“Around the Ark”. A new instalment of Mikhail Piotrovsky’s Hermitage TV series

A worldwide flood occurs in the Bible, the Quran, ancient Sumerian texts and Ancient Greek mythology. How did the legend about Noah find reflection in the works of the Renaissance geniuses, engravings of the 17th and 18th centuries and Kandinsky’s art? Why is the flood a theme perfectly suited to Saint Petersburg, and how did the idea for Alexander Sokurov’s film The Russian Ark arise? Through historical artefacts and works of art the programme explores one of the enduring mysteries of civilization.

The programme editor was Alexei Oliferuk; the director was Natalia Chernyshova.

You can watch a recording of the programme (in Russian) by following this link.