Academic Exhibition Project "Theatre: A Space of Inspiration" Dedicated to the 150th Anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia, at the Russian Academy of Arts

Exhibition Dates: July 16 – October 25, 2026
Venue: Presidium and Exhibition Halls of the Russian Academy of Arts (21 Prechistenka Street, Moscow)

The Russian Academy of Arts presents the large-scale exhibition project “Theatre: A Space of Inspiration”, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia and implemented with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Curators: Tatyana Kochemasova, Vice President and Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts; Elizaveta Tsereteli, Honoured Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation and Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Within the enfilade of the historic Morozov Mansion, classical traditions meet the avant-garde, while academic practice enters into dialogue with the latest developments in contemporary visual art. Guided by the curatorial concept, theatre is revealed as a unique phenomenon—a synthesis of space and time, an artistic dimension in which themes, images, and individual creative voices intersect. It is a place where new forms of visual expression emerge, unexpected artistic solutions take shape, and powerful emotional experiences are born.

The exhibition spans a wide range of artistic disciplines—including painting, graphic art, sculpture, architecture, theatre design, and multimedia technologies—reflecting the principal areas of activity represented by the departments and members of the Russian Academy of Arts.

The project features works by outstanding Russian artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including Léon Bakst, Natalia Goncharova, Yevgeny Lanceray, Vasily Shukhayev, Alexander Tyshler, Vadim Ryndin, Tamara Osipova, Sergey Konenkov, Georgy Toidze, Yelena Yanson-Manizer, Ilya Glazunov, Zurab Tsereteli, Mikhail Kurilko-Ryumin, Boris Messerer, Viktor Kalinin, Eduard Kochergin, Tatyana Nazarenko, David Borovsky, Vasily Nesterenko, Alexander Rukavishnikov, Andrey Kovalchuk, Anatoly Lyubavin, Dashi Namdakov, Vladimir Arefyev, Salavat Shcherbakov, Olga Bulgakova, Georgy Frangulyan, Alexander Sitnikov, Albina Akritas, Alexander Borovsky, Dmitry Belyukin, Natalia Nesterova, Khamid Savkuev, Yuri Ustinov, and many others.

The significance of the Russian academic tradition and its transformation across generations is revealed through the exhibition's rich and multifaceted display. Paintings, graphic works, posters, archival photographs, costume and stage design sketches, theatrical and architectural models, installations, and video materials offer valuable insights for both the general public and the professional community, appealing equally to older and younger audiences.

The exhibition presents approximately 300 works from the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, the Russian National Museum of Music, the State Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSIZO, the Vladimir Vysotsky State Museum, the A. A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum, the M. B. Grekov Studio of Military Artists, the S. D. Erzia Museum of Fine Arts, as well as works from private collections and artists' personal archives.

A comprehensive educational and public programme accompanies the exhibition, including round-table discussions, artist talks, creative workshops led by participating artists, thematic and curator-led tours for students of art and theatre universities, colleges, schools, and other educational and cultural institutions.

Text prepared by the Information Department (Press Office) of the Russian Academy of Arts, based on an article by Tatyana Kochemasova, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts and PhD in Art History.