The theme of this museum lesson is the relationship between power, society, and art. Through discussions on works from the permanent exhibition "Life or Karma? Stories of Narva," students will compare changes in the socio-political atmosphere of our region over the last three centuries with the processes occurring in the art world. As a result, we'll use specific works to determine how independent cultural figures are from power, the important social functions art performed in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and today. The following concepts will be addressed: ideology, propaganda, realism, critical realism, socialist realism, classicism, utopia, humanism.

The program covers two key periods in Narva's history – the latter half of the 17th and the 20th centuries – pivotal moments that radically influenced the city's architectural appearance. The program takes place in two halls: on the model of Old Narva and in the hall of the permanent exhibition, where the theme of the emergence of the new city of the Soviet period is revealed. We'll discuss the twists in Narva's development history, architectural features of both periods, and the premises that determined the city's development during these epochs.

Based on the exhibition of 17th-19th-century icons from the Narva Museum collection and realistic landscapes from the permanent exhibition, we'll examine which laws of perspective an artist can use to create a realistic image and what happens when these laws are disregarded. Participants will solidify their understanding of the topic through independent practical tasks and worksheets. Additionally, we'll explore the historical and cultural premises for different methods of depicting the surrounding world and learn how the worldview of a medieval person differs from the contemporary one through the example of icons. As practical work, participants will create a drawing with linear perspective. Main concepts: linear perspective, reverse perspective, realism, landscape, icon..