VASILIY MAKSIMOVICH MAKSIMOV AS A PAINTER AND A COLLECTOR OF FOLKLORE AND ETHNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS

The paper considers conjunction of authorial genre painting and research activity in collection of folklore and ethnographic materials from the own home area in the creative heritage of the distinguished painter V. M. Maksimov (1844–1911), who belonged to the famous “Peredvizniki” (the Itinerants) trend and had been native of Novaya Ladoga county of St. Petersburg province. V. M. Maksimov delivered his collections of recordings to Prince V. N. Tenishev’s “Ethnogra- phic Bureau”. Nowadays the recordings are published in the 6th volume of the fundamental edition named “Russian Peasants. Life. Household. Morals. Materials of Prince V. N. Tenishev’s “Ethnographic Bureau” (2008). The study deals with several paintings by V. M. Maksimov, which have reflected ritual situations and scenes of the traditional peasant live (“Listening”, “Maidens’ preparations for festi- vities”, “Outlasted his old wife”, “Wrenching of rye”). Special attention is focused on the famous painting “Sorcerer’s entrance to peasant wedding” and the artist’s recordings on folklore and ethnography which have been visualized in this masterpiece. In conclusion the author sets the issue of necessity to compile a catalogue of pictorial art pro- ducts, which have reflected the ritual life of the Russian folk.