TV channel Rossiya-1
TV channel Rossiya-1
Program “Vesti”
21.05.2026, 14:00
An exhibition “The Splendor of Russian Painting of the 19th–20th Centuries” has opened in Paris. The display features masterpieces from the collection of Serbian collector Vladimir Pesic. Visitors have the opportunity to explore 150 years of Russian painting. The exhibition is being held at the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris.
The collector himself admitted that he chose this venue after being inspired by the golden domes of the Holy Trinity Cathedral. One of his favorite paintings, “Shining Domes” by Grand Duchess Olga Romanova, has become the symbol of the exhibition.
More in a report by Anastasia Popova.
This is only a small part of the works that one of the most prominent contemporary collectors of Russian art has assembled over the course of 37 years. Vladimir Pesic inherited his love of beauty and refined artistic taste from his parents. His father was a correspondent for the Yugoslav newspaper Politika in some of the world’s leading capitals.
Vladimir Pesic, collector:
“When I moved to Moscow, I visited museums there with my father. Over time, when I was about eighteen years old, I developed a desire to collect Russian art. Perhaps if you are not able to create art yourself, you feel the need to acquire it, preserve it, and live with it. Art comes from God. I believe that the most important thing we leave behind is art. The ultimate goal of my collecting activity is to establish a museum of Russian art in Serbia or abroad, so that I can continue promoting Russian culture and art.”
There will certainly be enough works to fill such a museum. His collection already comprises more than 330 paintings, works of decorative and applied art, pieces by Russian and international artists, icons, and unique antique ivory artworks. In Paris, the public is being presented with 18 masterpieces.
This exhibition is a genuine visual journey, an immersion not only into Russian culture but also into the major events that have shaped Russian history over the past 150 years. All of these paintings are being exhibited for the first time, and what is particularly remarkable in today’s Europe is that these are not reproductions but original works. From the first painting to the last, visitors can trace the development of Russian art in the 19th and 20th centuries—Realism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, and the Avant-Garde.
Vladimir Pesic:
“This painting was created in 1920, and its elements symbolize the Revolution and, specifically, the victory of the Red Army.”
The symbol of the exhibition is a painting by Grand Duchess Olga Romanova, sister of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia. When the collector arrived in Paris and saw the domes of the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center, he felt a connection across time and decided that this exhibition should take place precisely here.
Anna Kotlova, Director of the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris:
“Our Center has been operating for ten years in a rather challenging environment, yet it has already been ten years. For us, this is an important milestone, and it is gratifying that we can continue fulfilling our mission—showing what contemporary Russia is and highlighting its genuine contribution to European and world culture and art. It is wonderful that we can do this thanks to the true friends of our country.”
Attempts by certain contemporary French authorities to marginalize or cancel Russian culture have not succeeded. Public interest remains considerable.
Axel Joucla, art expert:
“I attend many exhibitions in Paris, and it is indeed quite rare today to see exhibitions devoted to Russian art. It is wonderful to discover original works here in Paris and to meet the collector himself. It allows us to understand the choices he made in building his collection—different subjects, landscapes, portraits, and avant-garde works.”
Among the visitors were people originating from no fewer than fourteen countries, including nations from Latin America, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Qais Kasapuie, Chargé d’Affaires of the Palestinian Mission to UNESCO:
“I believe that cultural diplomacy is the kind of diplomacy that endures through the years. It never dies. It allows people to discover a part of a great culture such as that of Russia. An extraordinary amount of work has been accomplished here.”
The exhibition is open to the public free of charge until the end of June. In the autumn, it will travel to Brussels.
Anastasia Popova, Ilya Bernadsky, Vesti, Paris, France.