Boris Grebenshchikov is a legendary figure of Russian rock music and a defining star of the Soviet underground scene. His bold, unconventional compositions - steeped in Christian and Eastern spiritual themes, rich with allegory, and marked by genre-defying experimentation - stood in stark defiance of Soviet ideology. It was only in the late 1980s, after Perestroyka started (followed by the collapse of the USSR), that his public concerts became possible, drawing devoted audiences from across the entire country.
Grebenshchikov has crafted an entire universe governed by its own cosmogony: a realm populated by fantastical characters and reinterpreted global mythologies, all while maintaining a poignant sensitivity to the present moment. For generations, "BG" has remained an emblem of artistic integrity, demonstrating how to live authentically according to one’s own values - refusing to conform to political or social pressures, constantly innovating, and creating art without regard for external expectations.
In his visual work, the mystical inhabitants of this inner world come to life. Rendered in the style of naïve art, these paintings extend the mythos established in his music; indeed, the artist himself exists as a character within this landscape. The vibrant, luminescent scapes of his dreamland cities - where Hindu deities might encounter figures from Soviet animation - are as surreal as dreams. Infused with a gentle humor, these works act as portals into an otherworldly dimension. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to peer into the mind of an extraordinary individual whose contemporaries we are privileged to be.
The exhibit will be accompanied with the on-site acoustic concert in the park.