Museum of Fine Arts named after A.Bely

Director - Olena Panasyuk

The A. Bely Museum of Fine Arts created on the base of private collection of porcelain and pottery of enthusiast-collector, prominent connoisseur of artistic porcelain A. М. Bely is the real cultural centre of Illichivsk, Odessa Region. Alexander Bely collected exceptionally domestic artistic porcelain, studied and scientifically systematized it for 40 years, and in 1977 he presented his collection to Illichivsk. The first name is Illichivsk Museum of the Russian and Soviet Artistic Porcelain – the branch of the Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern Art.
By grant the museum got 420 objects and this is porcelain, sculpture, pictures and furniture. Having created the museum, A. Bely headed it till the last minutes of life.

In 1993 the porcelain museum got the independent status and had been renamed into the A. Bely Illichivsk Museum of Fine Arts that more fully meets the content of museum collection. The main directions of museum collective activity are follows as research-educational, research-methodical, exposition-exhibition, research work and others. From the first years of museum existence its funds are actively filled up due to many presents, purchases, and also arrivals from Management of Artistic Exhibitions of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine (these are pictures of different artists, artistic furniture, glass, ceramics and bone wares). Presently there are 3041 exhibits in the museum; each of it is a masterpiece of applied art. The works of present artists of Ukraine are mainly kept in the department of painting and graphic arts. Museum pride is landscapes of Albert M. Benua and early D. Burlyuk. Painting and graphic arts of the last decades are presented by following various creative manner foremen as V. Zhurakivsky, Yu. Zlochevsky, M. Prokopenko and others.

The collection of porcelain which is one of the best in the south of Ukraine is widely represented in the Illichivsk Museum. These are wares of more than 30 porcelain factories such as the Imperial Porcelain Factory (ХVІІ century), factories of F. Gardner and Gzhel (origin of ХІХ century), famous Russian Society of Kuznetsov, factories of Popov, Safronov, Batenin, Kudinov and also factories on the territory of Ukraine (ХІХ century) – Mezer, Chartoriysky, Kyiv-Mezhygirska manufactory. The museum collection has exhibits which are the special pride of Illichivsk residents – these are articles of order services – Vladimir and Alexander Nevsky, made in 1783-1785 at the Gardner Factory. The scientifically systematized collection of porcelain shows the stage-by-stage development of this type of applied art. The important role was played by Miklashevsky and Baranivsky factories in becoming a porcelain production in Ukraine worked at that time. The present porcelain production of Ukraine is represented by wares of leading enterprise of Ukraine – the Korosten Factory.

The museum exposition is placed in three halls that underline chamber and elite of proposed exhibits. The museum spaces were repaired; new windows and conditioners were set.

The museum has the exhibits of last decades of XIX century. The porcelain plastic arts of factories of Gardner and Popov are more fully represented. This is a so called «Peredvizhnik» sculpture that by its conceptions and artistic principles approaches to the art of the Russian artists – Peredvizhniks. Furniture is always organically related to architecture and interior of the proper history periods. They are even named by «small architecture». The furniture in the museum halls revive a solemn quiet and introduce the strongest feeling of time. The museum has a large collection of artistic ceramics, including Abashiv toy. With the purpose of filling museum funds and scientific description of present exhibits the museum collective co-operates with the research workers, professional artists and representatives of other creative professions. They set close contacts with factories of Russia (Lomonosov Porcelain Factory (Saint Petersburg), Moscow Porcelain Factory) and Ukraine (Baranivska Factory) with the purpose of acquisition of china-wares for the museum. At the same time the collective efforts are directed in studying present funds of the museum, establishing scientific and artistic value of each exhibit, and the main is opening of new talents in the field of painting, graphic arts and others. Various exhibitions as painting, graphic arts, sculpture and works of decorative-applied art are always held in the museum show-room.

On the base of main expositions and fund collections of the museum they execute research-educational work as excursion at exposition and museum exhibitions, research-methodical councils, lectures and discussion, meetings with artists, figures of science, literature and art. The museum issues and sales catalogues and booklets. The Illichivsk Museum is a centre of aesthetic and spiritual education of population, saving and development of Ukrainian and Russian history and culture.