«Богатыри» В. М. Васнецова: взгляд с позиции археологии

The article is devoted to the influence of archaeological science on the process of creating ‘Bogatyrs’ (1898, State Tretyakov gallery), a famous painting by Viktor M. Vasnetsov. The author conducted a comparative analysis of the weapons and decorations depicted in the painting with real archaeological material. This analysis showed that the artist, while working on the canvas, used specific samples of archaeological antiquities in his painting Those objects belong to the Viking Age (9th − the first half of the 11th century) and Old Rus period (11th −14th centuries). It can be assumed that his choice was not accidental — the artist purposefully and objectively tried to recreate the material culture of the era to which the painting is dedicated. Information about the most part of the antiquities was published in various scientific papers, such as reports of archaeological works, publications of archaeological societies, the Imperial Archaeological Commission, etc. Though it is more likely that V. M. Vasnetsov turned not to scientific publications, but to those adapted for artists. ’Antiquities of the Russian State’, which was designed by F. G. Solntsev, and publications of V. A. Prokhorov were among them. The use of these very materials was mentioned by the artist himself in his letters to V. V. Stasov. The armor and weapons of the bogatyrs and the decoration complexes of the horse harness allow the author to conclude that V. M. Vasnetsov consciously used archaeological materials in his work on the canvas. Undoubtedly, the iconography of the images was influenced by the achievements of Slavonic-Russian archaeology. On the whole, the artist’s attempt to create a consistent image of the folk history corresponds well with the spirit of the national-romantic movement in painting.