Moscow exhibition depicts horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The exhibition, organized by Alice Labas, the granddaughter of the Soviet artist, also features 23 watercolor paintings that were never displayed in public before.

The artwork was first exhibited at the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students that was held in Moscow in 1957.

“The Soviet government did not order this series (every Soviet artist was a member of an art union, which officially got orders from the government),” says Alice Labas. “He never thought these works would be on public display. He started working on the paintings in 1957, and after almost 15 years, returned to the studio to finish the series.”

The ‘Echoes of Hiroshima’ series focuses on the aftereffects of the U.S. atomic bombing of the two cities.

The Russian artist’s paintings serve as a grim reminder of the destructive power of nuclear weapons.

The paintings depict the trauma suffered by survivors and illnesses caused by radiation.

“The artist was a participant in the defense of Moscow. He knew exactly what the air bombardment of a city means,” says Mlada Homutova, curator of the exhibition.