Mikhail Nesterov. Holy Russia. Restoration

The exhibition in the Garden Vestibule will present a painting by Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov (1862–1942), “Holy Russia”, the complex restoration of which was completed in the Russian Museum, as well as photo and video documentation of the restoration works.

M.V. Nesterov’s painting “Holy Russia” was first shown to the broad public in the personal exhibition of the artist in 1907 in St. Petersburg. The artist believed that his painting, as well as all his work, would bring comfort to society, shaken by the revolutionary events. Right from the exhibition, the work was bought for the Museum of the Imperial Academy of Arts. In 1921, “Holy Russia” was put in the Russian Museum as part of its permanent exhibition. At the end of the 1920s, due to government restrictions on religion, the work was removed from the display and put in storage. It was not until the end of the 1980s that it became again accessible to museum visitors.

The restoration works began on 21 March 2019. The reason for the unsatisfactory condition of the painting was the artist’s neglect of technological procedures: he would repeatedly interrupt the work for a long time, and when getting back to it, he would not treat the drying paint coats properly. As a result, the bond between them weakened, which led to the loss of the paint coats. 

So far, the process of deterioration has been halted. The new backing board has been made. Dirt, coats of yellowish varnish and paint patches altering the original color were removed. The gaps were filled with prime coat and toned.

The project was carried out with the support of PJSC Gazprom.