The artist is Roerich
Mikula Selyaninovich – a character of Russian epics, a legendary hero who has skillfully plowed the earth. Personified the Russian peasantry.
Nikolai Roerich. In search of Shambhala. Exhibition catalog in Malaga. 2019. WITH. 43.
Suite "Bogatyr frieze"
In 1909-1910, Roerich performed a series of panels "Bogatyr frieze" for the mansion of a prominent industrialist and honorary citizen of St. Petersburg F. G. Bazhanova. The house was built according to the project of the architect P. R. Aleshina in 1907-1908 in the style of modern. Each of his interior was distinguished by a unique design, but the theme of the heroic ancient Rus’ was dominant. The living room was decorated "Volga and Mikula", executed on the sketch m. A. Vrubel, and the panel of Roerich was located in the dining room. The series consisted of eight plot ("Sadko", "Knight", "Accordion", "Ilya Muromets", "Mikula Selyaninovich", "City", "Volga Svyatoslavovich", "Nightingale-robber") and eleven decorative compositions. Creating monumental "Bogatyrsky frieze" became in the artist’s work the culmination of his appeal to the topic of epics.
In Soviet times, in the house of Bazhanov (ul. Marat, 72) was the library for them. A.P.Chekhov. During the Great Patriotic War, in the conditions of the blockade, the panels were damaged. The whole frieze was covered with a thick layer of soot. Particularly affected by the panel “Volga”. In addition to severe pollution, it also turned out to be lost on the right lower angle of canvas size 52 x 36 cm. In 1964, the “Bogatyr frieze” was transferred to the State Russian Museum. A great work to restore was carried out by the senior artist-restorer to. IN. Bernnyakovich. He cleared the canvases of surface pollution, laid out breakthroughs and numerous punctures, strengthened the sections of the screech of the colorful layer and tinted them. The canvases after restoration were first exhibited at the museum at the anniversary exhibition of the artist in the fall of 1974. IN.P.Knyazeva. Bogatyr frieze // “H.TO.Roerich. Life and art”. Collection of articles m., “Fine Arts”, 1978.
Fragment of the lecture "The heroes of the Russian land" WITH.N.Kolomeytseva
