Lettering and pattern: Mstislav Dobuzhinsky at the Petrograd “House of Arts”

Abstract

The essay is dedicated to the Centenary of the Petrograd House of Arts (“DISK”) and reconstructs 1920 in the biography of the outstanding artist and painter Mstislav Valerianovich Dobuzhinskii (1875–1957), who assumed the leadership of the “DISK”’s Art Department. The first year in the history of this cultural organization was memorable with the scale of its literary and artistic endeavors, in spite of its complicated relations with the official authorities, and was crowned with the publication of the first issue of the magazine / almanac “House of Arts”. Here Dobuzhinskii acted as the chief designer, and his artistic work drew inspired responses from reviewers. However, his main contribution throughout 1920 was in creating and instituting cultural policy of the House of Arts – a unique organization even in comparison to numerous creative communities of post-revolutionary Petrograd.

Keywords

• mstislav dobuzhinskii
• maxim gorky
• evgenii zamiatin
• petrograd in 1920
• house of arts
• house of writers
• literary and artistic communities
• artistic milieu
• literary environment