MOSCOW.- It is for the first time ever that the general public has been offered a rare opportunity to acquaint itself with selected artworks from the collection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The exhibition is timed to coincide with the 45th anniversary of the Russian Interior Ministry studio of artists named after V.V. Vereshchagin.

The oeuvre of the studio artists is dedicated to the activities of members of the Russian law enforcement agencies and internal troops. The pieces of art refer to the history of Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs; they depict scenes of the work and missions selfishly performed by personnel of the internal affairs bodies. We are talking about work that is mostly classified for the man of the street because of certain specifics pertinent to activities of the law enforcement agencies. The subjects of paintings are based on real events. The studio maintains close cooperation with a number of units of the Russian Interior Ministry. Artists of the studio are sent off to locations where special-purpose units conduct their exercises and war games. The pictures on combat operations and incidents in the zones of armed conflicts are worth of paying special attention. The artists of the studio were embedded in the units stationed in Russia’s trouble spots e.g. Nagorny Karabakh (1990), Grozny-Argun-Gudermes (1999, 2000, 2006 and 2008), North Ossetia (1993), Mozdok (1994, 1995), Beslan (2004), Budionovsk (1995) etc.

As for subjects of the works comprising the collection of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, one can say that they had been predetermined beforehand since artists were supposed to receive commissions from the above ministry. however, 45 years on, There is a full-blown thematic collection of artworks centered on a clearly defined conception, the collection that is quite unique and notable as to its constituents. the works are created to evoke a keen response to political events and matters of national importance occurring in our times. The artists’ goal is to depict a portrait of our contemporary. By using today’s art media, the artists are talking about important social issues and developments. they are raising sensitive issues as well.

The exhibition comprises about 200 artworks in the field of painting, graphic art, poster art, sculpture and video. The exhibits reach over the period from 1969 to the 2010s. The exhibition is intended for adult spectators, students and teenagers.

In the frame of the exhibition the spectator will get the opportunity of attending evenings with the studio artists.

The exhibition is on view at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art from July 15 though September 7, 2014.