
15 PAINTINGS by Russian artists about fairs (PICS)

The first fairs in Old Rus' began to be held in the 10th-11th centuries and, from the 14th century, they became an integral part of life. You could buy almost everything at them: from household utensils and clothes to silk carpets, peltry and furs, stock up on provisions and look for a cow, a songbird or a horse. They sold not only local, but also foreign products. And there, people also made useful contacts, concluded deals, looked for suitors, found out the latest news. And, of course, had fun!
Fairs featured buffoons and circus performers, booth theaters and amusement rides. They were held all year round and were often timed to coincide with major religious holidays – Epiphany, Annunciation and others.
Maslenitsa festivities also did not go without a fair and, during the first week of Lent, a special mushroom market would be held in Moscow.
1. Andrey Popov. ‘Booths in Tula during Holy Week’, 1868

2. Konstantin Makovsky. ‘Folk Festivities during Shrovetide on Admiralteyskaya Square in St. Petersburg’, 1869

3. Boris Kustodiev. ‘Fair’, 1906

4. Apollinary Vasnetsov. ‘Novgorod Market of the 17th Century’, 1908-1909

5. Ivan Kulikov. ‘Fair’, 1910

6. Ivan Kulikov. ‘Bazaar with bagels’, 1910

7. Boris Kustodiev. ‘Fair’, 1910

8. Konstantin Yuon. ‘Palm Market on the Red Square’, 1916

9. Nina Simonovich-Efimova. ‘Fair’, 1917

10. Boris Kustodiev. ‘Palm Market at the Spassky Gate’, 1917

11. Boris Kustodiev. ‘Booths’, 1917

12. Alexander Makovsky. ‘On a market day near the Resurrection Church in Plyos, 1918’, 1918

13. Nikolai Petrov. ‘Fair in the Voronezh province’, 1925

14. Zinovy Popov. ‘Fair’, 1970s

15. Leonty Leontyev. ‘Fair in Krasnodar’, 1980
