Kalevala kaltereiden takana
Anastasia Djudjajeva
20.11.–18.12.25
Mon-Fri 8.00-20.00
on Display at Linnasmäki Gallery
Anastasia Djudjajeva is an artist from Gatchina (a town near St. Petersburg) and a political prisoner. She was sentenced together with her spouse, the artist Aleksandr Dotsenko, for distributing a few cards with Ukrainian poetry in a supermarket. According to international criteria, the human rights organization Memorial has recognized Anastasia and Aleksandr as political prisoners.
Djudjajeva describes her artistic path as “political avant-garde.” Her works protest against violence, express compassion for the victims of war, and pay tribute to the wounded. Through her art she embodies resistance and supports the preservation of human dignity. After her arrest and a sentence of three and a half years, Anastasia was placed in a penal colony. Even there, she did not stop creating. A pen and colored pencils are tools of her inner freedom, a way to remain herself.
Anastasia loves Finnish culture.
In prison, she created a series of drawings inspired by the Kalevala and Finnish folk tales. These works are filled with dreams of another world — a world where goodness, courage, and wisdom prevail. The second part of her series focuses on portraits of women prisoners. Anastasia shared a cell with her models. In their faces one sees pain and endurance, loneliness and gentleness — the human dignity that survives despite the conditions.
A special place in Djudjajeva’s art belongs to birds — symbols of inner freedom, flight, and hope. They appear frequently in her drawings, reminding us that a person can keep the sky within themselves even behind bars. This exhibition demonstrates that art does not recognize the walls of a prison.
It continues to live, speak, feel, and inspire — even where it may seem that freedom no longer exists.
Anastasia is currently imprisoned for political reasons. You can write her a postcard, and we will deliver it to Russia. She will be deeply delighted to receive it.
In cooperation with: Parus – Free Russia Association in Turku ry
Gallery Linnasmäki organizes diverse changing art exhibitions throughout the year,
which always offer visitors a new kind of cultural experience.
For more information about exhibition opportunities, please contact:
Anna Kaisa Siltanen, annakaisa.siltanen@linnas.fi or tel. 040 624 0814
