RT Balkan
RT Balkan
Exhibition Opens in Paris: A Visual Journey Through 150 Years of Russian Art History
22 May 2026, 20:22
The exhibition “The Splendor of Russian Painting of the 19th–20th Centuries. Masterpieces from the Collection of Vladimir Pesic” is one of the central events in the program of celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center. Visitors will be able to view it until 30 June.
In honour of its tenth anniversary, the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris has opened the exhibition “The Splendor of Russian Painting of the 19th–20th Centuries. Masterpieces from the Collection of Vladimir Pesic.” Eighteen masterpieces of Russian painting were presented to representatives of the cultural community of the French capital, journalists, gallery owners, diplomats from the embassies of Serbia, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and a number of other countries, as well as UNESCO officials, who came to see and evaluate the exhibition.
The exhibition is one of the central events in the program marking the tenth anniversary of the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center, and visitors will be able to view it until 30 June. The project has great cultural and educational significance and contributes to strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties between the peoples of Russia, France, and Serbia.
Guests particularly emphasized the large number of authentic masterpieces being presented to the public for the very first time. The exhibition in Paris has been conceived as a visual journey through 150 years of Russian art history.
The Vladimir Pesic Collection comprises more than 330 paintings and works of decorative and applied art by Russian and foreign artists, icons, and unique antique ivory objects. The collection has been presented to the public on numerous occasions at prestigious art exhibitions, as well as at five solo exhibitions in Serbia.
Thirty-seven years of collecting experience and dedication, combined with a careful selection of works by Russian masters of painting, have established Vladimir Pesic as one of the most important collectors of Russian art outside Russia. In terms of its scope, as well as its impeccably conceived selection of artists and artworks, this Collection surpasses the usual achievements of private collecting. Vladimir Pesic spent years, and in some cases even decades, patiently searching for certain works and their creators. For this reason, the Collection can more accurately be described as a museum-quality collection representing the most important movements of Russian fine art from the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century.
The symbol of the exhibition is “Shining Domes” (1920), the most significant work by Grand Duchess Olga Romanova, daughter of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and sister of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II. The Grand Duchess became renowned not only as one of Russia’s most distinguished women painters and a subtle lyrical landscape artist, but also as a nurse, philanthropist, and defender of the poor, whose life motto was: “To be, not to pretend.”
The Ambassador of Russia to France, Alexey Yuryevich Meshkov, stated that the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center, located in the very heart of Paris near the Eiffel Tower, is celebrating its first jubilee—ten years since its opening—and that in this relatively short period it has become an indispensable part of the city’s landscape and an important contributor to the cultural life of the French capital, serving as a meeting place for all those who are interested in and appreciate Russian culture and art.
“It is symbolic that in this anniversary year the Center is presenting the exhibition ‘The Splendor of Russian Painting of the 19th–20th Centuries. Masterpieces from the Collection of Vladimir Pesic,’ offering visitors a rare opportunity to become directly acquainted with authentic works of Russian art in all their historical and artistic diversity.
The eighteen works presented in the exhibition encompass the key movements of Russian fine art: from the realist explorations of the nineteenth century to the bold experiments of the Russian avant-garde of the twentieth century. The collection on display makes it possible to trace how the language of painting evolved, how new aesthetic ideas took shape, and how Russian art responded to pivotal historical moments,” said Alexey Yuryevich Meshkov.
He emphasized that, at a time when the international exhibition of works from Russian museum collections is significantly restricted, this initiative acquires exceptional cultural significance.
“The realization of this project became possible thanks to the collector and connoisseur of Russian painting, Vladimir Pesic, who over the course of several decades carefully, literally painting by painting, built a unique collection of Russian art that can rightfully be described as museum-quality. Acquaintance with the Vladimir Pesic Collection will enable visitors not only to appreciate Russia’s artistic heritage, but also to gain a deeper understanding of the character and destiny of Russia. This will undoubtedly make an important contribution to strengthening the cultural and humanitarian ties between the peoples of Russia and France,” said Alexey Meshkov.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Russian Diaspora Heritage Foundation, the Serbian Branch of the International Foundation for the Spiritual Unity of Nations, and the investment holding company Kama Capital for their assistance in the realization of this exhibition.
https://rt.rs/kultura/186076-izlozba-rusko-sliakrstvo-kolekcionar-vladimir-pesic/
