Since May 1, an open-air exhibition "They fought for the Motherland!" has been held on Arbat.

Since May 1, a patriotic open-air exhibition "They fought for the Motherland!" has been held on Arbat Street. Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the USSR, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.M. Shilov. The exhibition, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, tells about the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, intelligence officers, counterintelligence, pilots, cultural figures, home front workers, ordinary soldiers, about all those who fought and are currently defending our Homeland.

The patriotic exhibition "They fought for the Motherland!" will allow Muscovites and guests of the capital to get to know the history of Russia in person. It features both portraits of heroes of the Great Patriotic War and portraits of modern heroes defending the country in a special military operation by the Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of the USSR, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.M. Shilov.

According to the artist himself, portrait is a very responsible and difficult genre, because it is through portrait works that the next generations will know what kind of people lived in our era.

This year, the exhibition will feature five new portraits painted by the artist in 2024 and 2025, where, along with the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, viewers will see the heroes of a special military operation: a portrait of Vladislav Golovin, Hero of Russia, liberator of Mariupol, known by the call sign "String", a portrait of a home front worker Vera Nikolaevna Filippova, a portrait of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. Arkady Davidovich Zabezhinsky, who went through the entire war, portrait of Lieutenant Lev Andreevich Makeev, officer of the Order of Kutuzov of the Red Banner 604 of the Vityaz Special Forces Center of the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, a participant in the SVO, awarded the Order of Courage, and portrait of Kharon Khadaev, a participant in the SVO
and the fighting in Syria.

In total, 52 portraits of participants in the Great Patriotic War and 6 portraits of participants in a Special military operation can be seen at the exhibition.

The grand opening of the exhibition with the participation of Alexander Maksovich Shilov will take place on May 7. At the grand opening, guests will be able to see the heroes of the paintings in person – it is planned that the heroes of a special military operation will participate, whose portraits can be seen at the open-air exhibition.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin said when awarding A.M. Shilov with the Gold Star of the Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation: "On the exploits of the Heroes, which Alexander Maksovich Shilov writes, it is necessary to educate future defenders of the Fatherland!".

The open-air exhibition is on display on Arbat Street, opposite house 17, from May 1 to June 30, 2025.

The organizers of the exhibition are the Moscow Department of Culture and the Moscow Directorate of Mass Events in cooperation with the Moscow State Art Gallery of the People's Artist of the USSR A. Shilov.