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1900–1930 · Residence

Repino

1900–1930

Wednesdays at Penaty: Chaliapin, Gorky, Mayakovsky

The estate was eccentric: a studio under a pyramidal lantern roof, a landscape garden with a “Pushkin alley”, a multicoloured Egyptian-style music kiosk and a telescope looking over the Gulf of Finland. Repin gave vegetarian breakfasts, a habit taken from Tolstoy, and lavish Wednesday receptions attended by Chaliapin, Gorky, Glazunov, Kuprin, Polenov, Brodsky, Fechin, Mayakovsky, Rozanov and Bekhterev.

1905

The 1905 revolution: “the year of disaster and shame”

The repression of the popular demonstrations before the Winter Palace in 1905 disillusioned Repin: he called it “the year of disaster and shame”, took part in protests against bloodshed, made sketches of troops firing on a peaceful demonstration, and resigned his teaching post at the Academy to concentrate on painting.

1907

Okonchatelnyy ukhod iz Akademii khudozhestv

После конфликта с учениками написал второе прошение об отставке, сдал академическую квартиру и уехал к Толстому в Ясную Поляну. Причина в заявлении: «малое время, остающееся для собственных работ».

1907

Last trip to Tolstoy: a nine-hour walk

On his last visit to Yasnaya Polyana in 1907, Repin found the 79-year-old Tolstoy in remarkable form: he rode horseback with him, ploughed, cleared paths of brush and hiked through the countryside for nine hours, discussing philosophy and morals all the while.

1908

Against the death penalty: illustrating “The Seven Who Were Hanged”

In 1908 Repin publicly denounced capital punishment in Russia and illustrated Leonid Andreyev’s story “The Seven Who Were Hanged”.