Sergey Kuznetsov (historian)


Sergey Olegovich Kuznetsov is a Russian historian and art historian, specialising in the history of the Stroganov family.

Life

Between 1981 and 1987 Kuznetsov studied Russian and world art at the Faculty of History at the Leningrad State University. Ivan Chechot was one of his teachers. In 1984, in parallel with his studies, he began working at the department of painting at the State Russian Museum and participated in preparations for the anniversary exhibition of works by Dmitry Levitzky. Art painting of Levitsky became Kuznetsov's first significant research subject and resulted in his thesis, "Official prohibitions in the work of D. G. Levitzky. Their art principles and an ideological orientation" and the book Неизвестный Левицкий. Портретное творчество живописца в контексте петербургского мифа.
His further research work has included paintings of Jan Chrucki, Alexander Brullov, William Heste and Adam Menelaws. Kuznetsov is the author of more than 70 articles in the Grove Dictionary of Art. Between 1990 and 2000 he reviewed Saint Petersburg art exhibitions for the magazines «Итоги» and «Арт-хроника» and newspapers «Российская культура» and «Время новостей».
The history of the Stroganov family became the second important topic of his research. In 1991, he examined the history of the Stroganov Palace. In 2006, he edited "Not worse than Thomon", where he described the period of 1771–1817 in the history of the Stroganovs. The book was assessed by Vremya Novostei as one of the best Russian books in the field of art in 2007. In 2008, he defended his doctor of historical sciences dissertation on the subject «Государственная и меценатская деятельность рода Строгaновых в имперский период». At the same time he wrote the book Дома и дворцы Строгaновых, in which he described the history of the Stroganovs in the Tsarist period. New edition of this book with title '500 years of Strogonov' published in 2012 with special part about Marino estate of Sophia Stroganov near St. Petersburgh. At same year such monument as Strogonoff garden got his book 'Stogonov dacha. About almost disappeared monument'. In 2003, he was awarded the Medal "In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg".

Works