The painting "Morning of the Streltsy Execution". Description of the painting by Vasily Surikov “Morning of the archery execution”

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The painting "Morning of the Streltsy Execution" by Vasily Surikov confuses the unprepared viewer. What is shown here? It is clear that the national tragedy: the general intensity of passions does not give reason to doubt this. Also in the picture you can see - and recognize - Tsar Peter the Great. The Russian audience is probably familiar with the episode from Russian history when the Moscow archery regiments, taking advantage of the sovereign's stay abroad, revolted. But what pushed them to this rebellion? And what did the artist want to say with his painting? After all, despite the gloomy name, not a single hanged or beheaded is visible in the picture. Let's try to figure it out.

Official version of events

The sister of Peter the Great, Sofya Alekseevna, imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, did not leave hopesit on the royal throne of Russia. Taking advantage of her brother's absence, she announced that Peter had been replaced. She called on the archers to come to her aid and protect Russia from the invasion of the Gentiles (that is, European managers whom the tsar invited from Germany and Holland). 175 soldiers from four regiments responded to her call. They arrived in Moscow with a petition in March 1698. In early April, they were driven out of Moscow, but they returned to their regiments and revolted. His goal was to elevate Sophia to the throne, and if she renounces the kingdom, the exiled V. V. Golitsyn. The government sent four regiments and noble cavalry against the two thousand rebels. In June, the rebellion was crushed, and the "most malicious instigators" were hanged. Describing the morning of the Streltsy execution, Surikov takes the official version as a basis. That is, an act of justice that took place on June 22 or 28, 1698. Then, according to the annals, fifty-six people were hanged.

Morning of the Streltsy execution: history

In fact, mass repressions began when Peter the Great returned to Russia (August 25, 1698). The king initiated and led a second investigation. The real morning of the Streltsy execution, described by the shocked diplomats of that time, took place on October 10th. Then about two thousand archers were hanged and beheaded. The king personally cut off the heads of five of them. He did not pardon anyone, did not look at gender or age. He ordered two of his sisters' maids to be buried alive in the ground. Those 500 archers who were too young, the king freed from deathexecution, but their nostrils and ears were cut off, branded and sent into exile. Repressions continued until the spring of 1699. The tsar, who was considered an admirer of European values, allowed to bury the executed only in February.

History of painting the canvas

So what does the picture “Morning of the Streltsy Execution”, which is on display at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, want to tell the viewer? This is the first large painting by Vasily Surikov, which he exhibited to the audience. He worked on it for three years - from 1878 to 1881. Why did the artist turn to the theme of Russian history? Probably, his stay in ancient Moscow, where he moved after graduating from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, affected. They say that at first the artist wanted to depict several hanged men on canvas. He even drew sketches. But one of the maids in the house, seeing them, fainted. Therefore, Surikov abandoned the idea of shocking the viewer. But the tragedy of foreboding the execution keeps us in constant tension. This feeling is stronger than seeing bloody scenes. The picture "Morning of the Streltsy Execution" was liked by the collector Tretyakov. He bought it right away. And later he added to the collection two more works by the master on historical themes - "Boyar Morozova" and "Menshikov in Berezov".

Composition

This is a large oil on canvas (379 x 218 centimeters). The painting “Morning of the Streltsy Execution” is designed in dark colors, which further emphasizes the tragedy and gloom of the moment. The artist resorted to an interesting technique in buildingcompositions. He reduced the distance between objects on Red Square. The Kremlin tower with a wall, St. Basil's Cathedral and the Execution Ground fit right in the picture. Thus, only a few dozen characters create the feeling of a huge crowd, symbolizing the Russian people. It is important that the figure of the king is located in the background. To make the autocrat visible, the artist depicted him on horseback. Peter the Great conducts a "duel with a glance" with one of the archers, who did not break under the yoke of repression. The king realizes that he has no power over the proud spirit of the people, and his revenge remains unsatisfied.

Colors

For the painting "Morning of the Streltsy Execution" Surikov used a rich palette. An early autumn morning after a rainy night, when fog still hangs over the square, serves as a gray background, against which the white shirts of the condemned archers and the lights of candles in their hands show through the more clearly. A bright spot that attracts the eyes of the audience is an archer with red hair. Although his hands are tied and his feet are shackled, it is clear that his spirit is not broken. This symbolizes the high flame of a candle, which he squeezes in his palm. White shirts and a gray background, this grisaille softens the bright clothes of the inhabitants of those times. The little girl's red handkerchief and the gold-woven caftan of the archer's wife take the viewer's gaze to the mourning people.

Symbolics

In the painting "Morning of the Streltsy Execution" the artist laid down a certain code that is not understandable to everyone. First, it is the number "7". That is how many archers are depicted on the canvas (one of them has already been taken away to be executed - only his burning candle remains - as a symbol of his eternal soul). Also visible are the seven domes of St. Basil's Cathedral. The architectural background of the canvas also carries a hidden meaning. The strict Kremlin tower corresponds to the figure of Tsar Peter the Great, while the bright, colorful domes of the church symbolize the aspirations of the Orthodox Russian people, whose ideas were expressed by the executed archers.