Information about the fact that Peter personally interrogated Alexey, no. The artist Nikolai Ge, although he studied the archives, came up with the scene in which the king and the applicant for the throne are shown, first of all, as the Father and Son. For contemporaries of the painter, the topic was sensitive - the rethinking of the plots of the past, the attitude towards history was humanized. Now in the Aleksey case, the focus was made on the personal relationship of a young man with his father, and about Peter said both a cruel, adamant man who brought the Son to the Fatherland. However, for the beginning of the XVIII century, the struggle for power was the usual matter, including the murder of relatives, even albeit children. Moreover, it was familiar to Peter, who by that time his hands were in the blood not that the elbow, but at the very shoulders.

Picture plot

In one of the rooms of the Palace Montplasir met and his son Alexey. Information that such a really occurred is not. Moreover, in 1718, when Tsarevich was returned from Europe, the building was still built. Ga focused on a psychological duel, by bypassing with reliability.

Even the sitting Peter produces an impression of an energetic, swinging. Alexey is like a melting candle. The fate of him is predetermined. The sharp corner of the table and the lightning lines of the floor are bred by heroes.

MONPLESIR. (Wikipedia.org)

The topic was chosen not by chance - the 200-year anniversary of Peter I was approaching. "Ten years, lived in Italy, had their own influence on me, and I returned from there with a perfect Italian, seeing everything in Russia in a new world. I felt in everything and everywhere the influence and trail of Petrovskoy reform. The feeling it was so strong that I was unwittingly fucked by Peter and, under the influence of this hobby, I conceived my picture "Peter I and Tsarevich Alexey," he wrote. But having studied the archives, immersed in the darkness of the turn of the 18th-XVIII centuries, the artist, impressed by the cruelty of the autocrat, changed the idea: "I inflicted the sympathy for Peter, said that he had a public interest had a feeling of her father, and it justified his cruelty, but killed the ideal. "

The picture was preparing specifically for the first exhibition of the Mobile in 1871. Pavel Tretyakov bought it before the exposure - immediately after saw the canvas in the workshop. At the exhibition, the picture made an impression on Alexander II, who wished to buy it - at the same time no one dared to inform the emperor that it was already sold. To resolve this problem, he asked to write a copyright for Tretyakov, and Original to give Alexander II.

Peter I interrogates Alexey Tsarevich in Peterhof. (Wikipedia.org)

Context

Peter was dissatisfied with his eldest son: no help from him in state affairs, the aspirations to raise the fatherland from his knees is not observed, and he also triggered into monks. The emperor was categorical - either correct, or stay without inheritance, that is, without power: "I know that I have a very inheritance of Lish Yako Gangar, and I don't have me that I am only in a faster I write to the truth, for My fatherland and people of his belly did not regret and do not regret, then how can I regret you indecently. "

Alexey went with the Austrians, fled to Italy and decided to wait for the death of his father there, to then climb the Russian throne with the support of Austrians. The latter was ready to support Tsarevich with the calculation of the intervention of the Russian territory.

Alexey Petrovich. (Wikipedia.org)

After a few months, Alexey was found. The Italians refused to give it to Russian messengers, but allowed a meeting, during which Tsarevich was transferred to Peter's letter. Father guaranteed his son forgiveness instead of return to Russia: "You will be afraid of you, then I enhanced you and I promise God and his court that I won't show you any punishment, but I'll show you the best love, if I listen to the will and come back. You can not learn from this, then ... Yako the sovereign is yours, I declare for the traitor and will not leave all the ways to you, I can give you a traitor and the cursor to the fathers, to teach it to me to help me in my truth. "

Alexey returned was deprived of the rights to the throne, forcing the abstrement to give an oath about the refusal of the throne. Immediately after the solemn ceremony in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, a consequence of Tsarevich's case began, although he was still forgiven for the condition of recognizing all the misdemeanors. Alexey was judged and sentenced to death as a traitor. After his death in the Petropavlovsk fortress (according to the official version, from impact, by the most likely, from torture), Peter said that Alexey, hearing the sentence, repented and soaked with the world, in Christian.

The fate of the author

Nikolai Ga was born in Voronezh in the family of the military, the descendant of the Frenchman-nobleman, who emigrated to Russia during the Great Revolution. Childhood Nikolai passed in the estate of the Father in Ukraine, and there the boy graduated from the gymnasium, after which he entered the university, going to become a mathematician. However, art was played by the picture: the picture of Karl Bryullov "Last Day Pompeii" was impressed by the young man so much that in St. Petersburg instead of occupations, Nikolai equations began to visit the evening classes of the Academy of Arts, where soon I was completely translated.

For one of his student works, he received the right of a pensioner trip abroad. The next 13 years he will spend in Italy, where will come from the perfect Western. Immediately after the return, the painter will become one of the initiators of the organization of the commendancy of the Movements, where it takes the treasurer, beating about mathematical education. Already after the first exhibition, I. N. Kramskaya wrote: "Ge reigns decisively. In all his picture, a stunning impression was made. " It was about the web "Peter I interrogating Tsarevich Alexey in Peterhof."

Nikolai GE while working on the painting "Crucifixion". (Wikipedia.org)

The following works of GE no longer caused such delights. Close in spirit, including Lion Tolstoy, supported the painter, and criticism, the public and buyers are not. Even such a progressive collector, as Pavel Tretyakov, was acquired to acquire the bands. The depressed and disappointed, the painter decides to leave the Singer Petersburg and rides the Ivanovsky Chernihiv province purchased to them.

"Four years of life in St. Petersburg and classes with art, the most sincere, led me to the fact that it is impossible to live. Everything that could make my material welfare, went against the fact that I was felt on the soul ... as I just love art as a spiritual lesson, then I should find a way independently of art. I went to the village. I thought that life was cheaper there, easier, I would go shopping and live, and art would be free ... "," explained his decision

He worked on the farm on the ground, helped the peasants, was a liver. Much talked with Lv Tolstoy, who supported his spiritual quest. In silence, he writes for gospel themes - the so-called "passionate cycle". And the last 10 years of life and gives the picture to the crucifixion of Christ. To create it, GE makes the simulators pose, chained to the cross. Even he himself, already an elderly person, is decided to experience this state.

Contemporaries did not understand his late work. For example, Alexander III, who loved and appreciated the early 7, looking at the "crucifix," said: "... We still understand it, but the people ... He will never appreciate it, it will never be understandable."

"Crucifix". (Wikipedia.org)

Immediately after the death of the artist in 1894, his children, fearing for the fate of the artistic heritage, crossed everything into a clear polar. Tolstoy promised them to convince Tretyakov to buy everything and put in the gallery. The collector pledged to prepare a separate placement and set the work of the GE, but this did not happen.

The picture was written by the 1st exhibition ("Mobile"), the opening of which took place in St. Petersburg in November 1871. In particular, the relevance of the chosen artist theme was associated with the 200-year anniversary of Peter I (1672-1725) approaching at the time (1672-1725). Even before the exhibition, the picture was purchased from the author Pavel Tretyakov.

Nikolai Ge wrote a few copyright repeat pictures, one of which was acquired by Alexander II - now it belongs to the collections of the State Russian Museum.

By the beginning of 1870, Nikolai Ga returned to Russia from Italy, where he lived and worked in 1857-1863 and 1864-1869. The final relocation took place in May 1870, when he settled on Vasilyevsky Island with his family in St. Petersburg. During this period, Ge came closer to progressive artists and writers, became one of the founders of the partnership of mobile art exhibitions (TPHI). Plots related to the Russian history of the XVIII-XIX centuries began to appear in his work. One of the first works on this topic and was the painting "Peter I and Tsarevich Alexey" - the plot associated with Peter I was relevant in connection with the approaching 200th anniversary of his birth.

As Gee worked on the picture, he studied historical documents related to Peter I. Apparently, he discussed them with his friends and acquaintances - in particular, with a historian and publicist Nikolai Kostomarov. As a result, the initial idealization of Peter I was replaced by a more realistic assessment associated with the understanding of the cruelty and suffering that the success of the transformation of the Petrovsk era were paid. Myself Nikolai Geus described this situation:

Nikolai Geus prepared the picture "Peter I Interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof" for the 1st exhibition of the partnership of mobile art exhibitions ("Mobile"), the discovery of which several times was postponed, but in the end it took place in St. Petersburg in November 1871. Pavel Tretyakov bought a picture directly from the artist's workshop, shortly before the start of the exhibition - this canvas became the first picture of the GE acquired by the Tretyakov for his collection.

During the exhibition, the picture was liked by the emperor Alexander II, who also expressed her desire to buy it - at the same time no one dared to inform him that the picture was already sold. To resolve this problem, he asked to write a copyright for Tretyakov, and Original to give Alexander II. Nevertheless, the artist said that without the consent of Pavel Mikhailovich, he would not do this, and as a result, the original was given to Tretyakov, and for Alexander II, the author's repeating was written, which subsequently passed into the collection of the Russian Museum.

Despite the external tranquility of Peter I and Tsarevich Alexey, their inner state is full of experiences and mental stress. Apparently, between them a rapid discussion occurred, as a result of which Peter I was even more assumed in the treacherous of the Son, which is confirmed by the documents laid out on the table (one of the papers fell to the floor). Before rendering the sentence, Petr I peers in the face of the son, still hoping to see signs of repentance on it. Alexey, under the closer look, the father lowered his eyes - confident that Peter I would not decide to sentence his son's death, he was silent and not asked for forgiveness.

The black and white solution of the composition emphasizes the difference between the characters. According to Art historian Tatyana Karpova, the figure of Tsarevich Alexei was covered with a more pale, "like lunar, deadly light," which in this situation symbolizes the fact that "he already belongs to the kingdom of shadows, rather than real life with its passions and paints." At the same time, Peter I face, on the contrary, "vigorously fluttered with contrasting light." The corner of the table and the red-black tablecloth hanging from it ("Colors of Mourning") as if they share their father and son and foreshadow the tragic junction of this drama. The alternation of black and white tiles of the floor has several interpretations - "And the expression of the spirit of the regularity of the Petrovsk era, both black and white in the characters of Peter and Tsarevich, and a chessboard on which the party's final played by Alexey is played.

In historical documents there are no evidence that Peter I ever interrogated Tsarevich Alexey in the Palace of Montplasir, which by 1718 was not yet fully completed - on the contrary, there are assertions that "in reality it happened not in MontPlezir." It is also believed that Petr I interrogated Tsarevich one on one. Although the ge, apparently, knew about it, however, he decided to portray only Peter and Alexey in the picture to be able to focus on the psychology of their experiences.

The painful search for the decision depicted in the picture is evidenced that he wanted to show in Peter I did not execute the executioner, but a father, passing through his personal addiction for the sake of state of interest. Art historian Alla Vereshchagin noted that "for the first time in Russian historical painting, typical, alien idealization of the images of real historical figures were created, since" psychologism led to the authentic historicism of the work. "

The Tretyakov Gallery also has the same sketch of this picture (1870, canvas, oil, 22 × 26.7 cm, zh-593), which was purchased from heirs in 1970.

There are several full-length the stingy repeats of the picture. One of them is located in the State Russian Museum (1872, canvas, oil, 134.5 × 173 cm, zh-4142), where it entered in 1897 from the Hermitage. Another repetition, also dated 1872, is located in the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan in Tashkent. It came there from the collection of the Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich (according to some information, earlier this canvas was in the collection of his father, the Grand Prince, "the writer and critic Mikhail Saltykov-Shchederin paid great attention to the painting of the ge. In particular, he wrote:

Picture "Peter I Interrogates Tsarevich Alexey in Peterhof" on the postage in Russia of 2006

Notes that, "apparently, Peter's personality is extremely sympathetic, Saltykov-Shchedrin and for its part gives a high assessment of the role of Peter I in Russian history and its moral qualities. He positively assesses Petrovsky reforms, believing that the subsequent failures of some of them did not occur in the fault of Peter, "and because the successors of his affairs were supported only by the letter of reforms and completely forgot their mind." Therefore, in the picture of Saltykov-Shchedrin's Saltykova sympathy, the Saltykov-Shchedrian conflict is completely on the side of Peter, who feared that Tsarevich Alexey, going to the throne as his heir, would destroy much of what was created by it. According to Saltykova-Shchedrin, "Peter's figure seems to be fulfilled by the glowing beauty that a person gives only undoubtedly beautiful inner world", while for Tsarevich Alexey, a date with the father also "was full of moral alarms, but these alarms of other, undoubtedly low Properties. "

The article on the 1st mobile exhibition was published and artistic critic Vladimir Stasov, who also considered the picture of the ge as one of the best works presented. In particular, he wrote:

At the same time, in contrast to Saltykov-Shchedrin, Stasov more critically referred to the identity of Peter I, considering it by Tyran and Despot, and Tsarevich Alexei - the victim, and precisely from this point of view he criticized the composition of the pictures of the ge.

Art historian, who studied the work of GE, wrote that this picture is "one of the most vivid evidence of the convergence of the art of the GE with the art of his companion-Mobile", since when evaluating historical figures ", it is primarily interested in the internal, psychological motives of actions", and they "lead The need to evaluate people and events in their moral sense "

Nikolai Ge.
Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof.
1871. Canvas, oil. 135.7 x 173.
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.

The failure of the last religious paintings forced the GE to throw this topic for a while. He again turned to history, this time Russian, native and close to his soul.
At the first mobile exhibition, the cross showed his new work "Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof." The artist proposed a psychological interpretation of the plot, representing the canvas as a drama of the collision of personalities - adherents of opposing life values. Tsarevich Alexey was perfectly educated, knew several foreign languages \u200b\u200band, in essence, he did not in any way opposed reforms, but he was played by the despotic and tough Forts of the Board of Peter I. Until now, there is no clarity in fact, he actually initiated Preparation of the seizure of power in Russia, or became the unfinished hostage of his environment, dissatisfied with the monarch policy. Tsarevich ran to the West, from where he was returned and tortured to the death of torture in the Petropavlovsk fortress from the knowledge and by order of his native father.

In the historic canvas, the painter conveys the inner state of the characters. Obvious calm of both, without gestures and external effects, is deceptive. This is the drama experiences, the drama of spiritual flour and difficult selection.

Ga very accurately chose a moment that reflected in his picture. After studying the documents and a stormy dispute, Peter is no longer angry, and with bitterness is assured in the treacherous of the Son. But before signing the sentence, he peers in the face of Alexey, still without losing hope to see in it repentance. Tsarevich under the view of the father lowered his eyes, but the silent dialogue continues. Symbolic hanging edge of a bedding tablecloth: it not only shares characters, but as if he foreshadows the tragic resolution of this conflict.

European setting of the hall in Montplasir Alien for Tsarevich, who grew up in Terem, and plays against him. But Alexey, confident that the emperor would not decide to raise a society against himself and could not cross through his father's feelings, stubbornly silent. He remains completely opposed to Peter.

The artist wanted, mainly to convey to the viewer that the death sentence was signed not by a vengeial executioner, but the parent was wounded in the very heart, who made a decision in the interests of the state.

From this picture blows cold. Dark walls and cold sill of fireplace, stone floor, pale cold light, barely scattering the half of the Big Hall. But the main cold is in the relations of the father and the Son, who became irreconcilable opponents. Filmed on black and white squares floor resembles a chessboard, and real characters on it - as two opposing figures in the historic chess game.

In this tragic collision for the artist, the very important problem of the moral dignity of the personality was. In 1892, he wrote in his "notes": "Ten years, lived in Italy, had its influence on me, and I returned from there with a perfect Italian, seeing everything in Russia in a new world. I felt in everything and everywhere the influence and trail of Petrovskoy reform. The feeling it was so strong that I was involuntarily carried away by Peter ... Historical paintings are hard to write ... It is necessary to make a lot of research, because people in their public struggle are far from ideal. During the Scriptures of Petr I and Tsarevich Alexey, I had a sympathy for Peter, but then, having studied many documents, I saw that sympathies could not be. I inflicted the sympathy for Peter, said that he had public interests were higher than her father's feelings, and it justified his cruelty, but killed the ideal ... ".

The picture was met with great interest. Around her, ideological disputes broke out, to some extent calming until now. The canvas immediately acquired Paul Mikhailovich Tretyakov, and now it is rightfully considered one of the most famous Russian historical works mentioned in textbooks and school textbooks.

"Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexey in Peterhof" (1871).
Canvas, oil. 135.7 x 173 cm.
State Tretyakov Gallery
Moscow

The picture shows the historical and family drama of the Tsar reformer Peter I. Tsarevich Alexey, the firstborn of Peter I, was a man of challenging destiny. This was largely due to the circumstances of his life, which did not depend on the will of the young heir. He brought up in a boyars who hated Peter for his transformation and for the harsh struggle with these battles, or rather, with their backward and suede glances. Tsarevich's mother, Evdokia Lopukhin - also from the boyars.

The nature of Tsarevich Alexey was the direct opposite of his father. In addition, he felt a strong insult for his mother, which Peter forcibly exiled to the Suzdal Monastery. So the heir was not the successor of father affairs, but their enemy, besides the conspirator. He fled from Russia, but was returned and declared a criminal.

And here in such a title, he appears before the Terrible Father.

Who can say now that they felt both at the moment depicted in the picture? You can only guess this. One clear: depicted a tragedy. The tragedy is historical, which was characteristic of all Russia: It was hard for Peter I to break the old and literally to build a new state on the blood. And he needed an assistant, the closest man is a son. But, unfortunately, he lost the heir to the reformer in the face of his son. And here the personal tragedy already begins: in this case, he lost his son forever, because it was impossible to maintain only family relationships with an ideological enemy for energetic, with an iron will and the unsaturated thirst for the father's activity it was impossible.

On the picture N. GE, everything is historically reliably, up to the composition. Although it is only possible to imagine the doubts of the artist in how to correctly depict the scene, what to make an accent. After all, many were then confident in the fault of the "king of the son", and Tsarevich himself was declared a victim of a treacherous father. But in this issue, the artist helped the historian N.I. Kostomarov, who believed that Tsarevich Alexey came in relation to the Father unsightly and that his execution was a natural melted. But the artist himself doubted that public interests could be higher than his father's senses.

And now a picture appeared. The mighty figure of the Sitting Tsar is depicted with a gaze facing his son. Nearby is a son - tired, with hopelessly lowered head. The rapid explanation has already happened, and Peter seems to be waiting for a response from the son. He is already confident in his fault, but it seems that still does not leave hope for his repentance. But Tsarevich is as if sought, in confusion, having filled the eyes. Historian M.P. Pogodin argues that "In sincere, sincere letters, he is such as in fact, without embellishment and stretches, - and it should be aware that all these documents speak more in his favor than to the detriment. It was a man of pious, of course, in his inquisitive, reasonable, calculating and kind, cheerful, hunter to try. " Nikolai Ge, according to him, sympathized with the unfortunate destiny of Tsarevich, when he wrote his picture.

However, Tsarevich Alexey was not a powerless victim: he was stubborn and did not want to obey the will of the Father - there is his courage, he is an equal opponent of Peter.

This picture will always be relevant. Yes, the argument between the heroes of the canvas is over, the passions lay down, all the words are said, the continuation and outcome of the case are also known to everyone. But the echo of this dispute continues to sound today - this is a dispute about the historical paths of the country and the price that you have to pay the ruler for your actions.

Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexey

Ge Nikolai

The famous Liberty of Nikolai Nikolayevich, Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei in Peterhof, includes the number of paintings by the widespread viewer from childhood and living in the historical and cultural memory of the people. More often this picture is simply called "King Peter and Tsarevich Alexey". The family drama of the King converter Peter I is one of the most notable pages of Russian history. Almost 150 years ago, N. GE wrote this picture, the reproductions of which were reproduced in numerous artistic publications and postcards.

In 1872, an exhibition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Peter I was to be held in Moscow. It was obscured by N. GE to the idea to write a picture from the life of the Great Tsar reformer: "I felt everywhere and in all the influence and trail of Petrovskaya reform. The feeling it was so strong that I was involuntarily carried away by Peter and, under the influence of this hobbies, I conceived my picture "Peter I and Tsarevich Alexey".

From the turbulent history of King Peter, the artist in his picture depicts the moment when Peter I had to worry about the heavy drama between the consciousness of public debt and fatherly feelings. The fate of the primacy of the Tsar Peter was tragically, many circumstances played their fateful role in it. First of all, the environment in which Alexey Tsarevich was brought up is the environment of his mother, the boyars's daughter Evdokia Lopukhina. These were siblings of old boyars, hated Peter I for transformation and for the harsh struggle with "big beards".

The nature of Tsarevich himself, Alexey, too, was the direct opposite of his father-with his inexhaustible energy, enterprise, iron will and insatiable thirst for activity. And resentment on the Father, forcibly complied with the young queen Evdokia in the Suzdal Monastery. The heir to Peter I became not a follower of father's affairs, but their enemy, a loan and a conspirator. Subsequently, he had to flee from his native country, but returned to Russia, he was declared a criminal and appears before the face of the Father. But here there was not only a great personal tragedy of Peter-Father, who lost the Son of the Heir-reformer in the face. The conflict, laid by N. Ge, the basis of the plot of the picture, develops from a purely family and reflects the historical tragedy. This tragedy was characteristic of all Russia, when Peter I, breaking the old state, built a new state on the blood.

Events are interpreted by N. Ge extremely simple, the romantic emotion of his former gospel canvases gave way to strict historical objectivity, so in his picture everything is vital - and the selected situation, the situation, and the artistic characteristic, and the composition of the whole work. However, proceeding to work on the picture, N. GE found himself before choosing. Many were then confident in the fault of the "king of the son", and Tsarevich himself was declared a victim of a treacherous father. However, the historian N. I. Kostomaraov, who N. Ge, knew well, did not agree with such lighting of events, and he considered him an outstanding talent, a historian with a clear mind. The incomes of Tsarevich Alexey for N. Kostomarov were a matter of proven, and the execution of the law. True, he stipulates that Peter I did from the son of the enemy himself.

In this situation, N. Ge, when it was necessary to get up on a certain point of view or to look for a historical guide thread. If Tsarevich is strongly condemned, then in this case, it is necessary to compare it with the "virtuous" father, and the artist could not decide. Yes, and there was no reason for this, for he himself recognized: "I fell like a sympathy for Peter, but, having studied many documents, I saw that there could be no sympathies. I inflicted the sympathy for Peter, said that he had public interests above the feeling of his father, and it justified cruelty, but killed the ideal. " And then N. Ge decided to combine the efforts of the historian and the artist. Without tired, he works in the Hermitage, studying all the picturesque and graphic images of Peter I and Tsarevich Alexey. In Peterhof Montplasir, he visited Peter's room, looked at his clothes, personal belongings, then returned to his workshop and began to make sketches and sketches.

First, in pencil sketches, Peter I was depicted one: sitting at the table and lowering his head, he painfully reflects. In front of him are documents, irrefutably proving the guilt of the Son. But while the family drama, which N. Ge, so wanted to artically materialize, is not felt, and a new sketch appears. On him, the mighty figure of the Sitting King is given silhouette on the background of the window, in the rays of bright daylight. Nearby is a son - tired and hopelessly lowered his head. But the artist refused to and from this option, since it was too clearly the alignment of one hero at the expense of another. In the final version of Petr I sit at the table and looks at the son's gaze. Just happened a rapid explanation, and the king Peter seems to be waiting for the answer from the son. Tsarevich, as a ghost man, it is as if sought, in confusion, having filled out eyes.

The scattered light of a cloudy day, the restrained flavor give the picture a real intonation, all the attention of the artist focuses on the psychological expressiveness of people and figures - their facial expressions, gestures, poses. After a rapid dispute, the gust of anger in Peter is replaced by painful confidence in the guilt of the son. All the words are said, all charges are presented, in the room reigns intense, nervous silence. Inquisitively and intently browsing Peter I in Tsarevich Alexey, trying to see, unravel it, still not leaving hope for the repentance of his son. Under the view of the father, he lowered his eyes, but the dialogue between them continues internally, in complete silence.

In the picture of N. Ge, the moment of action is surprisingly selected, which makes it possible to understand what happened and guess about the future. And about what it will be scary, says much. And first of all, the red tablecloth falls on the floor, an irresistible barrier sharing the figures of the father and son. This N. GE sought the main thing: the death sentence was ready to sign not a vengeial executioner, but a father wounded in the very heart - all the weighing state politician, but still heightened a person. The tragic collision painting is hidden as if inside, the artist is here without amazing color strikes, the canvas is lit gently, almost imperceptibly. Paints in its picture are not glowing, they will not shine, like hot coal, and neutrally live in a darkened space.

All details are carefully discharged on the canvas, they not only specify the place and time of action, but also participate in the characteristics of the acting paintings. Simple furniture hanging on the "Dutch" pictures are talking about the simple tastes of Peter, and in this European view, Alexey, brought up in Terem, feels a stranger. Fear of the Father, the misunderstanding of his affairs, the fear of punishment was made by Alexey wary and secretive. But he had other features of the character, which wrote another historian M.P. Pogodin: "In sincere, sincere letters to friends, he is as in fact, without sticks and stretches, - and it should be aware that all these documents speak more in his favor than to the detriment. It was a man of pious, of course, in his inquisitive, reasonable, calculating and kind, cheerful, hunter to try. " Nikolai Ge, according to him, sympathized with the unfortunate destiny of Tsarevich, when he wrote his picture.

None of the historical documents are mentioned that Peter I ever interrogated the Son one on one in Peterhof. Tsarevich's interrogations were in the official situation, and, of course, N. Ga knew about it. But he deliberately transfers the action to Peterhof and limits the circle of acting persons to more strengthen deep penetration into the life and psychology of the era. The artist put forward this meeting to the center of his picture, as she allowed him to focus all the attention on the main thing - on the tragedy in which there were two loved ones. In this decisive instant of the life of Tsarevich Alexey was still capable of passive resistance, he had not lost faith in the fact that the king Peter would not dare to cross the father's debt, would not dare to raise a public opinion against himself, condemning the legitimate heir to the throne, which Alexey continued himself consider. This unfulfilled, illusory hope and continues to feed its internal resistance. He was not a powerless victim, in his stubbornness, the solid reluctance to obey the will of the Father there is its own line of behavior, his courage, because he is not a pitiful coward (although sometimes he saw it exactly), and Peter's opponent.

It demanded from N. GE completely different forms and means of artistic expressiveness, generalizations - without petty, careful copying of nature. In MontPlazir, the artist was only once and later said that "intentionally once, so as not to break the impressions I made from there."

The picture was of great success at the first exhibition of the Mobile, held in November 1871. Russian Writer M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin about the "secret evening" N. Ge said: "The external environment of the drama ended, but her instructive meaning for us did not end." According to the same principle, the artist built his picture about Tsar Peter and Tsarevich Alexei - the dispute is over, the voices of the voices, the explosions of the passions lay down, the answers were predetermined, and all - and the audience, and history - they know the continuation and outcome of the case. But the echo of this dispute continues to sound in the Peterhof room, and in the modern artist of Russia, and today. This is a dispute about the historical destinies of the country and the price that you have to pay for a person and humanity for the progressive movement of history.

When N. Ge has already completed work on the picture, P. M. Tretyakov came to his workshop and said he buys his canvas from the author. At the exhibition, the work of N. Ge, I liked the imperial family, and Alexander II asked to leave a picture of him. None of the emperor's sweets dared to report that the picture was already sold. Then, in search of the exit from the current situation, I turned to N. GE and asked him to transfer the picture to the king, and for P.M. Tretyakova Write a repetition. The artist replied that without consent P.M. Tretyakov will not do this, and Pavel Mikhailovich said that let N. Ge for the king write a repetition. So it happened. The picture after the exhibition was transferred to P.M. Tretyakov, and for Alexander II N. GE wrote a repetition that is now in the Russian Museum.