On November 27, an employee of the Bolgar Museum-Reserve D.P. Hramov delivered a lecture “Bolgar through the eyes of great artists” for 14 students of Bolgar secondary school No. 1.
The audience learned that the ruins of the Bolgar ancient settlement appeared on the canvases of many prominent artists. Drawings and sketches of Bolgar architectural monuments were made at various times by Edward Turnerelli, brothers G.G. and N.G. Chernetsov, Andre Durand, A.K. Savrasov and I.I. Shishkin.
In XIX century, St. Petersburg artists the Chernetsov brothers made a unique expedition – they sailed from Rybinsk to Astrakhan “to sketch from nature the wonderful places on both banks of the Volga in a panoramic view.” During the six months of the voyage, the painters made 1982 drawings, 80 oil sketches and many plans and sketches of various Volga sights. Travelers also visited Bolgar, leaving their diary entries about it, as well as drawings of ancient buildings preserved by that time – the Big and Small Minarets, the Eastern Mausoleum, the White and Black Chambers.