating to the construction were paid
by the well-known philantropist E.D.Naryshkin (1813 - 1901), "a friend of
Tambov poverty" as he was called by contemporaries. Even now the building
is known as the Naryshkin's library. The museum was moved into the building
in summer of 1893.
Among the displays of that period it is interesting to mention a marble
relief "Madonna with Godson" endowed to the art department of the Naryshkin's
library by a traveller and historian of art A.V.Vysheslavtsev (1831 - 1888)
born in the Tambov region. The relief was traditionally considered a work
of the genious Donatello. And the name of the real author of the great
imitation was identified only in the 70s of the 20th century.
After the October revolution the Regional Art Museum was founded
in Tambov. In the report of manager of the Tambov department of museums
and art monuments, relics and nature preservation of March 20, 1922
it was said that Folk and Art Museums worked in Tambov. Approximate number
of people visiting the Art Museum in 1921 was 1050 people.
In August, 1922
the Folk Museum was called the Scientific one and the Art Museum was
included into the Scientific Museum as a department.
The Regional Art Museum was supplemented with pieces of arts nationalized
in country aristocracy estates. The most interseting items were got from
the estates of Znamenskoye (P.S.Stroganov's collection), Vorontsovka
(A.K.Boldyrev and Vorontsovs' collection), Karaul (B.N.Chicherin's
collection) and from the estate of Mara (Boratynskys' collection).
The art items from those estates formed the main body of the contemporary
collection of the Regional Art Gallery. By this means the Gallery got
works of the Russian artists D.Levitsky, V.Borovikovsky, K.Bryulov,
V.Tropinin, V.Serov, etc., the Italian artists Ya.Palma Jn., F.Solimena,
the French artists J.Fragonard, A.Deverias, the Dutch artists
M.Mirevelt, F.Bol, etc.
During the first years of the Soviet period the Tambov region
was visited by members of the Museum board of the People's Commissariat
of Education, including A.V.Lebedev (1888 - 1944), who took a considerable
part in studying of F.Rokotov's works in Tambov region. Some portraits
painted by Rokotov are exhibited in the Tambov Art Gallery.
In 1929 - 1930 the Tambov Scientific and Art Museum was transformed
into the Museum of Regional Studies and moved into the building of the
Savior and Transfiguration Cathedral (the Pitirimovsky Cathedral).
Only thirty years later the art department was singled out of the
museum and the Tambov Regional Art Gallery was founded. The main part
of the displays were moved into the gallery. The departments of the
Russian (pre- and post-revolutionary) art and the European art were
founded. These departments have been working up to nowadays.
Lately the gallery funds have been stocked with the pieces of arts
bought by the All-Union and Russian Ministries of Culture, the regional
department of culture or by the gallery. The items endowed to the gallery
are rather rare now. Now the gallery keeps about 4 thousand pieces of arts.
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