Savva mamontov biography sample
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Savva Mamontov’s Abramtsevo Estate
In 1870 Savva bought the Abramtsevo Estate, a few miles north of Moscow, and began inviting the Russian culturally elite often keeping many different guests from artistic spheres in close contact. This propelled the creation of thousands of pieces of work that stayed housed in Abramstevo to only further incentivize artists. Savva’s own knowledge of singing, sculpting, and writing made him a well-respected patron of the arts. Until, again, the wave of nationalization hit and in 1917 the estate was changed into an art museum for the works of the artists that furnished the buildings.
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Opposing 'Official Nationality:' Savva Mamontov's and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Protest Operas'
Opposing ‘Official Nationality:’ Savva Mamontov’s and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Protest Operas’ John Nelson Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki e-mail: jussinelson@gmail.com Abstract It was at a period of turmoil in Russia that Savva Mamontov together with his Abramtsevo artistic circle found a common interest with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Throughout his life the composer questioned the ‘Official Nationality’ ukase of Nicholas I based on ‘autocracy, orthodoxy, nationality’. In addition his operas found little favour within the Imperial Theatre directorate. However, this changed in 1882 when the Imperial Theatre monopoly was abolished. Mamontov opened his Private Opera in 1885, at Abramtsevo, but moved it to Moscow in 1895. His aim was to demonstrate that a well-run private professional opera house could compete successfully with the imperial theatres,
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The portraiture of Valentin Serov.
In today’s blog I want to look at another artist who has many of his works of art featured in the Tretyakov galleri, including a number of portraits. Let me introduce you to Valentin Alexandrovich Serov who was a Russian painter, and one of the leading portrait artists of his era.
Valentin Alexandrovich Serov was born in St Petersburg in 1865 and was to become one of the foremost portrait artists of his time. He was the only-child of Alexander Nikolayevich Serov and his wife, Valentina Serova née Bergman. His father Alexander was a Russian composer and one of the most important music critics in Russia during the 1850s and 1860s.
His mother, Valentina had studied for a short time at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with Anton Rubinstein but left to study with Alexander Serov whom she married in 1863. Valentin Serov was brought up in a musical and artistic household. At the age of six his father died from a heart attack and his mother sent hi