To Marc Chagall's teacher, the painter of Jewish life, the founder of the first drawing school in Vitebsk, Yury Pen — 160 years

A commemorative rally dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the birth of academic artist Yudel Pen, the founder of the first art school in Vitebsk, was held at the Old Semenovskoye Cemetery. Representatives of the public and creative intelligentsia laid flowers at his tombstone.

In honor of the anniversary, which was celebrated on June 5, excursions for schoolchildren to the museum exhibition "Artist Yu. Pen" were organized at the Art Museum, which houses a large collection of Pen's paintings and graphic works. A day of free admission to this exhibition was also held.

The celebration of the 160th anniversary of this legendary figure, who dedicated more than 40 years of his life to Vitebsk, began in January with a joint project "Pen and the Citizens" by the Art Museum and the newspaper "Vitbichi": a series of portraits of citizens from different years was published with the aim of finding prototypes.

Many interesting events are planned until the end of the year, connected with this significant date. Currently, the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus is hosting a presentation of Pen's painting "Self-Portrait with Muse and Death" from the collection of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore. In July, the exhibition "Yudel Pen and His Students" will open in Vitebsk. In August, the master's works from Vitebsk will be exhibited in the artist's homeland, in Zarasai, Lithuania, as well as in the art gallery of the Polotsk National Museum-Reserve.

At the initiative of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the French Republic, Pavel Latushko, it is planned to present the exhibition of paintings by Y.M. Pen in France.

Nataliya Krupitsa, "Vitbichi"