A Painting by a Descendant of Marc Chagall is Donated to the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly

13/05/2024 17:40

Today, an unusual online meeting took place at the headquarters of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly in Moscow. Irina Markova-Chagal, the great-niece of the famous artist, Peace Ambassador of the Universal Peace Federation, Honorary Member of the Russian Creative Union of Art Workers, artist, poetess, writer, got in touch from Israel. She is a Laureate of the International Public Recognition Award “Worthy Women of the Fatherland” (Russia), a member of the United Forces International Organization and the International Committee of Humanity Rights, an honorary Doctor of Philosophy of the Lectern Peace and Human Rights Academy, a member of the World Business Council (UAE), a member of the leadership of the Association of Russian-Speaking Women in Israel.

Irina Markovna lived in Saratov, studied at a physics and mathematics school, graduated from Saratov State University with a degree in physics and the Astrakhan Fishery Technical Institute with a degree in engineer-economist. She worked her way up from an engineer at the state-owned enterprise Saratovenergo to the commercial director of the Financial and Industrial Corporation under the Government of the Saratov Region. She became seriously ill in 2005. And due to deteriorating health, which required a change of climate - she moved to Israel.

“Having dual citizenship, I would like the relations between our two countries to be always friendly and fruitful. I have and will continue to exert a lot of effort as a people’s diplomat to achieve this goal. I am the first vice-president of the Alliance of the Peoples of the World for international relations, cooperation and public diplomacy. I work with Arab countries. I have already had five exhibitions in the UAE and one in Qatar, with which Israel has no diplomatic relations at all, and I would now like to do an exhibition in Bahrain. I hope that the Assembly and I will cooperate together.”

Secretary General of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly Andrei Belyaninov invited Irina Markovna to cooperate and offered to become a member of the International Non-Governmental Organization: “I invite you to become a member of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly. We have also created a World Organization of Writers, and we would like you to also be its active participant.

I think that in today’s conditions, when distances are becoming shorter thanks to the possibility of online meetings, we will organize productive work with you.”

The official representative of the artist Irina Markova-Chagall in Russia, Advisor to the Chairman of the General Council of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly, Vladimir Lishchuk, delivered one of Irina Markovna’s paintings to the organization’s headquarters in Moscow to donate the artist’s work to the Assembly. The painting, entitled “Eternal Memory of Victory!” was written in 2022.

“I am very pleased that one of your paintings will be in the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly. Thank you very much for it,” said Vladimir Lishchuk.

Irina Markova-Chagall said that the painting depicts her great-uncle, a tanker, who died in the Great Patriotic War:

“My first painting dedicated to the war is in the Museum of the Siege and Defense of Leningrad, another one is in the Kremlin, and the third painting I present to the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly. I would like it to also take its rightful place.

Living in Israel, I pay a lot of attention to our veterans and organize holidays for them. I wrote the anthem of the Immortal Regiment. Two Russian-speaking theaters have been created here, which I support in every possible way. I am for the Russian language to flourish!”

Irina Markovna began drawing at the age of 58, participated in many exhibitions, including solo ones: at the World Exhibition in Dubai, Art Basel - Miami, in Russia (St. Petersburg), Qatar, Japan, Armenia, Spain and the USA.

Her paintings are in various museums and prestigious private collections, and have also been donated to the First Jewish Women's Congress, the Global Holocaust Relief Forum and World War II Veterans.

Leader of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly Andrei Belyaninov expressed words of gratitude to the artist and public figure, emphasizing the thematic importance of the work:

“I am very grateful for your work and this is just in time for Victory Day. It is very pleasant that today there are a lot of young people in Russia who are interested in their past, those who respect their ancestors and ask questions. That forced pause, the silence about our shared history, I think that it is coming to an end. And even the number of state leaders who came to the Victory Day Parade in Moscow also speaks volumes.”

Already today, the meeting participants outlined the contours of future cooperation:

“Now I have finished working on the jury of the International Children’s Drawing Competition based on Pushkin’s fairy tales “Pushkin Art - 2” and attracted 22 countries. We need to maintain all these contacts - America, Germany, Spain - many countries have joined. I also had Ukrainian children whose parents “gave the go-ahead,” because for them, as Chukovsky said: Pushkin, he is for “everyone!”

I think that public diplomacy builds the foundation for bringing peoples closer together. In doing so, we are paving the way for politicians. We are ahead of politics! I have 31 exhibitions, 13 forums, congresses, and various summits under my belt. I hope that I will collaborate with you not only as a social activist, but also as a poet and as an artist.”