The painting "Morning Streltsky penalty" by VasilySurikov puts an unprepared viewer into a dead end. What is shown here? It is clear that the national tragedy: the general intensity of passion does not give reason to doubt it. Also in the picture you can see - and find out - Tsar Peter the Great. The Russian audience is likely to know an episode from Russian history, when Moscow archery regiments, taking advantage of the sovereign's stay abroad, revolted. But what pushed them to this riot? And what did the artist want to say with his picture? Indeed, despite the gloomy name, there is not a single person hanging or beheaded in the picture. Let's try to figure it out.
Sister Peter the Great, Sophia Alekseevna,imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, did not abandon hopes to sit on the royal throne of Russia. Taking advantage of the absence of her brother, she declared that Peter had been replaced. She urged the archers to come to her aid and protect Russia from the invasion of non-believers (that is, European managers, whom the king invited from Germany and Holland). 175 of the four regiments responded to her call. They arrived in Moscow with a petition in March 1698. In early April, they managed to knock them out of Moscow, but they returned to their regiments and raised a riot. His goal was to enthrone Sophia on the throne, and if she abandons the kingdom - the exiled V. V. Golitsyn. The government sent four regiments and noble cavalry against two thousand rebels. In June, the rebellion was crushed, and "the most malicious instigators" were hanged. Describing the morning of the Streltsy penalty, Surikov takes as a basis the official version. That is, an act of justice that occurred on June 22 or 28, 1698. Then, according to the chronicles, fifty-six people were hanged.
In fact, massive repression began whenPeter the Great returned to Russia (August 25, 1698). The king initiated and led the re-investigation. The real morning of the Streltsy penalty, described by the shocked diplomats of that time, took place on 10 October. Then about two thousand archers were hanged and beheaded. The king personally cut off the head of five of them. He did not pardon anyone, did not look at either the floor or age. He ordered the two servants of his sisters to be buried alive in the ground. Those 500 archers who were too young, the king freed from the death penalty, but they cut off his nostrils, ears, stamped and sent to exile. The repression continued until the spring of 1699. The tsar, who was considered a fan of European values, allowed to bury those executed only in February.
So what does the picture “MorningStrelets penalty ”, which is in the exposition of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow? This is the first large canvas by Vasily Surikov, which he put on the audience. He worked on it for three years - from 1878 to 1881. Why did the artist address the topic of Russian history? Probably affected by the stay in ancient Moscow, where he moved after graduating from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. It is said that at first the artist wanted to depict several people hanged on the canvas. He even made sketches. But one of the maids in the house, seeing them, fainted. Therefore, Surikov abandoned the idea of shocking the viewer. But the tragedy of foreboding punishment keeps us in constant tension. This feeling is stronger than seeing bloody scenes. The painting "Morning Streltsy Penalty" liked the collector Tretyakov. He immediately bought it. And later he added to the collection two more works of the master on a historical theme - "Boyary Morozov" and "Menshikov in Berezovo".
Это большой холст (379 х 218 сантиметров), made in oil. The painting "Morning Streltsy Penalty" is sustained in a dark color, which further underlines the tragedy and gloom of the moment. The artist resorted to an interesting technique in building a composition. He reduced the distance between objects in Red Square. The picture immediately fit the Kremlin tower with a wall, St. Basil's Cathedral and place of execution. Thus, only a few dozen characters create the feeling of a huge crowd, symbolizing the Russian people. It is important that the figure of the king is located in the background. To the autocrat could be seen, the artist depicted him on horseback. Peter the Great leads a "duel-gaze" with one of the archers, who did not break under the weight of repression. The king understands that he has no power over the proud spirit of the people, and his revenge remains unfulfilled.
For the painting "Morning Streltsy Penalty" Surikovused a rich palette. The early autumn morning after a rainy night, when fog is still hanging over the square, serves as a gray background on which the white shirts of convicted archers and the candles in their hands appear more clearly. A bright spot attracting the viewers of the audience is the archer with red hair. Although his hands are tied and his legs are shackled, it is clear that his spirit is not broken. It symbolizes the highly jubilant flame of a candle, which he squeezes in his palm. White shirts and a gray background, this grisile soften the bright clothes of the people of those times. The red handkerchief of a little girl and the golden-woven caftan of the archer's wife translate the viewer's eyes to the bereaved people.
В картине «Утро стрелецкой казни» художник laid a certain code that is not understandable to everyone. First, it is the number "7". That is how many archers are depicted on the canvas (one of them has already been taken to death - only his burning candle remains - as a symbol of his eternal soul). Also visible are seven heads of St. Basil’s Cathedral. The architectural background of the canvas also has a hidden meaning. The stern Kremlin tower corresponds to the figure of Tsar Peter the Great, while the bright, colorful heads of the church symbolize the aspirations of the Orthodox Russian people, who were the spokesman for the executed archers.
