Artist's portrait in the sand and new exhibits. Vitebsk Marc Chagall Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary

The Marc Chagall Museum is a brand of Vitebsk, thanks to which the Belarusian city is known far beyond its borders. Art lovers from all over the world often come specifically to see with their own eyes the artist's small homeland, his house, which are depicted in his works. No tourist group or foreign delegation, while getting acquainted with the city on the Dvina, misses the opportunity to visit the Marc Chagall Museum, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last Friday. In this period, the cultural institution managed to do what seemed impossible.

It all started with the fact that a group of Vitebsk creative intelligentsia, including the famous poet David Simanovich, came up with the initiative to return Chagall's name to his homeland. In 1991, the city executive committee decided to perpetuate the memory with an exhibition dedicated to Chagall, and five years later, the house on Pokrovskaya was restored, and a permanent exhibition was created. Over a quarter of a century, the Vitebsk museum has become a center for the study and promotion of the Chagall theme, the owner of a unique collection of graphics by the famous countryman and a rich library on his work.

Today, the museum's collections include 300 graphic works by Marc Chagall, 200 works by representatives of the European avant-garde, and about 6,000 books and various publications on the life, work of the master, and 20th-century art. Moreover, all this is thanks to gifts from patrons and admirers of the talent of the Vitebsk native with a world name and recognition. Half of the artist's graphics, which the museum now has, were donated by the master's granddaughters, with whom contact was established in the early years of the institution's operation.

- The Marc Chagall Museum, in my opinion, rests on two pillars, – says Lyudmila Khmelnitskaya, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. – The first is the artist's house-museum. These are the native walls, the spirit of those times that attract tourists. The second is scientific activity. Over 25 years, the institution has managed to make a name for itself in the scientific world, largely thanks to the first, then All-Union Chagall Readings held in 1991. Now, works on that part of the artist's biography that was less known are in high demand.

in its entirety, namely the early period, before his move to France. This topic continues to be developed by museum staff. It is especially pleasant when our publications are referenced in serious scientific research.

And the Vitebsk museum – young and full of creative imagination, like the artist's paintings, will hopefully not stop there. As Lyudmila Vladimirovna rightly noted, 25 years is a certain milestone: a person has formed, stood on their own feet, and how they will grow further is a matter for the future.

Thus, by the birthday, the collections were replenished with items related to the youth of Marc Chagall. Artist-exhibitor Yuri Chernyak, who was once involved in the design of the house-museum on Pokrovskaya Street, donated exhibits found during repair work two weeks before its opening. Fragments of broken dishes and yellow plaster, a horseshoe, a bronze door handle, ochre in a pot – what survived after a shell hit the house during the war. These artifacts were retrieved from the basement, which was under the kitchen and was filled in by the new owners.

The Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk has always managed to surprise not only visiting guests but also local residents who have visited the house-museum and the art center many times. The festive evening dedicated to the round date was no exception, bringing together caring people, government representatives, colleagues, and friends, many of whom witnessed the establishment's formation. The sounds of a violin, a theatrical performance, and a sand show, which depicted the milestones of the Vitebsk genius's life and the images of his paintings. All this transported us back to old Vitebsk, which Marc Chagall loved and glorified throughout the world in his paintings.

In addition, on this day, an exhibition dedicated to the museum's anniversary opened at the Art Center. The exhibition presents all the main stages of the institution's formation and activities: the history of its creation, the restoration of the house-museum on Pokrovskaya Street, the formation of the collection and library, donors and patrons, Chagall Readings, plein airs, and much more.

Natalia RYZHKOVA, photos by the author. "Vitebskiye Vesti".