Elena Butrova, Scientific Superviser of the Foundation
In 2007, a non-profit public organization called Stepan Erzia International Art Foundation was created. Its purpose is to search for, study, preserve and promote the universal artistic legacy of Erzia, an outstanding master of the XX century. The creation of the Foundation was initiated by S. Erzia’s fellow countrymen, it comprises the experts, such as art professionals and restorers, who dedicated their lives to the study of the master’s art.
All these years the Foundation has been actively forming an open communication environment for more successful study of the sculptor’s works, searching and researching his little-known works, translating and publishing archives, as well as holding international conferences, festivals and exhibitions in Russia, Europe and America. The Foundation collects, studies, translates and publishes new archive documents, produces books about the sculptor in different languages, performs attributions and examinations of his works.
The Foundation employees were lucky enough to find and restore about 20 sculptures created by S. Erzia, which were stored in private and museum collections in Russia, Europe and America. The Foundation professionals use a unique restoration procedure for rare tree and stone species, they have many years of experience in art museums. In cooperation with foreign colleagues, they saved the priceless works of the genius sculptor from imminent death and returned them to the public.
Following the restoration, the Foundation forms and exhibits its own collection, including identical copies of previously unknown or little available works of the sculptor, which are now in museum and private collections in Russia and abroad, and not widely available to viewers and researchers.
Therefore, by gathering this unique collection, we aim to acquaint the cultural community of different countries with previously unknown or little-known pages of S.Erzia’s creative biography. The Foundation collection arouses interest in professionals and admirers of the sculptor’s works, and for several years it has been successfully exhibited in Russian cities and abroad.
The Foundation works in cooperation with foreign foundations, public and non-profit organizations in Russia, Europe and Latin America, holds events aimed at strengthening public and cultural ties between Russia and foreign countries, acts as a coordinating, consulting and information center, provides management and legal support for international cultural projects, is responsible for interaction with foreign partners, makes efforts to attract investments in the area of international cooperation in culture and arts.