In the St. Petersburg school on the back of a portrait of Lenin found the portrait of Nicholas II

Find a portrait of Nicholas II by Ilya Galkin (1860-1915) helped first-grader, flown by a portrait of Lenin in the auditorium. The damaged painting was sent for restoration, and found the back of the canvas painted over a portrait of the king

Another portrait of Nicholas II by Ilya Galkin Source: ic-xc-nika.ru

few years ago, in the auditorium of the 206th school Petersburg, which is on the Fontanka River, not far from Shcherbakov alley, there was a curious case: during the holiday excessively active first grader literally flew into his head stood since time immemorial on stage a huge portrait of Lenin. Canvas broke. Not even to break: a portrait of a fallen piece.

precipitated piece of the portrait school director Tatiana Bachurina Send to a friend restorer of the Russian Museum. And then there was a surprising discovery: in the back of the portrait of the leader of the world revolution was under a layer of paint image ... boot. Suggested that an as yet unknown painting was to depict some of the emperors. At first they thought that Alexander II, in which in 1880 was founded by Peter the Commercial College - the predecessor of the 206th school. But when they found the pre-revolutionary photographs, everything fell into place: the hall, as it should be to have graced the portrait of "now happily reigning" Emperor Nicholas II.

- Our school was founded in 1880, was under the patronage of the Romanov dynasty, - the head of the museum school number 206 Svetlana Pasinkova. - After the revolution in the hall decided to place a portrait of a new head of state. This work was commissioned in 1924 by renowned artist Vladislav Vladislav Izmailovich , which among other things was a teacher in our school before the revolution and thereafter.

What makes Izmailovich? It does not destroy the portrait of Nicholas II, and turns the canvas and on the reverse side depicts Lenin. Moreover, against the background of the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the grand tomb, which was very unusual: as a rule, the leader portrayed against the backdrop of the workers and peasants. By the way, then, to give the painting a proletarian character,'ve added the five-pointed star on the St. John Gate and red flags over the city. And the image of Nicholas II was hidden under a layer of special paint. For years, this was an absolute mystery to all.

- Guess the "hiding" the portrait was confirmed when in the spring of this year, a huge canvas measuring three by four meters, in the heavy frame, with great difficulty, was removed from his place, where he hung for many decades - said Svetlana Pasinkova. - The canvas was taken to the restoration workshops of the Academy named Stieglitz. And the miracle happened: at the back of the portrait through a layer of cracked paint was clearly exude the face of the emperor.

Research paintings in the ultraviolet, infrared, and X-rays confirmed that on the back of a portrait of Lenin - the image of Nicholas II.

- It's like two sides of the same coin - a wonderful symbol of the twentieth century - says Pasinkova. - On one canvas - two key historical person that created time and change it. In the lower part of the portrait of the emperor in the infrared signature of the painter and read the year of job. Artist Ilya Galkin Savitch created the painting in 1896, when there was the coronation of the last king (and recall the infamous Hodynka!). It is not that Galkin - artist unknown, his works are now in the collection of the Russian Museum and other museums in Russia.

Galkin was older than the king for eight years. He came from a poor family Petersburg province. Boy, he was sent to the teachings of the shoemaker, who in his spare time, he began to draw. One customer Shoemaker drew attention to the ability of a gifted child and set him in the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists.

Passion Galkina were hunting scenes. And in 1894 he became the entree to the royal court, where he was instructed to do portraits of the imperial family. He captured Nikolai II, Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Dukes. This work brought Galkin not only moral satisfaction, but also material prosperity. Already in 1899 he bought an estate in the Tver province, where he built a shop. Remember that he was a very hospitable host. Galkin died two years before the revolution ...

As the professor of painting and restoration of the Art and Industry Academy Stieglitz Tatiana Potselueva that directs the restoration of paintings Galkina, it was entirely the product of the master is not known.

- The story is very interesting and mysterious - says Tatiana Potselueva. - We have studied the paint on the canvas and came to the conclusion that, while Lenin's portrait is dated 1924 year, the image of the king "hidden" much earlier - most likely after the February Revolution. And slipped with water-soluble paint, and under it - virtually undamaged portrait of the king. A thick layer of varnish saved picture. By the way, a surprising fact: on x-ray images practically identical: it turned out that Lenin and Nicholas - head to head. Lenin shines from under the cap face Nicholas.

Those who painted over the image of a king (probably had a hand in this same artist Izmailovich) actually saved the picture. By the way, on the other side of the canvas, where a portrait of the king, visible patches, all of them - at the level of human growth. It is possible that after the revolution, the picture could bayonet.

Restoration of paintings take up to two years. Work carried out by the decision of the Board of the restoration, which includes the restorers of the highest category of the Hermitage and the Russian Museum.

- Our task is not only to restore the portrait of Nicholas II, but a portrait of Lenin and restore - says Potselueva. - Both portraits will remain on one canvas to the picture could be shown simultaneously on both sides. Will be restored and the frame, we want to restore it to its original form. This work will involve the students. By the way, the frame was present with traces of gilding, preserved under a layer of bronze paint.

After the restoration of the portrait will return to its historic place - in the assembly hall of the 206th school.

Source: spbvedomosti.ru