Boris Spornikov - Solovetsky Monastery

Boris Spornikov (Ukrainian, 1930–2005) – Solovetsky Monastery, White Sea, Oil on Board

Original oil on board by Ukrainian artist Boris Spornikov, depicting Solovetsky Monastery on the White Sea. The fortified monastery is shown beside calm water, with its rounded towers, heavy walls and russet roofs set against a pale blue sky. Small figures and sailing boats animate the scene, while the loose, expressive handling gives the work a bright, atmospheric quality.

The identified subject gives the painting considerable historical interest. Solovetsky Monastery is not only one of the great monastic and fortified sites of northern Russia, but also carries a darker 20th-century history through its association with Soviet imprisonment and repression. This context connects especially well with the accompanying exhibition material for Spornikov’s Requiem Rus series, which dealt directly with victims of Soviet persecution.

The work is signed lower right and presented in a gilt frame. It is accompanied by related early-1990s exhibition ephemera for Ukrainian art shown in Edinburgh and Haddington, including material relating to Spornikov and his politically charged Requiem Rus collection. A distinctive and historically resonant work by a Ukrainian artist, combining architectural landscape with deeper cultural and political significance.

Artist: Boris Spornikov
Title: Solovetsky Monastery, White Sea
Medium: Oil on board
Framed size: 46 x 36 cm
Unframed size: 38 x 23.5 cm
Signature: Signed lower right
Frame: Gilt frame
Provenance: Accompanied by related Ukrainian art exhibition pamphlets, including material for Spornikov’s Requiem Rus series
Condition: The painting is in good overall vintage condition, with light age-related surface wear visible in places. The frame has general age-related wear, surface marks and small knocks, in keeping with its age. Please see photographs for details.