Ilya Repin St.Petersburg State Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture

[Eew]

lena murray : thank you very much, it means a lot to me.
Jonas Heirwegh: i would like to hear what information you have. I will pm you my skype and msn. Just dont expect me to be online very often.

Hey the studios look exactly as what they are... 4 walls, a naked dude and a bunch of people intensivly staring at his private parts, I guess the only difference from russian and foreign studio is that the foreign studio got more cash to pay for a nice floor.. ?
The thing i do look forward to is watching the teachers in action and being in a motivating environment.
I should mention this again, i save up money only for the prep courses.

[Ator]

just curious if anyone knew whether any international student in the past attended Repin Institute on grant money.

[Book Guru]

Hey guys, for those who plan their trevelling to Russia in the next couple of days...

Tomorrow, and also Jan 17 and 18 is the OPEN HOUSE.
Which means that anyone can enter the Academy without a student ID and browse and look at workshops and check students' works and ask questions and get lost in those endless corridors...

However, for those who have other plans, I'll post some nice images for you later (so you feel like you've been here, so to speak... teasing you).
Btw, today was an Evaluation Day - professors visit workshops and check how everyone is doing, students get grades and nervous breakdowns... it's kind of huge end-of-semester thing. I'll post those images as well shortly.

And... please forgive me if I don't respond to e-mails right away! I will, I promise!
It's extremely hectic here lately... which is good.
Until soon,

B.G. (Kat)

Edited: Just received some images now. Need to alter them a bit. But at least one I want to share.
This is how evaluation goes. So you might feel what other students feel like... It's good they're not there at the time of evaluation. They come back later to see the grades written right on their works.
(btw, look at the doors... yes, it's not Florence)

[Eew]

hey the doors do look like that they have been used alot

[Book Guru]

Yeah... Since the 18th century. %)

Other pictures have better or much better surroundings.
But I think this picture is very colorful. In its own way.

[Eew]

i like the xpression on the mans face in right corner, looks like he understood his conversation partner without words

[Eew]

i am always wondering , would it not be extremly informative for a student to be present during an evaluation moment and listen to the conversations between teachers ?

[Book Guru]

Eew,

This is how it works at the Academy:
In the first half of the day the Evaluation goes on. As you can see on that picture, professors visit different workshops, evaluating works, grading them. No students are allowed at this point. Later on, usually in the evening, they have a meeting with students of a certain workshop, where they discuss each work in detail and explain why they gave such grades. Most often, the grade is quite predictable, though some students expect to get "5-" (A-), but get "4" (B)... some take this very close to heart.
Besides, those who get grades lower than "4-" (B-) don't get a stipend. Have I mentioned that Russian students not only study for free but also get a stipend if they study well?

[Eew]

art for food eh

Anyone who is studying in europe right now but planing to go to Repins soon. Pls take a look at Erasmus program !
Lifelong Learning Programme: Erasmus
Erasmus Mundus: Action 2
Erasmus in vlaanderen
Example of sint-lucas school erasmus programe for architectur students
I know most schools in belgium do work together with erasmus program but there is very little info on art education and erasmus. I think it can be worth the effort.
Some more potentialy usefull links:
Studeren in het buitenland
Free movers this is just a site with advice for people who plan to study abroad on their own , its in dutch !
kameil: info voor belgen over werkloosheiduitkering en studeren

There is a bunch of websites i found that could be usefull for belgians, im currently not at my own computer, once i get back home ill structure the list a little bit more. Could someone from belgium take a look at the last 3 links ?

[threecharles]

Thanks Eww!
If you could post any opportunities you find for EU citizens to study in Russia that would be fantastic. I haven't been able to find any.

[Eew]

hey threecharles, i think the best way to find out is to send erasmus a nice email and explain the current situation. Even if they dont have a system (they probably dont) that help students in this case, maybe they can advice you to try somewhere else.

Just as an idea. In Belgium we have lots of art competitions. The prizes vary from smaal amounts to large amount that could buy you a new VW Golf. Im very sure similar things happen in every country. Its just an idea but participating and maybe winning one would be a nice way to add a bit to your savings account.
Another thing that i think alot about lately is just try to sell all my recent sketches and doodles.. just for 2-10 euros for a drawing... who knows maybe i can get rid of some trash that way , maybe even find somebody interested in buying a filled sketchbook. Just remember , most people dont see the anatomy problems with that one knee or that uper left side of the hand. They just want something pretty/cool looking.
Oh and a good friend of mine advised me this, this goes for all countries : if you have a decent or above average camera. go and search for adds looking for photographers. There are all kinds of silly photography jobs and most pay cash. My friend, she actualy used to do that as her main source of income for a period of time.( and she is not even a photographer)

[lena murray]

Here are a few photos from the last week's grading of students' work. These are from the first year students taught by Professor Petrov. In my opinion, he is one of the best, if not the best painting professors today at the Repin Academy.

[lena murray]

Also, on another note, I've started a FB group called "Artists to Learn From" where I plan to compile albums, some from the Old Masters, some from the 19th-20th century that are both inspiring and also helpful in answering some of our specific questions. Many Russian artists will be featured there as well. I compile these albums based on my own personal experience and my experience as a student of the prep course at the Repin Academy. We were very much encouraged to look at the old masters while we were working from our own setups. Not copying, but actually looking at the specifics, say how Prudhon or Rubens or Tintoretto treats a human figure or how Levitan or Corot pick a "motif" (subject) for their landscape.

Also, I extensively used such references in my compositional work, when trying to design the abstract flow of a painting. Puvi de Chavannes in particular, Vermeer and Daumier to me came especially useful when working on homework compositions.

Here is a link http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/p...43770632347726

[Book Guru]

Hi everyone!

Eew,

Do I have really great news for you?? YES!!
(and I hope you don't mind me writing this here, as this info might be useful to others.)

Also, I have answers to some other questions, asked by CA members recently.

So...
1. For those who speak Russian, the price for prep courses is not 5,000 euro, but 3,200 euro !! Which means you'll save 1,800... which I think is a good amount of money.

But please, don't take this for granted. You'll have an exam when arriving here, it's both verbal and written. So please make sure that before October you get some Russian manual and begin your writing exersises. I'm quite sure you'll pass the exam, but I just want to ask you to take this seriously.

2. The type of works that need to be send for evaluation depends on WHERE you want to study.
Don't forget, prep courses prepare you for entering the Academy, which has 3 creative faculties: Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. And under Painting you choose whether you want to study painting or graphics.
So my point is, if you want to study graphics, then you don't need to send painting examples of your works. But to study painting you HAVE TO send works made in OIL. No exclusions.
So your portfolio must include drawings and paintings of:
- head
- nude figure
- composition
Look at examples I provided earlier, to have an idea what you need to be ready for (not at such level, but in that media and technique)

3. You don't need to wait until May!
I'm authorized by the Academy to receive your samples of work. Then, when I have all of them together, I bring them to the Academy, they review them together with me and then give me the answer.
This for sure must be done before the END of May. But as of today, you have plenty of time.
(My e-mail is in my signature, down below.)
So you can start sending your portfolios as soon as today. Just please, make sure you archive your works and the total size of the file is 5meg or less.

Then, if they think that electronic files are not enough, they might ask you to send scans of your originals by a regular mail.
In such case, I'll later give you an address to send them to.

4. There is no campus during your prep courses.
No matter whether you're Russian or a foreigner, you have to rent an apartment (later, if you enter the Academy, you can submit your request for a campus).
I have to repeat this again and again, as this is often asked in e-mails.

~~~

I've just got a permission from our partners, Practicum.org, for using images from Evaluation and Open House, so later today I'll try to upload at least ten of each, from Architecture, Graphics, and Painting.
For those who can't wait any longer, you can register at vKontakte.ru and see hundreds of photos right there (this is the Academy online group, as of today there are 5,630 members):
- Architecture
- Graphics
- Painting

Until soon,

B.G. (Kat)

[Eew]

This is great news ! Actualy 1800 euro is alot of money for me. I will make sure that my writing is presentable, must find the russian-dutch dictionary
Kat thank you very much !

[Book Guru]

Eew,

I'd recommend visiting your local Russian Embassy (or Consulate General), or better a Russian Cultural Center. I'm sure there is something related to Russia in Antwerp. Since you speak Russian, it will be easy to communicate. Tell them exactly as it is, that you plan to study at the Academy and you need to improve your writing skills. I'm sure they'll either recommend something, or even give you some materials for free.

Also, don't forget about the endless possibilities of the Internet.

[Lumisade]

mm I'm so excited about this. I told my teacher about this school and that I'm applying and he warned me of how difficult it is to get accepted in the prep course. He is my drawing teacher who always used to joke "well that and that are a little bit off but hey, this is not a russian art school so it's fine. This was the first thing that got me interested in russian schools cuz I thought "damn, they must be good". But I really want to try. I have sent applications to other schools but those are just my back up plans. I know this is what I want to do. I'm just really busy because I'm preparing (well, just finishing a few works) an ILLUSTRATION portfolio which will be really different from the one I'm going to send to Repin's..I have like 3 weeks time to send my illustration portfolio to the schools I applied to and only after then I'm going to send my application to Russia. Kat, you said that they want to see nude figure. Well..My figure drawing classes ended a month ago and I dont really have any finished ones that I could send. Should I ask my friends to model nude, lol ? Or should I draw/paint from a photo (though I remember you said that they might consider it low)? or If I send something like this will they laugh at me cuz I was being goofy with the skull? And even this is unfinished with the hands.



maaaaaaan i'm such a stressy person...

I'm sorry that this became such a memememe-post and this isn't meant to be a rate-my-portfolio post but I'm curious and maybe some other people might find this useful as well.

[Eew]

Book Guru i hope you dont mind, but this should go here I think this little text tells not only exactly what is the point of the prep courses but also what the people at Repins pay attention to when they decide if they accept you or not.

'' You really have to think less about any kind of creativity but more about craftsmanship. No talent is needed at this stage, only hard work and many hours of studying, hundreds of drawings of the same Greek foot (or nose, etc), thousands of sketches...''
- Book Guru

Something similar is said by Jeffrey Watts:

"Work ethic I would take any day over talent. I would take heart and character over natural ability any day of the week. So if you're not one of those natural people, don't fret. You may pass up the naturals ten times over just out of work ethic."
-Jeffrey Watts

I hope i dont get sued by quoting him or something

So Lumisade i think that the best thing you could do is to follow the instructions provided by Book Guru. Show your best attempt at portrait, figure and composition. Dont draw from photographs because they will be able to tell. Nude is difficult, for me too. I plan to draw my father. He isnt shocked quicky(russian army does weird things to people ), so he is cool about that.

I wasnt able to find anything on european level about soponsorships for art education. The main reason i belive is because their is not enought demand for it. I already wrote about few "tricks" that are possible in Belgium. If anyone has any ideas post them here or pm me.

[Lumisade]

Yes Eew, I think you're right. I'm just freaking out here I will find a way to get a nude model and figure drawing is an area I need to improve a lot anyway .

[Book Guru]

Ok, finally! The fun stuff... the images.
First things first... (though I still owe you some images from Repin's Academic years... but this can wait).

This was taken from the Evaluation that happens every January in all faculties, all departments and workshops. During Open House you can open any door of the Academy and see the works after the Evaluation, and see whether your own judgement is close to how it was judged by Masters.

So again, I separate all the images into several posts:
- Graphics Faculty
- Architecture Faculty
- Painting Faculty

The Painting Faculty will have new additions later: photos from the Theater Art Department (very strong this year, by my opinion), so I'll post them shortly, after the guys from Practicum.org make all the hard work in Photoshop.

I start from the Graphics Faculty, as I think this year it represents the weakest side of the Academy, with a few exceptions - you'll see really nice samples of watercolor, but very weak drawings.

So here we go...

[Book Guru]

~~~ Graphics Department ~~~



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~~~ AND THE WINNER IS... ~~~



This last one I even didn't see alive. It was taken to the Academy Funds during the first day of Evaluation.

[Book Guru]

~~~ Architecture Faculty ~~~



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[Book Guru]

~~~ Painting Faculty - DRAWINGS ~~~



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[Book Guru]

~~~ Painting Faculty - PAINTINGS ~~~



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[Book Guru]

Uffff.... That was not easy...
I'm glad the downloading is over. As anyone, I hate tedious kind of work... No creativity!!
-----

Lumisade,

There is no reason to get nervouse, really!
I'll open a secret. At prep courses, they can even take a person with almost zero experience. But the problem is that person will have a REALLY hard time, trying to catch up with those who're much more advanced.
Trust me, no one at prep courses are at such high level! No one actually expects you to be at high level.
If someone was so good, s(he) would have been studying at the Academy already!

So please don't underestimate yourself... just make sure you have real heads on your figure drawings instead of skulls.
-------

Eew,

- "I plan to draw my father. He isnt shocked quicky(russian army does weird things to people"
I laughed like crazy... Scared my collegues here.

This is so much true, though.

- "i hope you dont mind, but this should go here"
Not at all! By quoting me you're flattering me!

- "I already wrote about few "tricks" that are possible in Belgium. If anyone has any ideas post them here or pm me."
I think, you shouldn't be hiding such information in PM, as this is a very valuable info to many students.
I was even thinking of suggesting you to open a new thread, completely dedicated to all possible ways to get money for studying - including competitions, sponsorship, scholarship, etc...

Hey, but now we all know at least two sure ways that give you an easy ticket to Repin Academy - to get a Belgian or Russian citizenship!

[Eew]

Book Guru, i found it fascinating to see the painting with the red background of the girl with a 5, the painting with 2 girls with a 5- and again a painting with two nudes with a 5. They all look stylized or simplified to only the essential. Now i am sure that one realy cant understand or know what is going on at Repins or any other academy until one studied there.
Hey i am glad you like my humor. Just dont encourage it too much

Forgot to mention this. After going thrue a ton of websites, reading about all kinds of sponsorships, scholarships, government support etc. My conclusion is that there is no system that could help students financialy in a pursuit of a academic art education in Russia. Ofcourse some of the academys arrange their own grants, TAD is a perfect example for that. But since Repins only gives grants to russian students i would advise everyone interested, to start saving up money.
As i said before there is simply not enought demand, only if for some reason the academy became so popular that every year a bunch of people from europe would travel to study there , only then i think it would be possible to take some action to help this students out financialy.

[Ator]

I have an appointment tomorrow AM with the Grant advisor at my university...I will try and determine what grant opportunities may exist for studying at Repin for students from the US. To introduce myself I am a sophomore in art school in the US...I've recently been getting a taste of classical drawing from one the profs at my school who studied sculpture in Tbilisi under the soviet academy system, from there I became interested in Russian drawing and this thread has convinced me to make an effort to study at Repin or Mukhina or somewhere similar after graduation. if there are no grant opportunities then I sincerely doubt I could raise the necessary funds . Book Guru and Lena, thank you so much for the info you've graciously provided!

[Book Guru]

If I remember correctly, in Finland they provide financial help equal to 500 euro/month towards education expenses.

In any case, yes, I understand the problem. At this point, there is no other solution but taking a loan. Many students in the US do just that, spending huge sums of money in local art colleges... to then realize they didn't get the educational level they initially hoped for.

Besides, the bright side of studying here is that it should be considered as a good investment. Even if you don't become a great artist, you'll have a good money teaching art, as there are very few (close to none) former graduates of Repin Academy who teach and live abroad. Unless, of course, you decide to stay in Russia.

[Ator]

unfortunately, due to MORE SNOW in Boston, i've had postpone my meeting ...I'll let you know what she says come Tuesday...

[Book Guru]

Ator, good luck!

Gee... I'm glad I'm not in Boston right now. I was really surprised when I saw 4 feet snow in my first year there. And people kept asking me about "snowy and cold St.Petersburg."

Though I miss MA very much sometimes... Are you studying at BU?
-------

Guys, I'm ready to download more images from the Painting department... if you're ready.