M. Chagall's etchings for the poem "Dead Souls" gifted to Belarus will remain in Vitebsk

July 10, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. An exhibition of etchings by the world-renowned artist Marc Chagall for the poem "Dead Souls" opened today at the Vitebsk Art Museum, a BELTA correspondent reports. The illustrations for Nikolai Gogol's immortal work were created by Chagall by order of Ambroise Vollard, a famous Parisian gallerist and publisher who organized the first exhibitions of Van Gogh, Matisse, and Cézanne. The exhibition features the original book in its entirety: 96 etchings, 11 plates of engraved content, and 11 title pages. In addition to the etchings and the text of "Dead Souls" translated by Vollard's order, the book contains sheets listing all the etchings in reduced size in the order conceived by Chagall. The priceless collection, unparalleled in any museum in Russia, was donated to Belarus by the Independent Charitable Foundation "Triumph - New Century" as part of the "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" arts festival. "There is no doubt that it will remain in the hometown of the great master," the Minister of Culture of Belarus, Pavel Latushko, told a BELTA correspondent. The specific museum for its storage will be determined after all legal and procedural formalities related to the transfer of the collection are completed. The main thing is that these works belong to Belarus, to the Belarusian people, the minister added. -0-