In the Stroganov Palace Russian Museum hosts an exhibition devoted to the activities of the Community of St. Eugenia publishers belonging to the interesting phenomena of the Silver Age of Russian culture

in the Stroganov Palace Russian Museum hosts an exhibition devoted to the activities of the Community of St. Eugenia publishers belonging to the interesting phenomena of the Silver Age of Russian culture. The Community of St. Eugene has been actively involved in charity work and has collaborated with such artists as A. Benoit , I.Ja.Bilibin , E. Lanceray , KA Somov , L. S. Bakst , MV Dobuzhinsky , F. Bernshtam, DI Mitrokhin , GI Narbut , Z. E. Serebryakova , A . Ostroumova, P. Lebedev , etc. In total, the exhibition presents about 300 works, including books, guidebooks, «an open letter», drawings and watercolors.

Russian Museum has a unique collection of so-called «open letters» (cards), sketches and impressions of test publishers, the majority of books Communities St. Eugenia fall into the collection almost immediately after the light.

The Community of St. Eugenia part of the «Saint-Petersburg care committee of the Red Cross Sisters» at the Main Office Rocca (Russian Red Cross Society), since 1887 headed by the granddaughter of Emperor Nicholas I, Princess Eugenia Maksimilianovnoy Oldenburgsky (1845 -- 1925), which invested in the charity considerable personal funds. It is in honor of the heavenly patron of the Princess, and was named the community, consisting of the sisters of mercy, and to not only support the older and often mendicant sisters of mercy, but to prepare a worthy successor.

communities are needed the money to build hospitals, the contents of the shelter for the elderly sisters, for nurse training courses. Funds for charity from individuals, from auctions conducted by Community and art exhibitions. Since 1896 The Community of St. Eugene started the publishing industry, including the release of «open letters» - illustrated cards, including a large place occupied by reproductions of works of fine art, especially Russian. This initiative not only proved the most successful way of obtaining charitable funds, but a noticeable phenomenon in the cultural life of Russia late XIX - early XX century.

The first products - the envelopes associated with Easter in 1896, had a modest design: a sign of the Red Cross and the inscription «For greeting cards. In favor of the Community of St. Eugenia ». Just one year later to the design of the envelope involved artists EP Samokish-Sudkovskaya, VV Suslov, NV Sultanov.

In 1898 came the first series of 10 «open letters», sponsored watercolors for them have become famous artists: IE Repin , KE Makovsky , NS Samokish , EM Böhm and others issued to 10 000 copies each card in this series have had such success that the edition had to repeat.

1900-ies have been flourishing for years, largely contributed to this contest on the 200 anniversary of St. Petersburg, which established strong links with artists «Art of Peace». Invited to the jury, Alexander Benois de facto head of a publishing house. Actively collaborated with the publishing community LS Bakst, A. Benois, Ivan Bilibin, MV Dobuzhinsky, Igor I. E. Grabar , EE Lanceray, GK Lukomsky , KA Somov, A . Ostroumova P., Lebedeva, and many others have worked for almost a symbolic fee, or even for free.

Thanks to high-sponsors in 1903 the Community had been allowed to sell the cards in kiosks at many Red Cross railway station and pier on the whole Russia. Copies of cards reaches 10 000 copies, and some of them reprinted up to 5-6 times. The total number of open letters over 20 years of existence, beginning in 1898, amounted to more than 30 million copies. They were all made with high quality printing. More than 6 400 cards are devoted to significant events in the life of the Russian state, government leaders and the king's court, and play the best works of Russian and foreign art. On the card with the brand communities show 3 000 sites in 200 locations worldwide. Among the perpetrators of these types of cards I.Ja.Bilibin and A. Benoit, as well as the famous photographer: A. Pavlovic, C. Bull, K. Gann, P. Radetzki, S. Prokudin-Gorsky, V. Svetlichnyi.

gradually evolved from the publisher and its own publishing program. The priority issues have been illustrated editions of Russian classical literature and books that introduce readers to the largest collections of Russian museums and cultural attractions of the country. This - «Guide to the Art Gallery of the Hermitage» A. Benoit (1911), «art Hermitage» (1916), pocket guides to famous places of Russia, a series of monographs «Russian artists», «1812 in fable Krilova» with illustrations GI Narbut (1912), «Mozart and Salieri» Alexander Pushkin, with three drawings MA Vrubel , and book decorations SV Chekhonin .

Printed matter Communities won awards at international exhibitions: World in Paris (1900), in St. Louis (1904), the All-Russian handicraft exhibition in St. Petersburg (1907-1908), the International Building Exhibition in St. Petersburg (1908 ), and others.

After the revolution in 1920 Evgeninskaya community was abolished. Philanthropy as a form of social work of high society ceased to exist. Publisher shifted to the Glavnauki and continued its activities under the name of the promotion of art books at the State Academy of physical culture.

Source: mkrf.ru , rusmuseum.ru