Perestroika generously gave us "glasnost" and democracy which were at first enjoyed by the people then simply used by them and at last choked by them. Perestroika gave unlimited chances for the creative work of all kinds of masters of fine arts. If formerly one could con- sider himself a non-acknowledged genius or a persecuted prophet explaining his failure by the State bans and laws, now as it is stated in the famous Peter the First's edict, any master may express all his ideas so that his contemporaries could assess his true value. One can only sym- pathize with our patient "on-looker" who during the last years got sick and tired of all kinds of presentations, varnishing-days, "transits", shows, intergalleries meetings ending in ban- quets which seem to very pompous in com- parison with the modern hardships and poverty. And the most surprising that all these shows have so far no results. All these energetic and knowing to count profits exhibitors did not dis- cover new van Goghs or Sudeikins. The most
part of their exhibits are simply no professional. One can hardly find among the so-called avant- gardists an honest master trying to under- stand all the subtleties of modern life and to give the possibility to our people to enjoy their works of art. That is why I am glad to meet with such art at the two Moscow exhibitions of St. Petersburg painter Stas Blinov.
The painter who was compelled by the circumstances to work far from his Motherland remained the true follower of the Russian art school. Stas Blinov keenly takes to heart the tragedy and chaos which fell down upon the humanity at the end of the century. He tries to help the people by his art. You are touched by his honesty and real understanding of life. The style of his pictures is as kind and confidential as the painter himself who is loved and re- spected by all the people who are lucky to meet with him.

Savely Yamshchikov, Honoured Artist