On March 12, the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art hosted the opening ceremony of the exhibition “Y. Pen, Y. Kruger: Founders of Art Education in Belarus”, featuring paintings and graphic works from the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus.

The exhibition is dedicated to the 170th anniversary of Yuri Pen and the 155th anniversary of Yakov Kruger, graduates of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, founders of professional art education in modern Belarus, and the creators of painting and drawing schools in Vitebsk and Minsk. These artist-teachers were the first and most important mentors for many of their students.

In her opening speech, Shirin Malikova, director of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art and Doctor of Philosophy in Art Studies, welcomed the participants and emphasized the significance of this exhibition in strengthening cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Belarus, supported by the Ministries of Culture of both countries. She also highlighted that the artistic legacy of the prominent Belarusian painters Yuri Pen and Yakov Kruger, along with their numerous students—including world-renowned Marc Chagall and Michael Kikoine, as well as many Belarusian painters and graphic artists—provides a unique opportunity to explore the Vitebsk and Minsk art schools.

It is noteworthy that for the first time in Azerbaijan, the exhibition showcases 61 paintings and graphic works from the late 19th to mid-20th century, selected from the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. The exhibits include works by Y. Pen, Y. Kruger, and their students Marc Chagall, Michael Kikoine, People's Artist of the BSSR Ivan Akhremchik, as well as renowned Belarusian painters and graphic artists Lev Zevin, Mikhail Kunin, Lev Leitman, and others.

The exhibition will run until May 4, 2025.