G.A.V. Traugot’s Circus at the Russian Museum. A Vibrant Exhibition of an Artistic Dynasty

G.A.V. Traugot represents an entire artistic dynasty loved by several generations. Alexander Traugot (born 1931) and Valery Traugot (1936–2009) were masters of illustration, graphic art, and painting. The exhibition is dedicated to their anniversaries and focuses on one of the family’s favorite themes — the circus.

The exhibition features more than 150 works: vibrant, dynamic drawings, watercolors, lithographs, and paintings. In the Traugots’ vision, the circus is not just entertainment but a whole world filled with emotion, movement, light, and human warmth. Here you will find aerial acrobats, melancholy clowns, the bright arena, and backstage life.

The exhibition feels lively and luminous. It beautifully conveys the sense of celebration and wonder that the circus brings — something the Traugots captured so precisely. Many of the works have rarely been shown before, making this a true gift for visitors.

If you are in St. Petersburg this summer, I highly recommend stopping by. After serious and conceptual projects, such a sincere, heartfelt, and beautiful exhibition is especially delightful.

Source

The State Russian Museum, official website (May 2026).