The Peredvizhniki and the Crisis of Autocracy: Painting and Public Consciousness in Russia 1881-1907

The subject of the study is the artistic heritage of the Peredvizhniki as a reflection of socio-political transformations in Russia at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The question of the representation of political events in art and the influence of painting on the formation of public consciousness remains relevant, as the artistic practices of the intelligentsia reveal the mechanisms of communication between the individual, society, and power in the context of the ideological crisis of 1881–1907. The aim of the work is to trace the evolution of the artistic views of I.E. Repin, V.E. Makovsky, and V.A. Serov in the context of the crisis of autocratic power and to show the role of their paintings in understanding the political and social changes of the era. The source base of the research includes archival materials, as well as letters, memoirs, and diaries of the artists and their contemporaries. The methodological foundation consists of a socio-cultural approach, as well as historical-genetic, systematic, chronological, typological, and prosopographic methods, which allowed for viewing the work of the Peredvizhniki as a document of the time that captures not only aesthetic searches but also political meanings. The creativity of the Peredvizhniki at the turn of the century was not limited to semantic explorations; it became an important tool for social reflection and the formation of political consciousness amid the crisis of autocratic power. Examples of specific works highlight different strategies of artistic response to political events: I.E. Repin's populist series of paintings shifted to hopes for positive changes in society; V.E. Makovsky, moving away from genre scenes, turned to depicting social catastrophes, fostering a sense of connection to the people's suffering; V.A. Serov, having experienced "Bloody Sunday" in 1905, broke away from official art and turned to satirical graphics, expressing political protest. The evolution of artistic positions demonstrates that the painting of the Wanderers not only captured but actively shaped public sentiments during a time of deep social and political upheaval. The scientific novelty of the research lies not only in the reevaluation of the idea of the complete integration of the Peredvizhniki into the official culture of the 1880s–1900s but also in the absence of comprehensive historical studies on the topic. This work fills this gap by offering a holistic view of the art of the Peredvizhniki as a significant socio-cultural document of an era of political upheaval.