Album on Vasily Vereshchagin Released at the RCSC in New Delhi The official release of the Album “Vasily Vereshchagin Indian Poet”, published by Embassy of Russian Federation in India, was carried out jointly by Prof. Lokesh Chandra, President, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and H.E. Mr. Alexander M. Kadakin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, at an auspices and colourful function at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in New Delhi on December 5, 2014. The release of the Album was dedicated to the official visit to India by H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. The function, jointly organised by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in India and the Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RCSC), was attended by an elite gathering. Prof. Lokesh Chandra was the Chief Guest of the function, and Dr. Kapila Vatysyan, Chairperson, IIC-Asia Project, India International Centre, the Guest of Honour. The dignitaries who attended the function included H.E. Mr. Parakhat H. Durdyev, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to India, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim A. Hajiyev, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to India, and H.E. Ms. Samargul Adamkulova, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to India. In his presidential address, Prof. Lokesh Chandra lauded the artistic genius and valuable contributions of the great Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin whose outstanding works needed to be preserved for posterity. He profoundly appreciated the consistent efforts taken by the Russian Embassy and the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in organising this noteworthy event in order to cherish the memory of the eminent Russian artist. In his key-note address, H.E. Alexander Kadakin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, said that when the Festival of Russian Culture in India is a great success across India, the Embassy is proudly presenting a true masterpiece—a volume devoted to the Indian journey of an outstanding Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin. In this context, he referred to the earlier releases of Indian memoirs of the illustrious Russian traveller of 15th century Afanasy Nikitin, and a collection of letters and painting of a remarkable Russian artist and writer Prince Alexey Saltykov with a view “to familiarise international community with the life and oeuvre of those eminent Russians who significantly contributed to the spiritual and artistic affinity and amity between the peoples of Russia and India”. He traced the earlier contacts between the Moughal Empire and the Tzar of the erstwhile Russia, The Ambassador described Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan and Dr. Prof. Lokesh Chandra as towering stalwarts of India’s intellectual elite who knew the Roerichs personally well. Mr. Alexander Kadakin stressed the need for preservation of the works of Vasily Vereshchagin on a par with those of the Roerichs in India He cited the forthcoming official visit of Russian President and the signing of some important document as an important landmark in bilateral relations. The Guest of Honour Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan in her brilliant observation threw light on the illustrious artistic career of Vasily Vereshchagin whose masterpieces on battle scene paintings turned out to be rarest of the rare assets of the artistic heritage in general cutting across all barriers of the world. She made an interesting account on her personal experience over her visit to the Soviet Union and Central Asian Republics in support of the artistic credentials enjoyed by the great Russian artist. Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Mr. Fedor Rozovskiy, Director, Russian Centre of Science and Culture, noted that the release of the Album is significantly happening prior to the official visit to India by Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin. He described the release of the Album of the remarkable personality and world-famous Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin as part of the exclusive series of publications brought out by the Russian Embassy in India and personally by H.E. Mr. Alexander Kadakin. The release of the album is aimed at presenting to its readers the outstanding Russians, who have linked their scientific, creative and artistic paths with those of the Great Bharat, Mr. Rozovskiy added. In her impressive account of undertaking the translation of the Album, Ms. Ferina Duggan-Polichtchouk said that Vasily Vereshchagin epitomised the world “Artist”. “He was considered the finest battle artist of his time. But Vereshchagin was pacifist fist” she pointed out. “ Vereshchagin made two trips to India, from 1874 to 1876 and then again from 1882 to 1883. The journals in this album deal with his journey in the Himalayan regions including Sikhim, Kashmir, Lladakh. However, besides his paintings of the Himalayan regions, the album contains many of his other paintings as well, some depicting battles, other portraits, landscapes, expressive faces, animals, architecture and so on” Ms. Ferina Duggan noted. “Vereshchagin’s art is deep, soul-searching and filled with meaning mush like Russian literature”, she added.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 07:04:41 +0000
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