There are not many who are unfamiliar with the painting "Barge Haulers on the Volga" by the great Russian painter Ilya Efimovich Repin. Her images have become textbook. Today it is difficult to imagine what a significant resonance this grandiose canvas caused in different circles of Russian society, after it was presented to him for review. The painting "Barge Haulers on the Volga" was the first major work of the author who, after graduating from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, embarked on a path of independent creativity. Her success was overwhelming in her range. The picture equally provoked both stormy delight and angry indignation. And both sides found quite compelling arguments for their emotions.
Ilya Repin, painting "Barge Haulers on the Volga"
This work did not leave anyone indifferent. What did the author of the picture want to say to Russian society with his painting “Haulers on the Volga”? The echoes of disputes on this topic have not ceased to this day. The conservative part of Russian society declared the Repin “Burlaks” “the greatest profanity of art” and did not spare derogatory epithets in critical press publications devoted to events in artistic life. But the progressive part of society was struck by the depth and power of the work presented to the public. But both those and others unanimously recognized that the painting "Barge Haulers on the Volga" by Ilya Repin is a new word in Russian art. Only one part of the audience was pleased with the breakthrough away from traditional academism, while the other indignant. It should be noted that the break with the traditions of academicism at Repin occurred only at the thematic level, he powerfully expanded public attention from orthodox biblical subjects to the everyday life of the Russian people.
But no one could dispute the meaning of "Burlakov" in terms of the achievements of the classical school of Russian realism. Work on the canvas in total took about three years. We are now seeing the final version of the picture. It was not easy for the author, he had to make hundreds of sketches and sort through dozens of options before reaching a final compositional decision. Ilya Repin traveled along the Volga from Tver to Saratov in search of prototypes for his characters. He lived among them, talked with them and wrote numerous sketches. Among other things, on the canvas we see also portraits of specific people with a very difficult fate. But beyond these portraits it is impossible not to notice the generalized symbolic image of the Russian people. To this day, many people are wondering - will he always dutifully pull his strap or will he ever tilt this barge upside down?
The fate of the work
This was the first great success of the young painter Ilya Repin. The fate of the picture was happy. She became one of the most significant works in the history of Russian painting. If you try at random to name any iconic work of the era, then it is likely that it will be exactly the picture "Barge Haulers on the Volga". Her photo is usually adorned with albums and promotional materials of the State Russian Museum, where even today she occupies a place of honor in a permanent exhibition.