This article introduces the creation of two highly diff erent Russian artistsemigrants Nikolai Milioti and Leonid Uspensky. In the fi rst years of emigration the poverty and desire to overcome loneliness forced many artists, who left Russia, to stay in a circle of like-minded people, or rather, in a circle of people of similar fate, because this circle united not only like-minded people, it brought together artists who worked in highly different manners. The study of their work is prompted by the fact, that their heritage and life path, although the artistic heritage of the Russian emigration both in volume and quality cannot but arouse interest. Russian culture is generally considered to have been formed in the French capital in the twenties, which is often referred to as the «second Russian culture», but in fact was rather the result of desperate attempts by Russian artists to recreate the spirit of the artistic life of Moscow and St. Petersburg, which they had to leave. There were at least two reasons for this, namely the need and the desire to cope with loneliness. Russian culture abroad, the «second» or let's call it «nostalgic», strongly emphasised its Russianness, interest in Russian history, folklore, and antiquity, although it did not separate itself from the culture of the country that sheltered it. This explains the uniqueness of the creative path of Russian artists abroad, especially Leonid Uspensky, who in his childhood and youth did not have any interest in painting as a form of creative activity.

Nikolai Milioti, Leonid Uspenskii, Grigorii Krug, society «Icon», Brotherhood of St Photius, emigrant artists, Russian diaspora

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Fokina Snezhana
Student status: Graduate student;
Student status: Graduate student;
Place of study: State Tretyakov Gallery; 10 Lavrushinskii Lane, Moscow, 119017, Russian Federation;
Post: deputy head, Deaprtment of museum artefacts and museum collections;
ORCID: 0000-0002-9749-4443;
Email: FokinaSI@tretyakov.ru.