The history of Russian art reflects the turbulent history of the country and its geographical position between East and West. Constantly emerging debate about its nature: whether it is a kind of incarnation of the Western European tradition, or a completely original phenomenon. Despite frequent political changes and recurring doubts about national identity, Russian artistic creativity has a number of distinctive features, such as bright colors, asymmetry of the forms and the tendency is toward realism, then to abstraction.Realistic painting came to Russia from Europe, where, paradoxically, it is now completely degenerated and disappeared. In the distant XXVII cloth Dutch, Germans, Italians hit the Russian nobility and seamlessly blended with the ancient and original traditions of Russian icon painters. In the second half of 19. realistic direction in painting predominated.Becoming the personification of an official state of art, realism, a school, demanding reform in accordance with their time, and in 1863 from the Academy of Fine Arts came the young painters who rebelled against implanted in the academy of classical style and historical and mythological themes.These artists in 1870 organized the Association of Traveling Exhibition, whose task was to provide members of the partnership opportunities to exhibit their work. Through his work of art made available to a wider range of people. For 1890 years there has been a crisis of the realistic school in Russian art.Russian Art And CommunismThe turn of 19-20 centuries. was marked in the Russian domination of Nouveau Art. But it should be noted that the modernists were based in his work on the rich experience of its realistic predecessors.Resolution of the CPSU (B) of 23 April 1932 put an end to pluralism, artistic directions. All art associations were dissolved, instead of them entered the union and the republican form trade unions of writers, artists and composers.In 1934, socialist realism, whose essence is defined as a true and historically correct picture of reality in its revolutionary development, was proclaimed the official Soviet artstyle.Russian Art TodayAfter the Soviet collapse in 1991 and the collapse of communism in front of the Russian artists new opportunities. State control over the teaching of arts in schools, on professional education and ideological content has given way to complete freedom of association and creative expression. Many people think that realism is the direction outlived its function.All that can be said has already been said. In many respects, a controversial artist, but a truly great master of art education, which has a galaxy of disciples, followers of the realist school, Ilya Glazunov said: The artist must understand and express the first time with its balance of power, with his understanding of good and evil, with its ideals of beauty, with its understanding of the harmony of peace and purpose of art. So the history of the Russian realist school of painting continues.Artists represented in the gallery Russian Art Sales are the unique bearers of traditional painting school of Russian art. This school would envy any country. Italy, Flanders, Holland, France and Germany. Russia lost and confused much of what was handed to its ancestors, but