As part of the China-Russia Year of Culture, the National Museum of China, in collaboration with the State Tretyakov Gallery and with the support of the State Russian Museum, proudly presents the Ilya Repin: Encyclopedia of Russian Life exhibition, which opened to the public on July 23, 2025, at the National Museum of China. This is the first large-scale presentation of Repin’s works in China, offering a comprehensive view of his artistic legacy.
A flagship program of the China-Russia Year of Culture, the exhibition unfolds in four thematic sections: “Songs Around the Riverbank: The Beginning of an Artistic Journey”, “Vast Land: Quests for Realism”, “Epic of the Era: Souls Dear to the Nation”, and “Contemplations in the Twilight: Free Pursuits in Later Years”. Featuring 92 oil paintings and drawings, it systematically traces the artistic career of this master of the Peredvizhniki (the Wanderers) , and reveals his unique aesthetic of “coexistence of reason and passion". Repin’s brush unveils the awakening of a nation and the warmth of an era and offers glimpses of Russian culture and art.
China and Russia are both great nations with splendid civilizations, with cultures and arts filled with sincere love of life and caring for the people. The wrinkles of laborers, the intellectual’s’ contemplations, and the many faces amid historical upheavals depicted by Repin resonate with the traditional Chinese pursuit of “conveying truth through literature”. The influence of Repin and his art on Chinese realist art and art education speaks of the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Russian civilizations.
The exhibition is on view through January 11, 2026.
Source: National Museum of China