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Without further ado:

Ivan Aivazovsky: an Appropriated Ukrainian Armenian Marinist

Let's start with the fact that his name was not Ivan Aivazovsky; his real birth name was Hovhannes Aivazian (Armenian: Հովհաննես Այվազյան), and he was a son of an Armenian merchant from Galicia, a region that has historically had a large Armenian population. Aka, a Galician Armenian. Even that name spelling is Galician, too.

The inside of the Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in Lviv (I've been there!)

Then why on earth do we even call him Ivan Aivazovsky, you ask? Good question!

To conform to the Russian-speaking environment of the Russian Empire, of course.

Why did he study in Saint Petersburg, then? Cause everyone and their mother did, since they literally had zero choice. No, seriously. Russian Empire didn't allow an academy of arts to be established in Ukraine, so most prominent Ukrainian artists at the time were forced to study in Saint Petersbourg. That's where he was first called Ivan, btw.

The artist himself didn't want to live in Saint Petersburg at all (a trait that you will actually find common across Ukrainian artists and cultural figures forced to live and study there). He loved Feodosia (Theodosia), Crimea, above all else, and even divorced his first wife due to not wanting to live in so called "cultural capital".

Can't really blame him, personally.

"But he painted russia!" Someone will say.

He was appointed as an official Russian Navy painter. It was his job. And aside from his literal job, he seldom painted russian landscape. You know what landscape and whose traditions he did paint a lot, though?

Uh-huh. Yeah.

Just look at this:

A Wedding in Ukraine. 1892.

You can tell it is a Ukrainian landscape, not even by the name, but by the white houses with thatched roofs and the clothes on the people, but also by the rather symbolic prevalence of blue and yellow (trust me, we'll return to that)

Don't believe me? Okay, here's another one:

Chumaks (Ukrainian salt merchants) in Malorossya (russian imperial name for Ukraine). 1890

You know what, there is one very peculiar painting of russia, though. One that was actually gifted by the artist himself to Emperor Nicholas I and that for some strange reason was only exhibited twice in russia:

Fire in Moscow. 1812 (quite possibly one of my favourite of his paintings for a reason)

The freaking irony? Burning Moscow? Gifted to its emperor?? Blue and yellow?

Oh. My. God!

Add to the fact that, as I've said, the work was exhibited in russia only twice: at the exhibition immediately after its painting and at the Tretyakov Gallery in 2016 at the exhibition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the artist.

I wonder why.

Not to mention the author criticised russia in other paintings, such as this one, describing a famine in russia that they couldn't stop without the help of the USA:

Food Distribution. 1892

This one and another one, "The Relief Ship" or The Arrival of the Steamer "Missouri", 1892, were actually fully forbidden from being exhibited in russia, probably because they're a reminder of the worthlessness of the monarch who provoked the famine.

But of course, we love Aivazian for his marine paintings. I know you've probably all seen The Ninth Wave, but there are some I would rather introduce you to.

Crimean Tatars on the Seashore. 1850

This one showcases Aivazian's connection to Crimean Tatars, or Qırımtatarlar, the indigenous people of Crimea, Ukraine. Plus, what a breathtaking sunset. I long for the Black Sea just from looking at it, and it's hard for me to even imagine how a displaced Qirimli must feel 🫂

Valley of Mount Ararat. 1882

This one is not of the sea, but there's something so profound in how he paints his historical homeland. Look at these colours. They're soft, gentle, almost.

I am not Armenian, but that's probably how I'd paint the homeland I miss. Speaking of that:

Reeds on the Dnieper near the town of Oleshki. 1857

Dnipro. My sweet, sweet Dnipro. I live next to this river, and God, how much I miss it all the time studying abroad. There's nothing quite like that river to me in he whole wide world. (Notice the blue and yellow again btw?)

Last but not least, to feed into my second obsession:

Battle of Cesme at Night. 1848

Cause I want to and I will make a fanart of the Burning of the Ships from the Silmarillion based on this one, that's why.

So, in conclusion:

1. Hovhannes Aivazian was born into a family of a Ukrainian Armenian.

2. He didn't really have much choice in studying in Saint Petersburg, a city he hated, and changing his own name.

3. His job was painting russian military ships (and we all know where these go), but his own paintings depict lives of Ukrainians (with the whole blue and yellow theme), Qirimli and Armenians, as well as criticism of the Russian Empire (the burning Moscow one is insane).

So now you know why Hovhannes Aivazian is a Ukrainian Armenian painter, or at least no less so than a russian one, if not more.

Hey! Apparently I write articles on decolonising Ukrainian art now, too! You should check this one out, it's about Malevych!

Thanks for reading!