The triptych was commissioned by the artist in the year of the Great Patriotic War when the theme of confronting the invader was central to art. The soldiers who went to the front were inspired by him. Logistics officers providing the soldiers with food, weapons and clothing also found consolation in him.
"Alexander Nevsky" was written under the reports from the front, under the roar of anti-aircraft guns, under the bright light of searchlights cutting the sky. He was called upon to evoke in the souls of the audience the enthusiasm and inspiration, the confidence that the enemy can be defeated, no matter how terrible he may seem, and no matter how countless his hordes are.
On the left and right sides of the triptych, the soldiers are going to war. They were escorted by women - an old mother leaning on a stick, a wife holding a small child in her arms. It is worth fighting for their sake, for the sake of life to continue, the child grows up, the mother was able to live out her life in peace and silence, and not in an all-consuming fear for her son. The land itself, its river, village, small church also needs protection, and is also going to wait for its sons.
In the middle, the image of a warrior gets a natural development. Alexander Nevsky is a man who stopped the German knights like no one else could inspire the country's defenders to fight the fascist invaders. There is something monumental in his figure, a memory of the ancient heroes, and at the same time - iconographic severity, a banner with the face of Christ, reminiscent of the holiness of the Russian land. He stands leaning on a sword, a banner is drunk behind his back and a cloak sways in the wind, and, fully dressed in armor, he waits for those with whom to fight will come. They will come - and perish from the sword with which they came.
And behind him is a defenseless, dear, beloved land. A white-walled city on the river, a cloudy, frowning sky, ready, it seems, to cry. You have to fight for them, for the children and mothers left in the city. And it is impossible not to win - as Alexander could not fail to win in his time.
Pavel Dmitrievich Korin was an artist not only by vocation, but also by the very place of his birth - one of the largest, complex and tragic in essence of his work masters of Russian art of the 20th century was born on June 25 (July 7) 1892 in the famous Palekh, in a family of hereditary icon painters.
House of the Korins in Palekh. From the side of the garden. 1929. Paper. Gouache 12.5x23. P. T. Korina's collection 
Korin knew his roots, loved and kept memories connected with childhood: a hotly heated village hut, he and his brother watched at the stove as his father, with a concentrated brush, draws a web of gold ornament over densely laid paints. In the gloom, the mysterious eyes of the saints on icons darkened with time - they were painted by Paul's grandfather and great-grandfather; they knew the faces of the saints as well as the faces of their loved ones. Corinne was intimately involved with this world. He himself graduated from the icon-painting school, worked in icon-painting workshops, helped Nesterov to paint the church of the Martha-Mariinsky Convent. Later, having become a secular painter, he painfully overcame the traditions of icon painting in his works - "peeling off my skin, I crawled out of the icon painter."
But, having formed at first precisely as a master icon painter, Pavel Korin forever retained an interest in inner peace man and later became one of the outstanding portrait painters of our time. One of the outstanding masters of our art, Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov, greatly influenced the formation of the creative style and, above all, the worldview of the young artist.
With Nesterov, Korina was connected by a real, great friendship. On the recommendation of this well-known master by that time, in 1912 Pavel entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in the studio of K. A. Korovin and S. V. Malyutin. In communication with him, in joint work, conversations, Pavel Korin found his themes, monumentality and passion of his artistic method.
The influence of Mikhail Nesterov, who understood art as a spiritual feat, admiration for the work of Alexander Ivanov, served as sources of the artist's asceticism throughout his life. For 12 years Pavel Dmitrievich worked on the epic “Requiem. Departing Russia "- a series of sketches gigantic in form and inward spirit for an unrealized picture, in the final version which became evidence of the triumph of spirit and faith in days of calamity and destruction of minds.
Among the most famous works of Pavel Korin are the triptychs "Alexander Nevsky", "Dmitry Donskoy", "Spolokhi", magnificent portraits and landscapes, grandiose mosaic panels for the Moscow Metro. Corinne is also known as a talented restorer, who brought back to life many beautiful masterpieces, including paintings from the Dresden Gallery.
During the Great Patriotic War, Korin turned to the images of the heroic past of Russia. In his Moscow workshop, he created mosaic panels for the Palace of Soviets, depicting on them the great Russian commanders and defenders of the native land Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov - the images of the Great ancestors, which Stalin mentioned in his address to the people at the military parade 1941 of the year.
Then early in the morning November 7, 1941 thick snow was falling in Moscow. Soldiers, cavalry, armored vehicles, and a combined orchestra were moving up to Red Square. The day before, the disguise was removed from the Mausoleum and the Kremlin stars. The commentators were preparing to talk about the upcoming event on the radio. In a few minutes, a military parade will begin, which will shake the world and go down in the history of wars as a military operation that has no analogues.
On the eve of the Nazis came close to the capital, planes were bombed every day, the city went into a state of siege, and on October 15 a decree on a general evacuation was adopted. It seemed to many that this was the end, that we had lost, that from day to day the enemy would take Moscow. Disturbing rumors spread and panic began. It was necessary to support people, instill faith in them, strengthen the spirit in this difficult time. And yet - to show the enemies that the Soviet soldier is strong and it is too early to celebrate the victory: after all, the plans of the German leadership were to hold their own march of winners on November 7, and marble was already transported in railway cars for a monument to the German army, intending to install it on Red Square.
On that memorable day, from the walls of the Mausoleum, the country heard words by I.V. Stalin:
It was a parade of the invincible Russian spirit. Indeed, in any struggle, the one who has a strong spirit wins, who does not give up to the last, no matter how difficult it may be. The event was of tremendous importance, people again believed that Victory would be ours, and with renewed vigor they began to crush the Nazis. And despite the fact that in mid-November the fascists' offensive against Moscow continued with renewed vigor, a turning point has already taken place in the people's consciousness. On December 5, 1941, a counter-offensive by Soviet troops began, as a result of which the Germans retreated from the capital, and the plan for a lightning-fast capture of the Soviet Union was finally failed.
Pavel Korin was among those who listened to Stalin's speech. When, after the war, in the early 50s, the architect A.V. Shchusev with a proposal to do the decoration of a new metro station dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Korin recalled that very speech of the leader.
The "Images of Great Ancestors" mentioned by Stalin became the subjects of eight mosaic panels made according to P. Korin's sketches. On the central vault of the platform hall of the metro station "Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya" are spread these huge sparkling pictures of colored stones and smalt - opaque colored glass - for many years immortalizing the victories of Russian weapons and the victories of the Russian spirit. Work on sketches and production of mosaics was carried out in 1951-1952, the station itself was opened on January 30, 1952.
8 mosaic panels Art. m. "Komsomolskaya-ring"
Alexander Nevskiy
Mosaic "Alexander Nevsky". Komsomolskaya ring station of the Moscow metro
Alexander Nevsky is almost a household name, but meanwhile it is a real man, who was only 19 years old when he led the battle for which he received his nickname "Nevsky". The Swedish ruler Birger, approaching our borders, sent a letter to Novgorod with the following content: “Prince Alexander, if you want to oppose me, then I am already here and already trample on your land. Better come and bow down, and ask for my mercy, and I will give it if I want. If you resist me, then I will enslave and destroy all your land, and you and your children will become my slaves. " After the defeat on the Neva, the Swedes forgot the road to Russia for almost 400 years.
Dmitry Donskoy
Mosaic “Dmitry Donskoy. Morning of the Kulikov field "
Prince of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy - on a white horse and with a banner, which depicts the Savior Not Made by Hands (as in the first panel). And this was in Soviet times, which in itself interesting fact... The figure of the prince, as it were, merges with the background, appears together with the army as a single whole. This is a reflection of the historical significance of the main merit of Prince Dmitry: in the face of the enemy, he managed to unite into one force the previously scattered Russian regions. His ancestors - the Moscow princes - did it politically, he completed their work, proving by victory over Mamai that Russia is united and therefore strong. After 150 years of dependence on another state, we did not give up and won. And although there was still a hundred years before the complete liberation, the significance of the Kulikovo battle is enormous. She did the main thing: strengthened the spirit of the people and their faith in complete victory.
Here they are, the warriors of the spirit - Peresvet and Oslyabya, Korin depicted them in the foreground of the picture. Monks and heroes, in the image of which spiritual strength is combined with physical.
Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky
Mosaic "Minin and Pozharsky"
We have been celebrating the Day of National Unity on November 4 for several years. Leaders of the people's militia, the victors of the Polish interventionists in 1612. Here they are - with a golden sacred banner on Red Square. Dmitry Pozharsky - in the center in rich chain mail and a princely cloak, behind him - the forces of the militia; to the left on a black horse - Kuzma Minin, with a raised hand, behind him - people from young to old. Foreground: a Russian family: father, mother and son.
Minin was the main ideological inspirer and practical organizer of the movement. Before him, several liberation campaigns were undertaken against Moscow under the leadership of various leaders, but they were all unsuccessful. What is the mystery of this simple city dweller-merchant, who managed to do what was beyond the power of military leaders? It's simple: he, unlike others, did not share power, completely transferring control of the people's army to the military leader of the princely family Pozharsky, and did not steal the people's money, being an honest man and sincerely fighting for freedom and truth. He acted according to his conscience, and therefore they believed him and were ready to fight to the end.
Alexander Suvorov
Mosaic "Suvorov"
The allied army of Austria betrayed two Russian armies: Suvorov and Rimsky-Korsakov. The three forces were to meet at a certain time in a designated place, having previously completed their part of the mission. After the unification of forces in Switzerland, it was planned to defeat the enemy troops - the French. The Russian commanders exactly followed the agreements, the Austrian ones first supplied Suvorov with an unreliable map of the Alps, and then left the theater of operations altogether, in fact abandoning both armies of the Russian Empire to die separately, which had previously freed Italy from Napoleon's rule.
When the field marshal saw sheer cliffs on the way and it became clear that the road that the allies were talking about simply did not exist, he decided to go further: after all, General Rimsky-Korsakov was waiting ahead with his soldiers. If Suvorov does not come, the army of Rimsky-Korsakov will be in the minority and will be defeated. Neither snow, nor bare stones, nor slippery clay did not stop the "miracle heroes" (as Suvorov called his soldiers) when crossing the wild mountain ridge Rosstock.
After that, it turned out that the army of Rimsky-Korsakov, abandoned by the Austrians, had already been defeated. And the troops of Suvorov are destined for death, because where the allies were supposed to be, there were fresh, well-trained French regiments. Under the leadership of Suvorov, tired and exhausted Russian soldiers and Cossacks (they can also be seen on the mosaic) not only managed to get out of the encirclement, but also repulsed all attacks from the much outnumbered enemy. It was simply impossible to do this. The only option was to either die or surrender. In the most difficult moments of crossing the Alps, when the soldiers stopped in front of danger in indecision, the 69-year-old Field Marshal sang merry songs and rode forward himself on horseback.
The biography of Suvorov, published in 1900, began with these words: "The glory of him will not end ... as long as moral principles play at least some role in the activities of mankind and as long as spiritual forces are placed above physical ones."
Mikhail Kutuzov
Mosaic "Kutuzov"
It is illogical, but true: it was after the capture of Moscow by Napoleon that the series of defeats of the French army began. Kutuzov generally acted incomprehensibly to many: he retreated, escaped from major battles, as a result of the Battle of Borodino, he did not win anything from the enemy. True, later, all his "incomprehensible" decisions were called brilliant and "examples of strategic maneuver" in the history of military art.
As a result of the retreat, Kutuzov preserved and well prepared the Russian troops, at Borodino he knocked out with killed and wounded almost half of the Napoleonic army, which was considered invincible, and as a result of the surrender of Moscow and a series of well-planned actions, he first weakened the French, then forced them to start a retreat and, as a result, almost completely destroyed. The Patriotic War of 1812 could be considered over due to the absence of an enemy army as such. And all this - with moderate losses of our army.
Kutuzov took care of the lives of soldiers and did not strive for triumphant victories in big battles. He acted outside the box, because he was a talented commander and primarily thought about saving Russia, and not about his own glory. His famous statement still sounds philosophical and approaches many situations in life: "Everything comes on time for the one who knows how to wait."
The banner of the great Lenin
Mosaic “Speech by V.I. Lenin in front of the Red Guards going to the front "
You can relate to Lenin in different ways, but one way or another, his image for a Soviet person was inspiring. Historically, all moral ideals were concentrated in this created image of the leader. The Soviet state, which was threatened by Hitler, was formed in 1922 by Lenin, therefore, speaking about the defense of the Motherland, they talked about it. The banner of the great Lenin is something that was sacred, dear and could lead to battle.
If you look closely at the panel, you will notice the unevenness of some areas of the mosaic - interspersed tesserae seem to be not quite suitable color... There is an explanation for this. Previously, the image looked very different, and the original plot was later redone. From the point of view of artistic integrity, it was the first mosaic canvas that ideally fit into the concept of the entire design of the station. It bore both the victorious banner of the great Lenin and the triumph of the invincible Russian spirit.
This plot is the very memorable military parade. Comrade I.V. Stalin, along with the banner, seems to be placing the very fate of the country in the hands of the soldier. On the right - battalions of cadets in winter uniforms, on the left - members of the Soviet leadership who participated in the parade: V.M. Molotov, G.M. Malenkov, M.I. Kalinin, K.E. Voroshilov and A.S. Shcherbakov. On the day of the opening of the Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya metro station in early 1952, this very picture was on the vault. It is clear that after "debunking the cult of personality" a panel with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in full height was highly undesirable, despite the fact that it fully corresponded to the historical truth. The decision to redesign it, which was completed by 1963, was lowered from above.
Triumph of Victory
Mosaic "Taking of the Reichstag"
Here is another symbolic "banner of the great Lenin." But this is already the Banner of Victory. The joyful, bright faces of the victorious soldiers against the background of Soviet banners and the walls of the Reichstag - like a triumph of Victory not only over a hostile state, but also over fascism itself. The defeated fascist swastikas can be seen under the heroes' feet. The end of the war, the end of the ideas of Nazism, the end of Hitler's terrible plans, the world is saved. Perhaps this is the most life-affirming of all panels.
They say that every soldier who took part in the storming of the Reichstag had a piece of scarlet fabric made of anything - tablecloths, curtains, sewn from pieces in haste. Occupying the internal premises, staircases, floors, the soldiers attached here and there their little Victory Banners.
Mosaic "Triumph of Victory"
Initially, this panel also featured Stalin. The mosaic was called "Victory Parade (defeated Nazi banners)"... Fascist banners can be seen even now - the allegorical figure of the Motherland-Mother walks along them towards the viewer. In her right hand are symbols of the Soviet state, a hammer and sickle, in her left is an olive branch, a symbol of peace. There is no one else. Until the beginning of the 60s, there were. After the famous XXII Congress of the CPSU, the mosaic was "corrected" by removing the Stalin Mausoleum and members of the Politburo from the rostrum.
That is why, among the 8 mosaic panels of the station, a woman suddenly appeared - this symbolic image somewhat got out of the general concrete historical stylistics, but in an unexpected way illustrated the words from Stalin's speech on November 7, 1941. The image of the Motherland appears before us in its collective meaning: Moscow, Red Square, Spasskaya Tower, Mausoleum, hammer and sickle, Peace, Victory over Nazi Germany, Victory Parade 1945, Woman-Russia - the same as on Mamayev Kurgan - serious , strong and invincible.
The area of each mosaic panel is 30 sq. m, the weight - 3 tons, the number of typesetting elements - 300 thousand pieces... Majestic in terms of the strength of the emotional impact on the viewer, these are also works of Soviet monumental art, grandiose in technique and quality of performance. The sketches were made in full size, and according to them, teams of craftsmen laid out paintings from pieces colored stones and colored glass (smalts)... Then they were transferred to a base covered with cement mortar. The finished slab was installed on the vault of the station, at a height 9 meters.
Working on a mosaic panel for the Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya station. 1951
Assembling a mosaic panel in a workshop. From the archives of the Moscow Metro Building
Mosaic woman at work on the panel "Dmitry Donskoy" for the metro station "Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya"
Artist Pavel Korin at the panel "Minin and Pozharsky" for the metro station "Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya"
Installation of a mosaic panel for the Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya metro station
According to the tradition of mosaic painting, the backgrounds of the panels were made gilded. The gold background on icons and mosaics is an ancient Christian symbol of Divine glory. The artist Pavel Korin, who knew well the traditions of Russian and Byzantine art, applied this technique, well known since ancient times, in his work. That is why the mosaics create the impression of timelessness, special grandeur and solemnity, and those that depict princes and banners with the Savior are altogether similar to icons.
The model of the Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya station in 1958 received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Brussels. In addition to evaluating the architectural design, the closest attention was paid to the "illustrative" part, represented by the mosaics of Corin.
When the artist was ordered to change the mosaics, he decided to leave those parts of the image that were not in doubt by the new leadership and could be used in the composition. The alterations were carried out right on the spot - at night, when the metro was not working. Gradually, from 1961 to 1963, the panels acquired their present appearance.
Victory Hall
The chief architect of Komsomolskaya-Koltsevoy, Aleksey Viktorovich Shchusev, called his brainchild the Victory Hall. Surprisingly, the ideological and artistic content of the station is not limited to the glorification of Victory in the Great Patriotic War - despite the fact that the station was designed immediately in the post-war years, in the wake of general celebration and jubilation. The main hall presents the theme of Russian victories in volume, retrospectively, leading the viewer into the very depths of centuries.
The heroic leaders and all the people overcame their enemies in such gloomy times, in which it was impossible not only to win, but to survive. We survived everything.
Art. m. Komsomolskaya-ring. Perspective. 2013 g.
P.S. At the entrance to the platform hall, where a sign with information about the station now hangs, a marble plaque was nailed down. Stalin's words from his 1941 speech are engraved on it: "May the courageous image of our great ancestors - Alexander Nevsky, Dimitry Donskoy, Kuzma Minin, Dimitry Pozharsky, Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov, inspire you in this war! ! ".
Although the plaque was removed, illustrations remained on the vault - majestic, shining stone paintings. And as long as we know and remember who is on them - Victory will always be ours.
P.D. Korin. Mosaic sketch for the Komsomolskaya metro station. 1951-52. Museum-apartment of the artist P. D. Korin
Alexander Nevskiy. Mosaic. Komsomolskaya ring station of the Moscow metro
Corinne Pavel. “Dmitry Donskoy. Morning of the Kulikov Field ". Sketch for a mosaic panel. 1951. Paper, oil, gold 101х74. House-Museum of P. D. Korin - a branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery
Mosaic on Komsomolskaya. “Dmitry Donskoy. Morning of the Kulikov field "
In 1942-1943, Korin worked on the triptych "Alexander Nevsky", praising the power and steadfastness of Russian soldiers.
In the central part of the triptych, the artist depicted the full-length figure of Alexander Nevsky. In the hands of the prince, dressed in the shining metal armor of a Russian warrior, a huge sword. Towering over the horizon, Alexander Nevsky obscures the gloomy sky, a city with white-stone temples stretching out on the banks of the river. A banner with the face of an angry Savior flutters over the prince's head. The vertically elongated, laconic and austere composition has a monumental and majestic appearance.
Alexander Nevskiy. The central part of the triptych "Alexander Nevsky". 1942. Oil on canvas 275x142. State Tretyakov Gallery
On the left side, called "The Northern Ballad", there is a woman in a black headscarf and a middle-aged warrior. With his right hand, he leans on a sparkling sword, with his left hand pulled forward, as if protecting his companion and the city, the buildings of which can be seen behind him. The slender trunks of trees growing on the shore emphasize the solemn grandeur of human figures.
Northern ballad. Left part of the triptych "Alexander Nevsky". 1943. Oil on canvas 275x250. State Tretyakov Gallery
The canvas "Ancient Skaz", the right side of the triptych, is a three-figure composition. Striving for monumentality, the author gave it a somewhat theatrical look. As in the other two parts, the human figures in the painting are positioned high above the horizon. In the center of the composition is a small, fragile old woman leaning on a stick. Delicate, painted with almost transparent strokes, flowers surrounding the woman, as if repeating the wonderful patterns of her clothes. The artist depicted on his canvas the famous northern storyteller Krivopolenova. Next to her are the defenders of the Russian land - a tall, muscular youth and a mighty gray-bearded old man.
Flashes. Left side of the triptych. 1966. Paper, oil 27x25. House-Museum of P. D. Korin - a branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery
Flashes. The central part of the triptych. 1966. Paper, oil 27x25. House-Museum of P. D. Korin - a branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery
Flashes. Right side of the triptych. 1966. Paper, oil 27x25. House-Museum of P. D. Korin - a branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery
Pavel Dmitrievich in last years life passionately wanted to complete his painting "Requiem. Leaving Russia. " The only serious obstacle was age and a sharp deterioration in health. He was already about seventy years old, he suffered two heart attacks, and the work required a lot of energy. Yet the master did not want to give up. Corinne was even going to order a special lifting chair and get started. But his strength waned, and shortly before his death, the artist said bitterly: "I didn't have time."
Pavel Dmitrievich Korin died in Moscow on November 22, 1967. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
Working on the triptych, the artist consulted with historians, employees of the Historical Museum, where he painted chain mail, armor, helmet from life - all the equipment of the protagonist, whose image he recreated on canvas in just three weeks. In Korin's painting, Alexander Nevsky is presented as a determined warrior preparing for battle. He stands at the turn of the Russian lands and vigilantly watches where the enemy will appear. Alexander leans on a large sword, and behind him flutters a banner with the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The colors used by the artist are in black, red and light colors. This reinforces the impression of severity, restraint, determination and heroism produced by the image of the prince. The entire central part of the triptych seems to illustrate the famous phrase attributed by the chronicler to Alexander Nevsky: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword." The general appearance of the prince is formidable. This is a real Russian hero-defender who will not let his land be offended. Behind Alexander Nevsky's back, Korin depicted the widespread Russian lands. The broad-shouldered warrior in armor embodies all the power of Russian weapons, the courage and courage of the Russian people, who are ready to fight to the last drop of blood for their freedom and independence, for their ideals. Largely thanks to the skill of the artist, the prince remained in the memory of the Russians as an unbending warrior and national hero. During the Great Patriotic War, the theme of the struggle Ancient Rus with the Germans was the most urgent, and the Russian victories over them were elevated to the rank of national achievements. The heroism of Alexander Nevsky could serve as an example for the Soviet people. The prince became famous for his ingenuity, ingenuity and courage in the battle on the Neva in 1240 with the Swedes and Germans and in 1242 in the famous battle with the knights of the Livonian Order on Lake Peipsi. In the Battle of the Neva, Alexander defeated the outnumbered enemy with the help of military art, inflicting a surprise blow on the enemy. In 1240 the Germans attacked the Pskov region, and the Swedes, prompted by the Pope, moved to Novgorod under the leadership of the royal son-in-law Birger. Confident of victory, Birger sent Alexander a proud and arrogant declaration of war: "If you can, resist, know that I am already here and will take your land captive." Novgorod was left to its own devices. Rus defeated by the Tatars could not provide the city with any support. With a small squad of Novgorodians and Ladoga residents, Alexander attacked the Swedes on the night of July 15, 1240, catching them by surprise when they stopped at the mouth of the Izhora on the Neva as a camp for a rest, and completely defeated them. The Swedes did not expect such a powerful rebuff from the Russians, who, with their surprise attack, completely demoralized the enemy. Fighting in the forefront himself, Alexander "imposed a seal on his forehead with the edge of his sword" to the unfaithful stolen [Birger]. Victory in this battle gave him the nickname Nevsky and in the eyes of his contemporaries immediately placed him on a pedestal of great glory. The impression of the victory was all the stronger because it took place in a difficult period, marked for the rest of Russia with great troubles and hardships.
Arina LAZAREVA
Alexander Nevskiy
1942-1943. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
On the work of P.D. Korina was largely influenced by the Great Patriotic War. During these years, Korin, like many other leading figures in science and art, continued to work, trying to raise the patriotic spirit of the people. Historical plots - moments of glory of Russian weapons - became the leading ones in his work. His most famous work of the war years is the triptych "Alexander Nevsky", commissioned by the Committee for Arts. Corinne began working on the work in 1942.
Three parts of the picture are united by the main storyline - this is preparation for the fight against foreign invaders. On the left side of the triptych, which is called "The Northern Ballad", is depicted a Russian warrior-hero from the people, who is escorted to war by a woman - a mother, wife or sister. On the right side, Korin played with an epic motif - this part was called "Old Skaz" and leads the viewer to thoughts about the rich history and culture of the Russian people.
The central painting of the triptych depicts Alexander Nevsky, a Russian prince, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1549 for his contribution to the defense of Russian lands from enemies. During the years of his reign, Alexander Nevsky won a number of striking victories over the Swedish and German armies. During the Great Patriotic War, the theme of the struggle of Ancient Rus with the Germans was the most urgent, and the victories of the Russians over them were elevated to the rank of national achievements. The heroism of Alexander Nevsky could serve as an example for the Soviet people. The prince became famous for his wit, ingenuity and courage in the battle on the Neva in 1240 with the Swedes and Germans and in 1242 in the famous battle with the knights of the Livonian Order on Lake Peipsi. In the Battle of the Neva, Alexander defeated the outnumbered enemy with the help of military art, inflicting a surprise blow on the enemy.
In 1240 the Germans attacked the Pskov region, and the Swedes, prompted by the Pope, moved to Novgorod under the leadership of the royal son-in-law Birger. Confident of victory, Birger sent Alexander a proud and arrogant declaration of war: "If you can, resist, know that I am already here and will take your land captive." Novgorod was left to its own devices. Rus defeated by the Tatars could not provide the city with any support. With a small squad of Novgorodians and Ladoga residents, Alexander attacked the Swedes on the night of July 15, 1240, catching them by surprise when they stopped at the mouth of the Izhora on the Neva in a camp for rest, and completely defeated them. The Swedes did not expect such a powerful rebuff from the Russians, who, with their surprise attack, completely demoralized the enemy. Fighting in the forefront himself, Alexander "imposed a seal on his forehead with the edge of his sword" to the unfaithful stolen [Birger]. Victory in this battle gave him the nickname Nevsky and in the eyes of his contemporaries immediately placed him on a pedestal of great glory. The impression of the victory was all the stronger because it took place in a difficult period, marked for the rest of Russia with great troubles and hardships.
The interior of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. 1936. P. D. Korin Museum-Apartment, branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery
The military genius of Alexander Nevsky also manifested itself in the battle on Lake Peipsi on April 5, 1242. The armies of the Livonian Order methodically advanced deep into the Russian lands, the German governors were in Pskov and threatened the freedom of Novgorod. Summoning Alexander, who drove the Germans out of Pskov and from nearby lands, the Novgorodians saved their freedom. Before the battle, Prince Alexander ordered his warriors to take off their iron armor. By a cunning maneuver (the enemy was passed through the Russian screen), the enemy soldiers chained in iron were lured onto the ice. According to the Novgorod chronicle, the Russians drove the Germans across the ice for seven miles, 400–500 knights fell and up to 50 were taken prisoner; according to the Livonian chronicle, the losses of the order amounted to 20 killed and 6 prisoners.
Working on the triptych, the artist consulted with historians, employees of the Historical Museum, where he painted chain mail, armor, helmet from life - all the equipment of the protagonist, whose image he recreated on canvas in just three weeks. In Korin's painting, Alexander Nevsky is presented as a determined warrior preparing for battle. He stands at the turn of the Russian lands and vigilantly watches where the enemy will appear. Alexander leans on a large sword, and behind him flutters a banner with the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The colors used by the artist are in black, red and light colors. This reinforces the impression of severity, restraint, determination and heroism produced by the image of the prince. The entire central part of the triptych seems to illustrate the famous phrase attributed by the chronicler to Alexander Nevsky: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword." The general appearance of the prince is formidable. This is a real Russian hero-defender who will not let his land be offended.
Behind Alexander Nevsky's back, Korin depicted the widespread Russian lands. The broad-shouldered warrior in armor embodies all the power of Russian weapons, the courage and courage of the Russian people, who are ready to fight to the last drop of blood for their freedom and independence, for their ideals. Largely thanks to the skill of the artist, the prince remained in the memory of the Russians as an unbending warrior and national hero.
"Alexander Nevskiy".
1942 year.
In all biographical works dedicated to Pavel Dmitrievich Korin (1892-1967), it is written about the extraordinary diversity of the artist's work, but it is not always noted that this diversity was forced, due to the terrible life in Russia in the first half of the twentieth century. The path of a hereditary icon painter from Palekh, a student of M.V. Nesterov, with whom Korin painted churches before the revolution, in folk artists The USSR, the Lenin Prize winners was thorny. Korin once admitted: "Peeling the skin, I got out of the icon painting." He, like many other artists, had to constantly prove to the "party and government" his artistic reliability, as well as his sincere commitment to socialist realism. For this, Korin created a mosaic frieze for the Palace of Soviets under the vigorous name "March to the Future", mosaics of his work decorate the Moscow metro stations "Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya" and "Novoslobodskaya". On instructions from the party and government, Korin painted portraits of A.N. Tolstoy, Kukryniksy, V.I.Kachalov, Maxim Gorky, Marshal Zhukov and other prominent figures of the Soviet era.
It is known that Korin led a double life at the same time: participating in the life of the Union of Artists, fulfilling government orders, he remained a deeply religious person, collected icons, and most importantly, dreamed of painting a huge painting "Requiem", where, as can be seen from the sketches, he planned to depict the latter cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was supposed to depict all the highest hierarchs of the church who had gathered in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. They stand and pray in anticipation of their impending martyrdom. This picture was never painted, although numerous sketches for it have survived, the giant canvas stretched on a stretcher stood for 30 years, and during this time the artist did not make a single stroke. In a sense, this blank canvas is a documentary confession of an artist who lives in fear of the monstrous power of the Antichrist kingdom, capable of erasing him into camp dust ...
And yet, in "legal" painting and even in Korin's mosaics, one can feel the iconography inherent in his work. The author of these lines, who in childhood was often led by the hand through the Komsolskaya-Koltsevaya station, was sincerely convinced that this was an underground church! And it is no coincidence! The artist's faith and deep longing for the disappeared world of Orthodox Russia was reflected in the metro mosaics, in the sketches for the Requiem, and in some portraits, and in the triptych Alexander Nevsky, written in 1942-1943.
Undoubtedly, this was a work brought to life by the artist's sincere desire to serve the Fatherland in an hour of difficult trials. The central part of the triptych, the most famous and widely circulated, was written very quickly - in three weeks. Undoubtedly, the picture is icon-painting, alarming and harsh. From the point of view of historicity, it does not stand up to criticism and, undoubtedly, would have caused laughter among the Vasnetsov brothers, Surikov and other masters of the genre of historical painting, connoisseurs of equipment and weapons of antiquity. Alexander Nevsky is dressed in iron armor, strange for a Russian soldier of the 13th century. On the prince's head is a gilded helmet, very similar to the helmet of his father, Prince Yaroslav, which he lost during the Battle of Lipitsa in 1216 and has survived to this day. However, the helmet is clearly too small for Alexander and cannot protect the warrior's head. Behind Alexander's back is seemingly Veliky Novgorod with a cathedral, but for some reason without the traditional defensive walls. If it were not for the harsh face of the Savior Not Made by Hands on the banner, as if it had crossed over from another picture by Korin - "Savior the Bright Eye", then the image of Nevsky in the modern viewer could evoke associations only with the heroes of the now popular fantasy genre.
Probably, the image of Alexander Nevsky would have been clearer to us in the integral system of the triptych conceived by the artist, but it so happened that the other two parts of this triptych seemed to be lost in time: they are not known to the wide audience, and even specialists remained incomprehensible.
So, regarding the right side of the triptych ("Old Skaz"), where a sharp-eyed bent old woman and two men - a mighty old man and a young Asiatic rolling up his sleeves are depicted against the background of a giant image of Nikolai the Pleasant - a modern art critic writes something incomprehensible: the picture "suggests<…>at the thought of the rich history and culture of the Russian people ”.
The left side ("Northern Ballad") is very reminiscent of the Scandinavian historical painting of the turn of the XIX and XX centuries. In a word, both of these parts of the triptych expressed vague and non-Soviet ideas, and, unlike the central part, they were quickly forgotten ...
The fate of Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky himself, portrayed by Korin (and many other artists), was dramatic. His whole life was closely connected with Novgorod, in which he reigned at the behest of his father, Prince Yaroslav from the age of 15. It was customary for the Novgorodians to take a young prince as a prince and educate him in the tradition of respecting the laws and customs of the Novgorod Republic. But the Novgorodians failed to make a "tame" prince out of Alexander - Alexander grew up as an independent man, a proud ruler. He was handsome, tall, his voice, according to the chronicler, "thundered before the people like a trumpet." The prince was a courageous warrior, although he did not participate in the battles with the horde of Batu: as a young man he sat out the dashing times of Batu's invasion of Russia in Novgorod. Nevertheless, he was nicknamed the Brave even earlier than Nevsky. WITH early years Alexander did not let go of the sword and, as a 19-year-old youth, in 1240 defeated the Swedes on the banks of the Neva, for which, as many believe, he was named Nevsky.
By that time, relations between Novgorod and its neighbors, the German knights, who almost continuously waged Crusades against the Slavs and even captured Pskov, had aggravated. On April 5, 1242, on the ice of Lake Peipsi in the Battle of the Ice, Alexander utterly defeated the knights. In Soviet times, a legend was passed from mouth to mouth that the script for the famous film by Sergei Eisenstein "Alexander Nevsky" was the last scene that was not included in the film. Allegedly, during the feast of the winners, a messenger spattered with mud squeezes into the prince, who whispers something in his ear. Alexander leaves the feast, mounts a horse and drives out of the city gates. In a snowy field, as far as the eye can see, he sees lights and wagons - a horde has approached the city. Having approached the khan's yurt, the proud winner of the German knights dismounts from his horse, kneels down and begins to crawl between two fires to the entrance to the khan's yurt ... This episode was allegedly crossed out with a blue pencil, and the highest resolution read: “Such good man I could not do that! I. Stalin ". But this is exactly the case when an artist sees history better than a politician or historian. Such an act of Alexander Yaroslavich at that moment was thought out and rational: the bloodless victors of the Germans could not resist the Tatars, and this did not contradict the entire political concept of the prince. However, this legend is hardly reliable. Eisenstein himself wrote that Stalin forbade showing the last of the scenes conceived by the scriptwriter, when Alexander dies after returning from the Horde, where he was poisoned. Eisenstein wrote: “It was not my hand that drew a red line in pencil following the scene of the defeat of the German hordes. “The script ends here,” the words were conveyed to me. "Such a good prince cannot die!"
In general, in difficult times he happened to live and rule Russia: a depopulated country, general decline and despondency, the heavy power of the conqueror. But the strong-willed and intelligent Alexander, dealing with the Tatars for years, living in the Horde for a long time, fully comprehended the art of eastern court life: he knew how to crawl on his knees, sit on his heels, knew what and how to give to influential khanshams and murzas, mastered the skills of court intrigue, was insidious, stern and cruel with his enemies. And all this in order to survive and save your throne, people, Russia. Fulfilling the will of Khan Batu, he demanded regular payment of tribute from the Novgorodians, quarreled with them, and in resentment more than once went to Zalesye, to his patrimony of Pereslavl. He received the golden label of the Grand Duke of Vladimir only in 1252. Returning from his fourth trip to Karakorum in November 1263, Alexander died in Gorodets on the Volga. The fact that he was poisoned in the Horde is not documented. Before his death, the prince was tonsured a monk, put on a black schema - the clothes of a hermit monk. He was buried in Vladimir, and under Peter the Great, the ashes were transferred to St. Petersburg.
Evgeny Anisimov. “Letter to the Turkish Sultan. Images of Russia through the eyes of a historian. " "Arka", St. Petersburg. year 2013.
