By Sergey Kovalskiy

Leningrad’s unofficial artists responded to the times in visual art through the efforts of a few post-war generations.

In 1932, the Central Committee of the Communist Party declared the dissolution of all creative unions and established a single artists’ union, sealing the fate of many artists.

It is possible to remember very few of these artists remaining in the homeland, who persisted in their art, and were thus able to become spiritual guiding lights for the first postwar generation of artists. The honor and determination of P. Filonov, V. Sterligov, O. Sidlin, N. Akimov, and G. Traugot, enabled the following artists: A. Arefiev, R. Vasmi, Sh. Schwartz, V. Shagin, V. Gromov, N. Zhilina, V. Gavrilchik, A. Rappoport, I. Ivanov, G. Bogomolov, E. Rukhin, V. Rokhlin, M. Shemyakin, G. Ustyugov, and many others.

1964
L. I. Brezhnev became leader of the USSR.

The first exhibition at the Hermitage of scaffold-workers, cum artists M. Shemyakin, Vl. Ovchinnikov, O. Lyagachev, E. Zelenin, V. Uflyand, and V. Kravchenko.

1968 – 1969

Kozitsky Club: Three exhibitions, mostly by the followers of Sidlin.

1969 – 1974

A series of apartment exhibitions, the first of which occurred in the studio of Vl. Ovchinnikov in Kustarniy lane.

1974

December 22 marked the first official exhibition in the Gaza Palace of Culture, in which the works of 52 artists were displayed. The show lasted four days. Viewers stood in line from 6 in the morning. Evidently it was shocking to the public – including party workers and the KGB.

1975

From September 10 until September 20, the largest exhibition of the unofficial artists of the 70′s was held at the Nevsky Palace of Culture. 88 artists took part in it. They were E. Abezgauz, V. Afanasiev, A. Basin, E. Bersudskiy, L. Bolmat, Zh. Brovina, A. Vasiliev, G. Voskov, Yu. Galetzky, V. Gerasimenko, A. Gurevich, Yu. Dyshlenko, E. Esaulenko, N. Zhilina, E. Zakharova, G. Zhubkov, G. Ivanova, A. Isachev, Yu. Kalendaryov, B. Kozlov, T. Kornfeld, V. Kubasov, A. Leonov, N. Lyubushkin, T. Mamonova, G. Markelov, Yu. Medvedev, V. Mishin, V. Nekrasov, V. Ovchinnikov, S. Ostrovsky, Yu. Petrochenkov, A. Polushkin, B. Rabinovich, I. Ross (Zakharov), E. Rukhin, V. Smirnov, I. Tyulpanov, M. Tchigargin, C. Sheff, M. Yupp, N. Anikina, V. Afonichev, A. Belkin, G. Bogomolov, L. Borisov, V. Bugrin, V. Viderman, V. Gavrilchik, A. Gennadiev, V. Gooss, A. Danov, V. Egorov, Yu. Zharkikh, G. Zakharov, A. Zilber, I. Ivanov, V. Ilyin, S. Kazarinov, V. Kleverov, A. Kolomenkov, A. Krasilschikov, B. Kupin, N. Loschilov, O. Lyagachev, A. Manusov, A. Maslov, V. Mikhailov, A. Morev, Yu. Nishkyul (Lyukshin), A. Okun, M. Petrenko, D. Plaksin, A. Putilin, A. Rappoport, V. Rokhlin, Yu. Ribakov, B. Starodubtsev, M. Tserush, V. Shagin, O. Shmuylovich, and I. Yasenitsky.

The official Artists’ Union by all means could not ignore what was going on. Here is what V. Zvontsov, a member of the board of the Artists’ Union wrote in the October 16, 1975, edition of the Leningrad Pravda: «Art has a class character. It serves as one of the forms of ideology.» It was not hard to divide the «innovators» of the last exhibition into two groups. One openly follows the path of abstraction, the so-called «non-objective art;» the other retains the semblance of realistic representation, but is explicitly inclined towards abnormal phenomena in art. «The display of these pseudo-innovative works testifies first and foremost to the spiritual poverty of the authors.»

Yuri Zharkikh compiled a charter for the Brotherhood of Experimental Exhibitions, (BEE), which was sent to the Ministry of Culture, along with a letter calling for recognition of the new organization. An oral response sent the artists to the hostile Artists’ Union. There followed a series of written protests to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and to the XXV Party assembly, concerning the refusal of the Leningrad cultural administration to authorize the next big exhibitions and officially recognize the BEE, as well as the arrest of Vadim Filimonov, for organizing the apartment exhibition «Contemporary Religious Painting», February 18, 1976.

A group of Jewish artists assembled the group «Alef,» which held three apartment exhibitions in two years. Members included: E. Abezrauz, A. Arefiev, A. Basin, L. Bolmat, R. Vasmi, V. Viderman, A. Gurevich, Yu. Kalendaryov, T. Kornfeld, A. Okun, S. Ostrovsky, A. Rappoport, B. Rabinovich, T. Shapiro, Sh. Schwartz, O. Shmuylovich, T. Kerner, A. Manusov, and the works of O. Sidlin and G. Geselevich.

1976

May 23, under mysterious circumstances in his own studio, occurred the tragic death of Evgeny Rukhin, one of the initiators of the non-conformist movement. May 30, in memory of Rukhin, and as a sign of protest against the hushing-up of the existence of the BEE, an exhibition «In the Open Air» was held along the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress, resulting in a number of artists being subjected to punitive measures on the part of the militia and KGB. Later there were permits for two group exhibitions at the Ordzhonikidze House of Culture. The possibility of making further exhibitions with even a small number of participants became minimal.

1977 – 1980

This period was marked with the appearance of the next generation of nonconformists and a large number of apartment exhibitions, despite the fact that all of them were «curated» by the KGB. Shows were held at V. Nechaev’s, who proclaimed his apartment «the Museum of Contemporary Art,» as well as at the apartments of I. Loginov, T. Valenta, I. Koreneva, S. Kovalsky, Valentin-Maria, I. Ivanov, G. Mikhailov, and M. Ivanov. For organizing those exhibitions G. Mikhailov was sent to prison twice (for five years altogether). Yuli Ribakov served six years in prison for his protest against the pressure of the KGB on the nonconformist movement.

1978

The group «Letopis» («The Annals») arose, which made exhibitions «in nature» and in the abandoned church of Kirill and Methodius. Members of the group were B. Koshelokhov, Alyona, S. Sergeev, Vik, L. Fyodorov, N. Poletaeva, T. Novikov, S. Dobrotvorsky, and A. Alexandrov.

1979 – 1980

«Letopis» and the artists V. Afonichev and K. Miller presented two shows at the House of Folk Art.

1980

A shift of the leaders of the department of struggle against ideological sabotage of the KGB occurred. In June at the Palace of Youth, the authorities organized a closed exhibition of young artists, intended for the expected guests of the Olympic Games, for which they accepted works from non-official artists as well. In August the show was opened to the Soviet viewers.

1981

In January at the Leningrad Palace of Youth was held a show of the new generation of artists. It included the group «Lepotis», S. Kovalsky, B. Mitavsky, A. Lotsman, V. Skrodenis, and V. Trofimov. The exhibition ended in scandal when the administration prohibited the meeting of artists with the viewers and closed the show three days early.
There arose an organization of unofficial writers, Club 81, which provided large-scale organizational support to artists.

From a letter to the Ministry of Culture of the USSR and to the department of culture at the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, from December 18, 1981, No. 523/3: «We are a group of artists and other art-workers of Leningrad, requesting that you take note of the extremely adverse situation mounting against the development of the fine arts in the present times of our city.» «Among the first and foremost measures, we suggest the following: 1) for the future study of history and the propagation of our native country’s art, organize a series of thematic exhibitions, dedicated to the works of Russian artists of the beginning of the twentieth century…; 2) organize a series of exhibitions of «non-union» artists. Exposition of these shows should be created in accordance with the artistic principles of the artists participating in them…; 3) on the grounds of the analysis of these exhibitions, give legal recognition to «non-union» artists, which is possible through the organization of the creative association of these artists». The artists didn’t receive any answer within the terms established by legislation. They sent a second letter with a request for an answer, in order to get which the representatives of the artists went to Moscow. February 15, 1982, the letter from the Ministry of Culture, no. 24, finally arrived: «The Ministry of Culture of the USSR examined with careful consideration the letter from the group of Leningrad amateur artists and announces that it can not agree with the stated opinion concerning the critical situation in the field of visual arts in Leningrad, and with the appraisal of your own work as a significant contribution to the professional artistic culture of the homeland.» «The regulations and practices of the USSR Artists’ Union provides the possibility to every citizen creating works of high artistic principles to have the rights of professional art-makers.» «These possibilities are opened to the authors of the letter as well.»

At that time an enterprising group of artists organized a show in the apartment of N. Kononenko in a building on Bronnitskaya street, which had been cleared and was awaiting major reconstruction. Sixty-one artists participated in the exhibition: Alyona (V. Sergeeva), A. Alexandrov, A. Afonicheva, V. Afonichev, G. Bogomolov, Yu. Bogun, L. Bolmat, Vik (V. Zabelin), V. Gavrilchik, V. Gerasimenko, E. Gindper, V. Gooss, A. Goryaev, O. Grigoryev, S. Grigoryev, F. Gumenyuk, A. Gurevich, E. Dmitriev, S. Dobrotvorsky, V. Dukhovlinov, E. Emelina, N. Zhilina, I. Ivanov, Yu. Ivanova, S. Kovalsky, E. Kozlov, S. Komarova, B. Koshelokhov, B. Kudryakov, V. Kurochkin, V. Larin, A. Lotsman, A. Manusov, A. Maslov, S. Makhov, K. Miller, R. Miller, E. Minina, B. Mitavsky, V. Mikhailov, V. Moiseenkov, E. Musalin, A. Nechepuruk, L. Nikitina, T. Novikov, Yu. Petrochenkov, S. Rossin, Zh. Sabina, A. Sadikov, S. Sergeev, V. Sirenko, I. Sotnikov, E. Troitskaya, G. Ustyugov, L. Fyodorov, E. Figurina, D. Shagin, O. Shmuylovich, G. Yukhvets.

In the exhibition’s self-published catalogue, R. Skif wrote: «The future historian of our art will beyond a doubt run into an impossible problem, if he wishes to penetrate deep into the psychology of our times to find the motives driving the artists to create and the viewers to see what the artist has created, if he wishes to understand this startling phenomenon of our time, which bears the title «apartment exhibitions.» «One had to see this exhibition in this ramshackle room when they cut the Light, and the numerous viewers — no, they did not rush to the exit but started sparking Matches, illuminating fragments of canvas with quivering fires, canvases thus obtaining a marvelously measured space – how could such a thing happen even in the finest official exhibition!»

From the charter of the TEII (the Brotherhood of Experimental Art, or simply the «Tovarischestvo»): «The TEII functions as a public organization uniting professional artists belonging to all the current trends of contemporary visual art, on the basis of democracy, regardless of educational qualifications.»

«The activity of the TEII is directed towards the development of contemporary visual art and the creation of conditions allowing each and every artist the possibility to make a positive contribution to the culture of their country as well as to world culture.» «Mission of the TEII: 1) recognition of the official status for a creative union of professional artists; 2) support for the artist whose work reflects reality, in the broad understanding of the term, and experiments towards the development of a new visual language, suiting the times; 3) the organization of exhibitions for members of the TEII and other artists who share its principles; 4) assistance with realizing artistic projects of members of the TEII; 5) the organization of friendly, business, and creative relationships with artists, creative institutions, galleries and museums in the USSR and abroad.»

1982
Yu. A. Andropov becomes leader of the USSR.

The first official exhibition of the TEII runs from October 12 until November 5 at the Kirov House of Culture. Thirty-eight artists participated in it. The works became the subject of controversy, not meeting the Soviet criteria for acceptable socialist precision, having elements of religious propaganda, and so on.

In that same year the group «New Artists» formed under the leadership of Timur Novikov (the group lasted until 1989.) At different moments, members included: I. Sotnikov, E. Koslov, Vad. Ovchinnikov, V. Gutzevich, O. Kotelnikov, K. Khazanovich, G. Guryanov, I. Savchenkov, S. Bugaev (Afrika), A. Medvedev, and E. Yufit.

1983

From April 5 until April 20, the second TEII show was held at the Lenindgrad Palace of Youth. The structure was completely different, with 43 artists participating. At that time, through the premises of Club 81, the TEII Council began to survey the works of young artists wishing to take part in following exhibitions.

From August 5 until August 21, the third exhibition was held, made up of artists up to then unknown as well as artists from the ranks of veterans of unofficial art (42 in total.)
These three exhibitions provided a full technical survey of nonconformists from different generations, who worked in Leningrad.

In the spring, E. Orlov and S. Kovalsky organized the group «Fifth Quarter,» whose first exhibition was held December 10 at the [House of Scientists, in Lesnaya.] The following artists took part: V. Andreev, I. Borodin, A. Vermishev, V. Voinov, S. Kovalsky, S. Lozin, E. Marishev, E. Orlov, S. Osipov, and V. Shmagin. From the manifest of the group: «We consider the creative process of art should find its continuation through the analytic perception of the spectator. Today, we want to open that part of the spectator’s individuality, which suits the future outlook of the modern artist. The liberation of the creative potential of every individual, which is necessary for all mankind in the future – that is the aim of exhibitions.»

1984
K. U. Tchernenko becomes leader of the USSR.

From March 27 until April 20, the fourth exhibition of the TEII was held at the Palace of Youth.

The group «TIR» formed. A show of the artists V. Pavlova, L. Krasavina, and A. Kitaev was held at the House of Architects in July.

The fifth TEII, «The Edges of a Portrait,» show ran from September 17 until October 8. There were complications in relation to the city commission and the KGB, who wanted to oust Yu. Ribakov from the TEII Council for showing a portrait of the poet and dissident, Yu. Voznesensky, who was subsequently exiled from the USSR. They also wanted to prohibit K. Miller from participating in the next exhibition for his parody of the painting of the classic Soviet painter Brodsky, «Lenin in the Hills.» This was considered as ideological dissidence.

Over the course of 1984 and 1985, the TEII organized ten traveling exhibitions in business establishments and city institutions, after which such exhibitions were prohibited by order of the KGB.

In that same year, the «Necrorealist» group formed under the leadership of E. Yufit. Members included, at different times: A. Mertvy, E. Kondratiev, I. Bezrukov, K. Mitinev, V. Morozov, V. Kustov, S. Barikov, and V. Maslov. Activities of the group ranged from painting to «parallel cinema.»

1985
M. S. Gorbachev becomes leader of the USSR.

The sixth TEII show runs from March 15 until April 10 at the LPY. Two hundred artists participated in it. It became the largest show of the last half of the century in Leningrad. That exhibit marked the debut of the noteworthy group, «Mit’ki,» the founders of which were D. Shagin, V. Shinkarev, and A. Florensky, as well as the first exhibition of the «New Wilds» – O. Maslov, O. Zaika, and A. Kozin. Also presented were works from nonconformists from Arkhangelsk, Smolensk, Moscow, Yeisk, Kiev, Odessa, Riga, Dubna, and Kaliningrad.

In autumn there followed a series of group exhibitions, «The Fourteen,» which included participants from the Gaza-Nevsky period, «The Family,» the New Artists, the Sterligov school, and Mit’ki.

1986

From December 24 until January 20, the seventh TEII exhibition was held at «Cinematographer,» which show opened without any particular complications. Although no one in Leningrad still believed in the continuation of what Gorbachev had started, artists sent a letter to him and to the XXVII Party Congress, in which the reasons for the beginning of the TEII were explained in detail, along with the a description of the enormous work which had been accomplished by the society in four years, despite the lack of specific technical assistance from the Leningrad authorities, which could support the development of these new trends in soviet art.

The eighth show of the TEII should have been opened at the LPY March 15. The KGB openly guided the City Exhibition Committee in seeking out dissident «sedition.» For example, in the character of the works of Vik, they recognized A. Solzhenitzin;[ in the portrait of Zoe Kosmodemyansky the brushes of Solomon Rossin]; in one work of K. Miller, one of the KGB workers recognized himself in caricature. For his works, S. Kovalsky was labeled an «enemy of the people.»

April 14, the TEII Council directed a second letter to M.C. Gorbachev, with a request for an answer. The answer did not come. In a sign of protest, the TEII organized a series of apartment exhibitions at the homes of Yu. Ribakov, V. Sukhorov, V. Mikhailov, L. Krosavina, and K. Miller, which were supported by the artistic intelligentsia of the city, having united at this time to support the TEII through the social organization «Vernisage.» To the astonishment of the artists, punitive measures did not follow, like two or three years before.

In this same year the «Friends of Mayakovsky Club» and the «New Academy of Every Kind of Art» were organized under the leadership of Timur Novikov. Boris Mitavsky and Yaroslav Sukhov organized the group «the Island.»

1987

From January 14 until January 25, the ninth exhibition of the TEII ran at the exhibition hall in Gavan. It was the first time there was truly a lot for the artists: they attained an agreement for the possibility of the official sale of paintings, there were not censors, television was not tortured to compromise the show, and members of the KGB were there only as viewers – near 50,000 of them.

The tenth show, «TEII Gallery,» ran from May 20 until June 17, in which were shown the very best works of artist from the time of the founding of the TEII, anticipating the idea about the necessity of establishing a museum of contemporary art. In the same year, thirty-two artists of the TEII showed at the Moscow University. Also in Moscow, there ran the first festival of parallel cinema, with the participation of the Leningrad Necrorealists.

In December, the eleventh exhibition of the TEII was held at the exhibition hall in Okhta.

1988

April 29, through the help of American artist Barbara Hazard, the TEII opens a show of 21 artists at the Pont-Reyes Gallery in California, which then visited seven cities in the USA.

In May, the twelfth TEII show runs at the LPY. June 14 opened a show dedicated to the one hundred years of the Christening of Rus. There was also the opening of a free Leningrad university. The first publication about the Tovarischestvo appears in the magazine «Youth.» An exhibition of the Island group is held at the Tzyurupa House of Kulture.

1989

From December 24, 1988, until January 24 at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall, there is the show «Contemporary Art of Leningrad,» together with the Artists’ Unions. The Manege was divided into two parts: «the right» – members of the Union; «the left» – members of the Tovarischestvo. Part of the exposition of the TEII served as a memorial, where they exhibited works and photographs of emigrants and of artists who had since past away.

Timur Novikov arranges the «Free Faculty of Fine Arts,» through the «A-Ya» Society.

1990
M. S. Gorbachev becomes President of the USSR.

In January, the TEII’s thirteenth show runs at the exhibition hall at Okhta.

In Los Angeles at the University of Southern California opens the exhibition «Keepers of the Flame,» in which the artists of various generations participated, presenting a wide spectrum of trends in the nonconformist art of Leningrad.

Through the support of the Institute of Plastic Arts of the Pompidou Center, an exhibit opens in the Russian museum with participants from the Necrorealists, New Artists, and Mit’ki.

In house number 10 on Pushkinskaya street, the makers of contemporary art unify in the first officially registered organization of nonconformists, the St. Petersburg Humanitarian Foundation Free Culture, the members of which include many participants of TEII exhibitions as well as young artists of the next generation.

1991
B. N. Yeltsin becomes the President of Russia.
Leningrad returns to its historical name, St Petersburg.

The Foundation for Free Culture develops a plan for establishing the cultural center, «Twenty-first Century Ark» in the house on Pushkinskaya.

1993 – 1994

From a letter from the Minister of Culture, E.Yu. Sidorov, to the mayor of St. Peterburg, A. A. Sobchak: «The program (of the Free Culture Society) presented to us is a necessary part of the contemporary art process.» «The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation considers the project «Twenty-first Century Ark» Cultural Center as part of its federal plan for reviving Russian culture and seeks your assistance in its realization.»

1994

January 30, 1994, a press conference was held at the new cultural center at Pushkinskaya 10. Participants included art historians and staff from the Russian Museum, the Hermitage, and the Museum of the History of the City, city council members, ordinary citizens and out-standing cultural figures, while correspondents from newspapers, magazines, and radio stations from Petersburg, Moscow and a few Western countries were present.

For two weeks on Radio Freedom, the Russian poet Yulia Voznesenskaya along with Yuli Ribakov talked about the position of the cultural center «Twenty-first Century Ark.» With the participation of Sergei Kuryokhin, the S. Novgorodtzev dedicated his hourly broadcast «Crop Rotation» on the BBC to the cultural center. The television movie «Body of the Avant-garde» was broadcast on Moscow television.

1995

In the middle of 1995, the legalization process was halted, and claims of the city authorities and television spoke of the impossibility of the center’s realization. By that time the building was already heavily damaged and urgently demanded major reconstruction. Artists continued to work in blockade-like conditions, without water, without heat, without electricity. At the same time, through the help of the vice-mayor of St. Petersburg, V. Yakolev, negotiations were held on television for the creation of a joint-stock company for repair and reconstruction of the building.

In May 1995, the Foundation for Free Culture started the international program of cultural exchange, «Interspiral 2003,» with the support of the Austrian foundation «KulturKontakt.»

In September of that year, Mayor A. Sobchak visited the «Twenty-first Century Ark» and offered to move the Foundation to a certain maneuverable area, which would be in the city but never appeared.

In Liublyan, at the congress of the «TransEuropeHalles,» an organization of trans-European, non-governmental cultural centers, the «Twenty-first Century Ark» was recognized as one of the largest and most interesting centers in Europe, and October 26, 1995, it was accepted as a member.
In November in Hamburg, an exhibition of artists from the FFC opened with the support of the «Twenty-first Century Ark» and made possible by funding from the organization Fo’ko and the British-American tobacco company B.A.T.

1996

January 12, the artists of the FFC take hold of the Smolny. Through an invitation from the mayor, an artistic exhibition was opened on the walls of the mayoralty. April 5 of the same year, through an offer from the head of the KUGI and the vice-mayor M. Manevich, an agreement was signed by the city, television, «The Builder’s Trust» and the FFC, in regards to the repair and allotment of the building at Pushkinskaya 10. As a result, the FFC would receive for its use 4500 square meters of renovated space from the city for its cultural center at the expense of the «Builder’s Trust.» June 29, State Duma Deputy Yu. Ribakov attained a resolution from the new governor of St. Petersburg, V. Yakovlev, allowing the beginning of the repair work on house number 10 on Pushkinskaya Street.

1997

January 1997, «Builder’s Trust» began work on a major renovation of the building. Artists decided not to leave the house. They developed a system of moving from one wing of the building to the other during the restoration of the main part of the house. There was still no heat or water. Nevertheless, all creative departments of the FCS heroically worked on.

1999
In this year, the Foundation was re-registered according to the laws of the Russian Federation, but changed its name to the Free Culture Society (FCS.) The change of the name can be explained by the following principles:
1) The idea of the organization as a fund receiving money for cultural programs and allocating the money in concrete directions had yet to materialize.
2) Following the logic of the development of history, it was necessary to confirm the continuity of generations of nonconformists. In the 70′s there was the Brotherhood of Experimental Exhibitions; in the 80′s, the Brotherhood of Experimental Fine Arts; and in the Twenty-first Century the Brotherhood of Free Culture. [Trans Note: The Russian word here is "tovarischectvo," which signifies "brotherhood" in Russian. In their catalogues, publications, and press releases, the center prefers the English translation "society." The translation "Free Culture Society" is most consistent, but for the historical links, it is important to understand both connotations.]

In 1999, the FCS occupied the renovated part of the building and renewed the contract with the city administration for the use of the space as an art center for the next 49 years. Financial responsibility for the living expenses of the art-center were completely assigned to the FCS. An exception was made by the personal initiative of the chairman of the Committee for Culture of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, L.P. Romankov, who managed to secure a small part of the budget for the financial support of the Art Center from 2000 until 2003. When it became obvious that part of the house on Pushkinskaya remained for artists, the nickname «Pushkinskaya-10″ became the common name for the center. The name of the great Russian poet ought to become part of the people’s folklore and it has played its role.

October 14, 1999, the FCS founded the Museum of Nonconformist Art. The Museum is necessary for contemporary art historians to analyze and understand the communication between the times of the blossoming of the Russian Avant-garde, 1910-1920′s, and the art of nonconformist artists of the second half of the 20th century, disconnected by the intrusion of Soviet ideology in Russian art, and to foster as well its integration into the world of art as a genuine part.

The museum exists as a scientific, exhibition and archival center. As far as materials, from the beginning, the museum obtained a collection of well-known contemporary art, which was considered in the 80′s and 90′s as «unofficial,» also presenting the nonconformist art of Leningrad/St. Petersburg from the second half of the 20th century.

2002

The Free Culture Society took part in two social-science forums, «Formulating Civil Society in Russia,» which took place in St. Petersburg and Moscow. In Moscow, the FCS was invited as a spectator. In St. Petersburg, at the Sociological Institute of Russian Academy of Science, the FCS presented the report «Conflict and Culture,» which was given at a conference of European countries in Weimar, 1999.

In 2002, FCS took part in the Third Russia-Finnish Cultural Forum in Lapperant, where questions on the conditions of cultural exchange were directly addressed.

2003

In 2003, the Jubilee year for St. Petersburg, FCS presented an exhibition of artists from Pushkinskaya 10 in universities museums in the USA: Richmond, Michigan, Miami. At the art center itself, from April 20 until June 13, was held the commencement of the program of cultural exchange, «Interspiral 2003,» a festival of contemporary art with participation from artists from cultural centers in Austria, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and USA.

The Museum of Nonconformist Art presented two exhibitions:
1) The Collection of Nonconformist Art of the Second Half of the Twentieth Century;
2) Contemporary Fine Art from Nonconformist Artists.

2004

The 15th Anniversary of The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre was celebrated during the whole year: the concert in The «Yubileyniy» Sports Palace, the concert in The «Luzhniki» Sports Palace (Moscow), the Festival at The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre and, finally, The International Festival of Contemporary Art in The «Manezh» Central Exhibition Hall (November 6 — 20). A part of The Festival’s exposition was devoted to the 30th anniversary of the first official exhibition by «independent» artists in The Palace of Culture named after Gaza (1974).

2005

June 25, 2005 — the sixteenth anniversary of The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre.
The Festival of Contemporary Art devoted to the 50th anniversary of the independent cultural movement of Leningrad-Saint-Petersburg.

On the road from self-determination to self-propagation, we assumed that through the process of the realization of the ideas of one generation, those of another would appear. Raised in a freer environment, professing one set of aesthetic principles, leading the lifestyle of another. «Where are the young radicals who will erase us from the face of the Earth?» Boris Grebenshikov once sang.
Art Center Pushkinskaya 10 is a cultural environment promoting the formulation of one’s own world view and the development of one’s ability to assert this view not only towards culture but also towards social formulation.

The cultural politics of the Free Culture Society as a whole are directed toward enabling the young generation to be not only the destroyers of the cultural traditions of the past, but to become the founders of their own future.