The exhibition includes the photographs of the most famous sailing vessels of the Russian fleet – “Kruzenstern”, “Nadezhda”, “Pallada”, “Mir”, “Chersonese”, “Sedov”. The vessels are shown in the presented works with all their features – at times they speed over the waves, or at a different moment they look as if dormant in a quiet harbour; or they fight to survive during the storm, which is followed by their graceful floating in single file formation at the opening of a sea regatta. Every painting is specifically individual and conveys the strength of spirit, power and harmonious unity with the violent nature.
The ships without pipe smoke and engine noise have long attracted people with their aesthetics, liberty, determination. The main themes of the marine painters are the gracefulness of a sailboat, the amazing beauty of the water expanse, the man struggling against the elements. The authors authentically convey the atmosphere of romanticism of the ocean, and at times they simply admire the elegant form of sailboats imbued with grace, beauty and might in their photographs.
The exhibition features the works by participants of the Marine Photographic Club - Yuri Maslyaev, Aleksandr Lvov, Aleksandr Alyakrinsky, Aleksandr Kilmet, Aleksei Kharin. The founder of the club is Yury Maslyaev, member of Creative Union of Russian Artists and of International Federation of Journalists. Yury sailed across the Pacific Ocean on the Russian frigates “Pallada” and “Nadezhda”; doubled the globe on the four-masted barque “Kruzenstern” thrice (!), was a participant of large sailboat race for the prize of the legendary English clipper “Cutty Sark”. He participated in a march on Russian boats "Vera", “Nadezhda”, "Liubov" created after olden-time drawings. In total, the photographer spent almost ten years engaged in sea photography. His photo collection includes several hundred shots of frigates and corvettes, barquetines and barks, brigantines and sports yachts.
"The sight of a snow-white leviathan majestically spreading its wings in the middle of the ocean expanse is fascinating. This is why the annual regattas of large sailboats bring together hundreds of thousands of spectators", says Yury Maslyaev.
"The purpose of this exhibition is to engender a dream about the sea in those who have never been on a long voyage, and to revive the past memories in those whose life was inextricably linked with ships and sailboats", the marine photographer believes.