In Vitebsk, a house with artistic "ghosts" is being restored

In 2013, a unique building in the center of Vitebsk celebrated its 100th anniversary. The fates of old houses are no less interesting than human ones. This one, at the beginning of the 20th century, was built for the personal needs of Vitebsk banker Israel Vishnyak. Five years later, in September 1918, artist Marc Chagall was appointed plenipotentiary of the People's Commissariat for Education for Arts Affairs in the Vitebsk Governorate and proposed to open an art college in the nationalized mansion.

Having survived during the Great Patriotic War (which is a great wonder for buildings on the central streets of Vitebsk), it became a refuge for ordinary Vitebsk residents after the war and worthily survived the reconstructions carried out by new owners. This January, exactly 95 years after the opening of the first state art institution in Belarus here, it got a chance to be revived in its original form: its restoration began.

How soon Vitebsk residents and city guests will be able to visit the museum of the history of the Vitebsk People's Art School, which will be located in the former mansion, was told by the director of the "Vitebsk Center for Modern Art" museum, Andrey Dukhounikov, and the museum's research associate, Marina Karman.

Reconstruction

— Thanks to the analysis, we now know exactly what color the house was painted inside and outside at that time: the building was light, and the architectural elements were ocher-colored, — Marina Karman shared the latest information about the reconstruction. — Specialists from the Polotsk Research Institute unanimously concluded: the house is strong — may God grant that they build like this now. Frankly speaking, it wasn't time that damaged the building. People did it to a greater extent. Since 1976, a computer center with large computers was located here. For their sake, they carried out a redevelopment, destroyed several load-bearing walls. All this we have to restore.

— But we were lucky, — adds Andrey Dukhounikov. — A building plan from 1923 has been preserved in the regional archive. It is drawn on millimeter paper and has small comments. But for us, they are now worth their weight in gold.

To the casual observer, it may seem that no work is currently underway. However, the documentation is fully prepared, and the concept for the museum's creation has been approved. This is because Vishnyak's mansion is one of the few houses associated with Chagall's name that has survived in Vitebsk. It can essentially serve as a monument to itself. It is a great miracle that it not only survived in a Vitebsk almost completely destroyed by war but also retained its external decor.

What will be displayed in the museum?

— How the museum will actually look depends on both funding and energy — ours and the designers', — says Andrey Erichovich. — But first and foremost, we want it to be not the usual museum where there is only an exhibition. We are planning several types of tours and interactive elements.

The basement floor will house a permanent exhibition on the history of the building with a multimedia screen. The first floor will be occupied by exhibition halls, as well as a multifunctional conference hall. A hall with climate control and the necessary level of security will definitely be created. This will allow for exhibitions of original works from the world's most famous museums. On the second floor, the exhibition halls will recreate workshops associated with specific names.

The museum will primarily be informational. This is because today it is unrealistic to collect paintings by the artists who worked here: they are too expensive. By the way, even the Marc Chagall Art Center does not have a single painting by the artist. Among the works of Chagall's students, only a small work by Shterenberg, kept in the local history museum, and works by Yakerson remain in Vitebsk.

Andrei Dukhounikau believes that the museum should also take on an educational mission: "For last year's Shagal Readings, we prepared informational tablets on the history of the school. They were later exhibited in many places. We are realists. We perfectly understand that we cannot collect, for example, Malevich's collection. But we have a house – a place, a witness to the creation of masterpieces. Excursions will be provided at different levels: for those who know nothing about this period, for the more experienced, and for specialists. Our goal, which we are already actively working on, is to accumulate all the information here on the history of the development of the Vitebsk Art School and Russian avant-garde in general."

City Brand

On the cover of an art encyclopedia of the 20th century, which collects the most striking works, three of them are by artists associated with Vitebsk. One of the greatest values of the city is its artists. The new museum should become part of the brand – the Vitebsk Art School. In addition to Vishnyak's house, the Pen Museum will soon appear, which the local history museum is currently working on. The old building of the Art and Graphics Faculty (now the Faculty of Primary Education) on Chekhov Street, the building of the first gymnasium, where the art school was located after the war, require attention. Thus, a unified structure can be created that can convey the entire spectrum of the city's artistic life of the last century.

Meanwhile, in Vitebsk, the first brick is being laid for the foundation of a museum complex that can become not only a city brand but also a phenomenon of European scale. It seems that the city of artists is ready to revive its former glory and multiply it further, not forgetting its history and names.