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Naval Battles and Heroic Pages: The Artist Alexei Bogoliubov on Crimean War

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.37816/2073‑9567‑2026‑80‑270‑282
  • УДК / UDC: 31/7.049.1
  • Publication Type: Research Article
  • For Citation:

    Shvets, E.G., Kotovskaya, M.G. “Naval Battles and Heroic Pages: The Artist Alexei Bogoliubov on Crimean War.” Vestnik slavianskikh kul’tur, vol. 80, 2026, pp. 270–282. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37816/2073‑9567‑2026‑80‑270‑282 
  • Author 1: Elina G. Shvets
  • Information about the Author 1:

    Elina G. Shvets— PhD in Pedagogy, Assistant Professor, Department of Art Theory and History, Russian State University for the Humanities, Miusskaya Sq., 6., bld. 6, 125047 Moscow, Russia.

    ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000‑0003‑1821‑0586

    E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
  • Author 2: Maria G. Kotovskaya
  • Information about the Author 2:

    Maria G. Kotovskaya— PhD in History, Professor, Leading Researcher, Institute of Ethnology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave., 32A, 119334 Moscow, Russia; Professor, Kosygin Russian State University (Technologies. Design. Art), Sadovnicheskaya St., 52/45, 115035 Moscow, Russia.

    ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000‑0003‑1056‑3432

    E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
  • Abstract: This paper examines the role of visual heritage in shaping historical memory of 19th сentury naval battles through the work of A.P. Bogoliubov, a naval officer who became the official artist of the Russian Imperial Naval Ministry. The author aims to demonstrate how Bogoliubov managed to create not merely battle scenes but a compre‑ hensive visual chronicle of the Crimean War (1853–1856), covering theaters of military action from the Black Sea and the Danube to the Pacific Ocean. The study emphasizes that, unlike the romanticized works of I. Aivazovsky, Bogoliubov combined documen‑ tary accuracy (study of reports, maps, and field sketches) with emotional depth and psychological insight. Special attention is given not only to canonical episodes (the Battle of Sinop) but also to lesser‑known events, such as the defense of Petropavlovsk‑ Kamchatsky (1854). An analysis of paintings including “The Battle of Sinop,” “The Capture of the Steamer ‘Pervaz‑Bahri’,” “The Battle of the Frigate ‘Flora’,” and “The Defense of the Petropavlovsk Port” reveals that Bogoliubov produced a multifaceted historical testimony where heroism intertwines with the tragedy of war. For the first time, this study comprehensively presents the full scope of the artist’s Crimean War series, proving that his painting became an important source for historians and art crit‑ ics, as well as the foundation for the subsequent tradition of historical documentary battle painting in Russia.
  • Keywords: Crimean War, painting, battle genre, artist, artistic image, maritime theme, series of paintings, documentary accuracy
  • Страницы / Pages: 270–282
  • Received: February 02, 2026
  • Approved after Reviewing: April 20, 2026
  • Publication Date: June 25, 2026
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