The greatest Russian marine painter of Armenian descent - Ivan (Hovhannes) Konstantinovich Aivazovsky - was born, lived and died in Feodosia for a long time, where he was buried in the courtyard of the church of Surb Sargis. His love for his hometown was unlimited, and throughout his life he made generous donations to his improvement and development of infrastructure. However, the main gift of the artist to his fellow countrymen was the Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia.
Background
For the first time, the exhibition hall, located in one of the wings of the mansion, where the artist lived with his family, opened its doors to the audience in the late 1840s. Then everyone could see the collection, consisting of 49 paintings by the marine painter, who were awaiting shipment to exhibitions in various European countries and in St. Petersburg. In 1880, a gallery designed by Aivazovsky himself was added to the mansion, which became the first museum of one artist in Russia . It was very popular, and among vacationers in the Crimean resorts it was considered a good form to visit Feodosia in order to get acquainted with the work of the world famous marine painter. The gallery in the house of Aivazovsky during his lifetime also served as a concert hall, where famous musicians and actors often performed. Thus, thanks to the artist, at the end of the 19th century, Theodosius became the center of the cultural life of the Crimean Peninsula, where foreign travelers also sought to get.
Museum History
A few years before his death, in 1900, Aivazovsky decided to bequeath a gallery to his native city. After the revolution, the Cheka was placed in the building for some time, and part of the collection was plundered or destroyed. Fortunately, the gallery soon received the status of a state museum and began to be protected by the state. During the war, at the cost of incredible efforts, the museum's collection was saved by sending to evacuate to Yerevan. There the paintings were placed in the building of the National Gallery of Armenia and returned to their native walls after the liberation of Crimea from the invaders. At the moment, the Aivazovsky house-museum in Feodosia is considered one of the most famous cultural institutions of the Crimea. The gallery is annually visited by several tens of thousands of tourists.
Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia: collection
Today, the gallery houses over 12,000 paintings and various exhibits. Among them, more than 400 works of Ivan Aivazovsky, so Theodosia Museum has the world's largest collection of works by the artist.
Among the most famous works of the great marine painter, which are exhibited there, can be attributed such masterpieces of painting as "The Ship" Maria "in the North Sea", "St. George Monastery", "Sea. Koktebel ”,“ Sevastopol Raid ”, etc. Having visited the Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia, you can also see the painting“ Among the Waves ”measuring 282 by 425 cm, which is the artist’s largest painting.
Structure
Although the main thing that attracts the Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia is the master’s paintings, you can also see canvases by Western European artists and other interesting exhibits related to the family of the great marine painter.
The exposition consists of three parts:
- large exhibition hall;
- the house of I.K. Aivazovsky and his family;
- home of the artist’s sister.
In turn, the house has 2 halls for temporary exhibitions, the “Special Pantry” exposition and another, dedicated to the work of I.K. Aivazovsky.
No less interesting works can be seen in the house of the artist’s sister. In particular, the canvases of Western European artists of the 17-19th centuries and a collection of paintings by the master on biblical subjects are exhibited there.
House of Ivan Aivazovsky
Having traveled abroad in 1840, among other distinguished graduates of the Academy of Arts, Aivazovsky in just a few years seeks recognition in Europe and returns to Feodosia as a very wealthy man. This allows him to start building a house for his seven Italian-style houses. Soon, a chic mansion for those times appears on the embankment, where, along with household rooms and rooms for receiving guests, there are workshops and an exhibition hall. As already mentioned, today the house is part of the Aivazovsky Museum, and there, among other things, there is a special safe room where valuable objects belonging to the artist and his relatives are exhibited. Also in the house of the painter is stored a unique photo archive, which presents family photographs taken at the end of the 19th century.
House of Ekaterina Konstantinovna
In Armenian families, it has always been customary to settle next door to relatives. Therefore, in the middle of the 19th century, his own sister Katarina (Catherine) settled near the house of Aivazovsky. The mansion belonging to it has survived to the present day and today is part of the museum of the famous marine painter. There are works by European artists, mainly dedicated to the sea. In addition, the paintings of Ivan Aivazovsky, written on biblical and religious themes, are exhibited at the sister's house. This part of the museum’s collection is especially interesting, as it is less known than the painter’s marinistic works. But Aivazovsky, whose brother (Gabriel Konstantinovich) was an archbishop and one of the professors of the Armenian Academy of Mkhitarist monks in Venice, had a particularly reverent attitude to Christianity. Among the biblical works that can be seen in the Sister’s House, the following can be noted: “Walking on the Waters”, “The Last Supper”, “Baptism”, “Prayer for the Chalice”, etc.
"To the death of Alexander"
The sister’s house also has an exhibition of one painting. This painting, which is completely uncharacteristic for the artist, is called “To the death of Alexander”. Aivazovsky wrote it during the days of mourning for the emperor-peacemaker, who died from diseases caused by an injury received during a railway accident. A mystical legend is connected with the picture, in which the viewer begins to believe, having stood for several minutes in front of a canvas made in ominous dark colors. It is interesting that the artist himself has never exhibited this work of his, and no one has seen it for almost 100 years.
Monument to Aivazovsky
Hometown has always appreciated the charitable activities of the artist. In particular, those who come to the Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia, whose photo is decorated with almost all tourist avenues dedicated to the Crimea, can see the monument to the great marine painter. It is installed in the courtyard of the painter’s house, and the inscription: “Theodosius - Aivazovsky” is engraved on its pedestal. In addition, there are several more monuments in the city that the inhabitants of the city dedicated to their world famous compatriot.
Address and opening hours of the Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia
A rare tourist visiting the southeast coast of Crimea leaves without seeing the masterpieces of the great marine painter. To get to the Aivazovsky Museum in Feodosia, you need to go to Galeinaya Street (buildings 2 and 4).
Work mode:
- on Tuesday - from 10:00 to 13:00;
- Monday to Sunday (Wednesday - day off) - from 10:00 to 17:00.
In summer, on the same days, the gallery is open from 9:00 to 20:00.
Now you know what Aivazovsky Museum is in Feodosia. The address of this most important attraction of Crimea is also known to you, therefore, once on the peninsula, be sure to visit the world famous gallery. You will surely enjoy the contemplation of the masterpieces of world painting stored there.