Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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Thirty years ago, in 1996, Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the USSR, and Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Alexander Shilov donated 355 works to the state and the city of Moscow. Now residents and visitors to the capital can see the collection inAlexander Shilov Gallery, subordinate to the capital Department of Culture.
These paintings—portraits of defenders of the Fatherland, cultural figures, clergy, and ordinary villagers, as well as landscapes and still lifes created over the years—formed the core of the gallery's collection.
Choosing a path
Alexander Shilov was born in 1943 in Moscow. The future artist attended evening school and worked as a loader in a factory, but never stopped drawing. In 1957, he began studying at the art studio of the House of Pioneers in Moscow's Timiryazevsky District, where his talent was noticed. His first visit to the Tretyakov Gallery left a lasting impression on Alexander Shilov, and he remained forever fascinated by the classical Russian school of painting.
In 1968, Alexander Shilov entered the Moscow State Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov.
Alexander Shilov's work has received well-deserved recognition: in 1977, he was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Prize for a series of portraits of Soviet cosmonauts; in 1985, he was named a People's Artist of the USSR; in 2001, he was named an academician of the Russian Academy of Arts; and in 2025, he was awarded the Gold Star medal of the Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation.
The popularity of his exhibitions was truly national: viewers waited hours for the chance to experience the world born from his brush. Exhibitions were held not only in Russia, but also in Belarus, Canada, Kuwait, Portugal, France, Japan, and other countries.
Alexander Shilov Gallery
Given the artist's popularity, his commitment to the realistic traditions of the Russian school of painting, and his contribution to civic awareness and patriotism, the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Moscow Government unanimously decided to establish the Moscow State Art Gallery of the People's Artist of the USSR A.M. Shilov.
The gallery opened on May 31, 1997. The exhibition was housed within the walls of a historic mansion on Znamenka Street (number 5), built in 1829 according to designs by Yevgraf Tyurin. The choice of this historic building proved auspicious: the gallery naturally blended into the architectural ensemble of famous Moscow monuments and quickly became a landmark on the city's cultural map. Alexander Shilov won the hearts of viewers thanks to his mastery and gift for not only capturing striking physical likenesses but also capturing the inner world of his subjects, conveying it in his paintings.
On the day of the gallery's grand opening, Alexander Shilov promised to add new works to the collection annually—and he kept his word: in nearly 30 years of operation, the gallery's collection has surpassed 1,880 paintings.
Among those depicted by the artist are People's Artist of the USSR Sergei Lemeshev (1976), People's Artist of Russia composer Oskar Feltsman (2002), People's Artist of Russia director Mikhail Kozakov (2007), playwright Viktor Rozov (1997), and film director Sergei Bondarchuk (1994). Alexander Shilov is credited with painting over 50 portraits of World War II veterans, including "Pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union N.V. Popova" (2005), "On Victory Day. Machine Gunner P.P. Shorin" (1987), and "Hero of Russia Scout A.N. Botyan" (2011). The artist also painted portraits of clergy, such as Bishop Vasily (1998) and Archbishop Pimen (1990).
Due to the increasing number of paintings donated by the artist to the state and the city of Moscow, a new building designed by Mikhail Posokhin opened in 2003. It complemented the classic 19th-century mansion, forming a unified architectural and artistic ensemble.
Exhibitions and concerts at the gallery
Alexander Shilov's work is one of the most important phenomena in Russian realist art. True to the traditions of the Russian school of painting, the artist affirms values essential in any era: the beauty of the human soul, compassion, patriotism, dignity, and love for one's homeland. The portrait gallery created by Alexander Shilov, developed over decades, unfolds before the viewer a broad canvas of Russian life in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, its history through its faces.
IN permanent exhibition On display are portraits of ordinary soldiers, intelligence officers, counterintelligence officers, doctors, scientists, church officials, and cultural figures, as well as images of ordinary villagers, women, and children. Landscapes, still lifes, and genre paintings, no less significant for Alexander Shilov's artistic legacy, are also on display.
The gallery regularly hosts chamber concerts of classical music. For example, March 21 The concert will feature works by Franz Hoffmeister, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, and late Romantic composers Max Bruch, Gustav Mahler, and Hermann Mohr. Guests are invited to a concert on March 27. Mozart and Salieri: ConfessionThe program includes music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and poetry by Alexander Pushkin performed by the Blagovest sacred music ensemble. The event will take place on March 29. gala concert the second international multi-genre competition dedicated to the 135th anniversary of Sergei Prokofiev's birth.
Tickets for visiting the permanent exhibition and all gallery events can be purchased through the service Mosbilet.
Using this service, you can purchase tickets to any event at city cultural institutions without markup or commission, for yourself or as a gift. The service's capabilities are constantly expanding. Users with a full or standard mos.ru account do not need to enter personal information when purchasing a ticket. Furthermore, you don't need to bring an ID to attend an event; simply show the ticket inspector the QR code of your digital ticket. The service also offers personalized event selections.
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