The Somov Society was founded in 2016 in Moscow. The goal of the Society is to preserve, study and popularise the heritage of Constantin Somov. For this purpose, the Somov Society participates in exhibitions, scientific conferences and other events within the scope of its activities. Furthermore, it implements its own publishing program.
The Society is guided by the principles of objectivity, impartiality and scientific certainty. Its important task is the accumulation and study of documentary sources concerning to the art and life of Somov.
These sources are not all available in Russian, European and American public archives. By constantly maintaining contact with both the descendants of the artist and with the heirs of his friends and relatives, the Society has the opportunity to use in its work unique materials from private archives and fine art collections.
The publication of Somov’s diaries is an important part of the Society’s activity. Somov kept daily records for a long period of his life. They reveal a lot about the everyday life of the artist, as well as his daily work on paintings and drawings. The diaries were edited for publication by Pavel Golubev, Ph.D. (Moscow State University), a historian of Russian art who is the head and founder of the Society.
The first three volumes, which contains Somov’s notes for 1917–1927, were published in Russian in 2017–2019. This event garnered great attention from the public and was well received by the professional community. The fourth volume, containing diary entries for 1928–1929, has been announced for publication in 2020.
Another important mission of the Society is the protection of the purity of Somov’s legacy. The preparation of the catalogue raisonné of Somov’s works has already begun. The owners of the artworks are invited to leave applications for the inclusion of their works in the catalogue — the submission form is at the end of this page. An announcement will be made when applications will be considered. All transmitted information is strictly confidential.
In exceptional cases, the Society advises collectors, auctions and others (as it does for Sotheby’s) on the authenticity of Somov’s works before finishing the catalogue raisonné. If you wish to contact the Society for this purpose or intend to share any information, please use the same form.
You can also subscribe to the Society’s newsletter (the subscription form is on the right) or follow us on Facebook and Instagram. All information is still provided in Russian, but we plan to write more in foreign languages.