The image of Mongolia in modern Russian art of the last third of the 20th – early 21st century

Abstract

This article examines the current state of the long-standing cultural relations between the art schools of Mongolia and Russia. Recent decades have seen a notable increase in the interest of Russian artists in the everyday life, nature and fine arts of Mongolia, as evidenced by a significant number of exhibitions and solo shows featuring paintings, sculptures and graphic works dedicated to Mongolia. Their examination reveals that Mongolian theme in modern Russian art is expressed not only in the forms of realistic painting, but also in the pictorial format of modernism. The analysis of the figurative and artistic structure of the artworks enabled the authors to identify two predominant tendencies. The first one pertains to the evolution of realistic principles in art, leading to a proliferation of landscapes and portraits. The second tendency is characterised by the presence of works that adopt a metahistorical approach, unifying them under the common thread of intuitive penetration into the essence of historical events. It is of particular interest that the modernist works of Russian artists actively develop the visual language of ancient monuments found in Mongolia.