Lockdown renaissance: Russians make art in isolation

Russian speakers from around the world have flocked in their tens of thousands to a new Facebook page designed to defeat boredom caused by coronavirus lockdowns and quarantines, with the help of art.

The page, called Izoizolyacia, or 'Art Isolation', was set up to provide a space for users to post pictures of themselves recreating popular works of art, while stuck at home.

The concept was first launched in the Netherlands, but it has been extremely popular in Russia.

Almost 380,000 people have joined since the group was created on 30 March.

New submissions, which are posted every few seconds on the page, have ranged from the funny to the absurd, as art lovers use props from around the house to re-envision the works of artists like Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso, as well as Soviet poster artists.

Participants hail from all over the world, including Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Malta, Canada and the United States.

"Yesterday, a boy from Italy wrote a post in English saying that our (Facebook) group brought him out of the depths of the tragedy that is happening around him," said Katerina Brudnaya-Chelyadinova, co-founder of the group.

"I couldn't hold back my tears because if this can bring happiness to someone, somewhere on the opposite side of the world, then all of this isn't for nothing," she added.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and a cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.

(Representative Image)(Image Credit Pixabay)