In his book “Russia Crucified” Glazunov mentions that the series of paintings entitled “City” occupies a special place among his works. Many critics compare these works, which have struck such a chord in the hearts of his contemporaries, with verses that have no particular genre, narrative, or striving for literary effect. In this series the artist portrays the emotional and lyrical depths of the soul and the desolate isolation of man in a large modern city. The artist is continually working on this series, in which the city and man are treated as a single entity. In earlier works of this series we get a sense of Leningrad-St. Petersburg; and in later ones, of Moscow. The themes addressed in these works, such as love, joy, sorrow, and man’s alienation in the world are intensely personal, but each viewer will recognize in them something of his own life and own world view. These works immediately brought the artist great acclaim, and won him the affection of millions, both in his native country and abroad. Sincerity, beauty, love, and sorrow form the fabric of our daily lives, and this is what makes these works a valuable document of our time.
It required great courage – against the backdrop of the smiling models of socialist realism – to express the truth and reality of our daily lives with such power and mastery. Consider, for example, the work entitled “The Last Bus”: a young woman, tragic in her aloneness, stares out at us. Seated behind her is a yawning couple on their way home from an apparently dull evening out while the conductor wearily counts receipts beneath a dim light. Outside the window is the city at night, disquieting with its neon lights and forlorn street lamps.
Returning over and over to the theme of the modern city, the artist increasingly focuses attention upon those aspects of his life which cause us to ponder about the times in which we live and the future of man’s existence. What spiritual and moral values has the twentieth century spurned and what values have replaced them? Can the fragile purity of youth survive in such an atmosphere? Or is man doomed to languish in a cold urban world, empty of the celebration of life?
Works such as “The Wall,” “Letter,” and others reveal the inner world of someone experiencing a profound spiritual crisis. This might be brought about by the burden of dealing with the pressing problems of daily life, or perhaps by a lack of faith in one’s powers or ability to fend off the harsh realities of existence -- tragic life circumstances shattering one’s ideals and cherished hopes, such as the infidelity or indifference of a loved one, or a friend’s betrayal. In all such instances one becomes intensely aware of his own isolation, something that holds true for all of us, but especially for one with a sensitive artist’s nature.
“From the time of the Leningrad blockade, when as an eleven-year-old boy I was left on my own, up until this very day, I have felt myself very alone. It’s a terrible thing to feel alone in a crowd,” states the artist in one interview. “My loneliness disappears only when I’m talking with friends or those with whom I share similar views, when I’m actually engaged in my creative work, or when I’m listening to classical music.”
Many are familiar with Glazunov’s work “The Stairway” which the artist has called his self portrait. An enormous snow-covered stairway looms, seemingly without end, as if out of some terrifying nightmare. Hunched against the penetrating wind of a snow storm, the small figure appears tragic and solitary on the huge expanse. Yet despite everything he continues his ascent, while the storm erases his footprints behind him. With only these sparing means of expression the artist conveys the iron will of the figure resolutely climbing the stairway. The solitary figure is often encountered in the artist’s work. The painting “The Wall” is one of many examples.

The Last Bus. 1955	The Letter. 1964	The Lavatory. Children of the City. 1961	Loneliness. 1963	The Wall. 1986

The battle of good against evil that imparts moral pathos to Glazunov’s art is played out in various life settings. It may be reflected in the re-creation of a large-scale historical or evangelical subject, or it may be in a simple aspect of quotidian life. In the painting entitled “Lavatory” from the “City” series of works we see the clash of lofty poetic principle with the base aspect of human nature that has trespassed the bounds of morality that separate man from beast. In the foreground we see two youths who have moved aside a board and are peering into a women’s lavatory. More than simply a harmless prank, this is a descent into moral corruption.
In one of his public appearances the artist expressed the thought that a man’s spiritual and moral descent began the moment he peered through the keyhole to watch his sister or mother as they bathed. Thus portrayed within the bounds of this small graphic scene from everyday life is the eternal conflict of good and evil. The dramatic tension arises from the implied shattered lives and fates of those residing in a large twentieth century city.
The image of a young woman waving a kerchief at a departing train depicts a scene commonly observed throughout the boundless expanses of Russia – total strangers standing on a train platform or in an open field alongside a highway waving cheerfully to the passengers, as if parting with them and wishing them well on their journey, even though those passengers might not necessarily be close friends or next of kin. In motion there is life. No wonder that the image of the road, which became one of the traditional motifs of Russian poetry, has figured largely in the artist’s works as well. In addition to the deeply original national character of his art, Ilya Glazunov’s popularity the world over can be attributed to the fact that his works touch upon universally shared problems and thus speak clearly to all. Works of the “City” series portray with unflinching honesty the destructive repercussions of modern civilization, and the existential loneliness endured by twentieth century man living in great concrete cities cut off from the living forces of nature and its natural beauty. The earliest among this group of paintings, which many critics have termed Glazunov’s lyrical diary, were begun by the artist at the beginning of his career. All of the works in this series, however, are permeated with a sense of loneliness, as well as love, tenderness and poignant sadness.
The works of the “City” series are difficult to describe in words. Like music and poetry, they must be seen and felt to be understood. These paintings display the same profound spirituality, heartfelt emotion, pain and joy that inform all of the artist’s works. In such well known paintings as “Love,” “Twilight,” “City,” and “Phone Booths,” the artist expresses deep personal emotions that echo the feelings of many of his contemporaries.

Twilight. 1956	City. Twilight. 1987	Love. 1955	Telephone Booths. 1966	City. 1977

Especially poignant is the graphic work entitled “Love” – the tenderness of a girl’s face in a gloomy courtyard illuminated by only a few lights from the windows of a large building. Volumes could be written to express the countless feelings and thoughts that the paintings of this series evoke in the viewer.

The Explanation. 1956	The Rift. 1956	The Couple. 1956	Autumn Day. 1970	The Gateway. 1954

It was when he began working on the lyrical diary which forms the basis of the “City” series of paintings, and to formulate his ethical beliefs and his vision of the world that the young artist came to realize a new meaning in life and a new path in art. That which poured out onto his canvas was jarringly at odds with the prescribed motifs, themes, and subject matter meant to inspire the socialist movement to new victories and reflect the all-pervasive optimism of Soviet propaganda. He revealed the feeling of love by showing the moments of its secret unfolding, the intoxication of the joy of meeting, the sorrow of parting, and the surprise of unexpected turns of fate. For Glazunov, Spring was not simply another season in the year, but rather a grand philosophical idea, expressing the continual return of life and youth, which inspire the dreams of even an old heart.
And in contrast, the images of the city, with its buildings, courtyards, streets of wet asphalt or its night sky with tattered clouds express the perspective of a man lost and without connection to the soulless industrial giant. These images give rise to an oppressive feeling of confinement, isolation and inconsolable loneliness. It is this vision which connects him to the millions who spend long hours in line to see his exhibitions. Glazunov does not attempt to portray “life in its revolutionary development,” but simply tries to convey the truths of his life, which happen to be the truths of society as a whole.

First Snow. 1956	Old Courtyard. 1956	City. 1965	Leningrad Evening. 1956	Evening City. 1956
Yard Sweeper. New Year’s Eve. 1968	Leningrad Spring. 1955	Moscow Under Construction. 1964	Loneliness. 1958	Insomnia. 1977

Glazunov writes: “In the city one does not feel the great interrelatedness of man and nature; without this experience, one has no understanding of the great circle of communion with nature’s mysteries and the eternal processes of death and rebirth.”
This is perhaps the reason that the painting “The Wait” expresses a sense of great anxiousness and faith in the miracle of birth. Why then, does the face of the expectant mother bear such a tragic expression of agonizing reflection and worry? What possible fate awaits her child?

Moscow at Night. 1976	The Wait. 1960	Dying Man. 1960	The Window. 1988	At Dawn. 1956

The majority of Glazunov’s works reflect the ideas of a philosopher and bold thinker. Consider for example the painting entitled “The Horse”: the blinkered eyes of a horse are able to discern only the bundle of “material goods” directly before them – hay which the animal will never be able to reach. It is doomed to a plodding existence of monotonous drudgery, from which it will never extricate itself. The painting “Asphalt” differs unexpectedly from the artist’s other works. At first glance, it seems almost out of place with its exceedingly “modern” feeling. But when we look closely at this terrifying slab of gray asphalt, we become witnesses to the miracle of a tender spring flower that has apparently broken through the expanse, and now stretches towards the light.
With its startlingly simple composition, this work evokes a storm of thoughts and associations. The artist has created an image imbued with great philosophical significance and faith in the miracle of triumphing over the odds.

Alarm. 1961	The Street. 1988	Evening. Betrayal. 1986	Girl with a Dandelion. 1986	The Horse. 1962
Vyborg Storona. 1959	She is Gone. 1966	In the City. 1962	Autumn Window. 1957	Spring in the City. 1965
The Subway. 1965	Autumn. 1963	In a Cage. 1966	Autumn Leaves. 1958	Miracle. Asphalt. 1990