Documentaries About Art in Russia

Russian art has a long and storied history. Throughout the years there have been several distinct periods of artistic expression and with each new era came many talented and memorable Russian artists. Russian art has always been a representation of its ancient culture, and there have been many different varieties of Russian artists, including musicians, painters, sculptors, and actors.

 Of course, one can’t discuss Russian artists without considering the myriad of gifted Russian painters and sculptors. Besides ancient carvings and religious icon painting from the first century, truly classical Russian artists and painters came to be around the 18th century. Some important artists of this period include Ivan Argunov and Fyodor Rokotov. Then came the Realist period, which gave rise to such Russian artists as Ilya Repin and Ivan Aivazovsky.

 Performance art has bred many influential and talented Russian artists. Russian ballet has always been a well-known facet of Russian culture. Also, traditional Russian folk music has bred many artists and groups, including singer Lyudmila Zykina and the Red Army Choir. Beginning in the 19th century, classical music has also produced many talented Russian artists. These include such household names as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

 Russian artists, as far as musicians, have remained prevalent throughout the years. Vladimir Vysotsky, for example, was a Russian bard who was immensely famous during the Soviet era. Post-Soviet Western influence gave rise to Russian music akin to rock and roll and heavy metal. Rock groups such as Kino and Splean are still famous in Russia, and some groups such as t.A.T.u. even reached international fame.