ProtoAIrt
ProtoAIrt: the Deep Dive – an AI-powered art history podcast that brings the original Russian blog Tararumbia to English-speaking listeners. The podcast explores European, Soviet and Russian art from ancient to contemporary times, mixing human insight with new generation tools to offer a fresh, curious, and research-minded take on visual arts, architecture, cinema, and museum culture. For inquiries: protoAIrt@gmail.com
Sacred Stones of Panagia Chryseleousa (Сyprus)
This podcast episode is based on the travel notes of the author, who visited the ancient church of Panagia Chryseleousa in the Cypriot village of Empa. In the text (published here), the architectural features of the stone church are described in detail, including its cross-shaped plan and rare wall paintings from different historical periods. The episode combines personal impressions, local legend, and reflections on the preservation of Byzantine heritage within the broader cultural and historical context of Cyprus.
Listening to Chopin Today
This episode explores Frédéric Chopin through personal reflections on modern interpretations of his music. Focusing on recordings by Jean-Pierre Vénèsse, Chad Lawson, and Alice Sara Ott, it reflects on simplicity, expressive depth, and the search for a natural, living sound that keeps Chopin relevant for today’s listener.
The podcast was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Inside Munch: Color, Emotion, Expression
This podcast episode explores a major Edvard Munch exhibition held at the Tretyakov Gallery in 2019. Based on previously published texts and generated with the help of an LLM, it reflects on Munch’s expressionist language, his powerful use of color, and the emotional depth of his imagery. Beyond The Scream, the exhibition reveals Munch as the creator of a rich visual universe shaped by flowing lines and inner tension, offering viewers a deeply personal encounter with the Norwegian master.
The 60s: opening the soul of Soviet cinema
This podcast was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on texts reflect the distinctive spirit of Soviet cinema in the 1960s, marked by ideological dualism and poetic cinematic language – first published here. Together, these sources celebrate the 1960s as an era of remarkable unity between the human soul, the state dream, and artistic innovation.
Lina Mkrtchyan: Voice Beyond the Stage
The episode explores the enigmatic career of opera singer Lina Mkrtchyan, surrounded by legend and withdrawal from the official musical world. Her dramatic, actorly style, rare archival recordings, and deliberate turn from public fame to spiritual service reveal an artist who chose inner conviction over the grand stage.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on three types of sources: a 1997 Kommersant article analyzing Lina Mkrtchyan’s public image and performances; texts first published on the Tararumbia blog, documenting the search for rare recordings and biographical details of Mkrtchyan and Elena Obraztsova; and archival recordings from th...
Did the Renaissance Fail?
The Renaissance is seen as a philosophical tragedy through the art of Sandro Botticelli. Berdyaev’s ideas frame the tension between pagan ideals and Christian faith, while Botticelli’s work reflects unattainable perfection and spiritual crisis, culminating in a stark shift from lyrical beauty to ascetic severity.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published at Tararumbia project.
Russia's Lost 13 Billion Art Museum
The lost State Museum of New Western Art, founded on the legendary collections of Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov. Its rise, closure, and the failed attempts to reunite its masterpieces reveal the politics, ethics, and missed possibilities of Russia’s cultural history.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published at Tararumbia project.
The Zhuchka Secret
Podcast describes the so-called 'Zhuchka Principle' - a clever tactic used by Soviet artists in the 1970s to bypass censorship.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Mon Repos: My Peace and Destruction
Monrepo Park in Vyborg (near St. Petersburg, Russia), a romantic landscape of granite hills, elegant architecture, and haunting legends, has influenced art and music, while its historic character continues to be mourned amid modern restorations.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here and materials from Garden History project.
Novgorod Art: the birth of Russian style
This episode looks at how 12th-century Novgorod developed its own artistic language, balancing Byzantine influence with strong local traditions. Through icons and frescoes, it shows how a distinctive, expressive style emerged and shaped Novgorod’s later medieval art.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on an unpublished academic essay from 2018.
Line Matters: Klimt vs. Schiele
How two Austrian artists used the simplest tool — the line — to create radically different worlds.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Soutine (2017) and the Noise of Modern Art
A reflection on the 2017 exhibitions that left a mark: the extraordinary Soutine show at the Pushkin Museum, its rare loans from the Louvre and Orsay, and the magnetic force of Soutine’s painting. We contrast his depth with the spectacle of Cai Guo-Qiang and revisit a “Garage” photography show that raised bigger questions about what art actually does.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Inside the Aesthetic Moment
A brief look at Lev Vygotsky’s idea of catharsis – how the clash of form and content creates an unconscious aesthetic response – and whether his theory still holds up in the age of AI and modern neuroscience.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Zhukovsky’s Light
A brief look at Stanislav Zhukovsky’s “Walls of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery”, its luminous impressionist technique, and the life of the artist shaped by revolutions and war.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Origins of Islamic Ornament
In this episode, we explore the captivating world of Islamic ornamentation. From geometric patterns to intricate arabesques, we trace their origins, evolution, and the cultural and spiritual meanings behind some of the most iconic monuments, like the Dome of the Rock and the Great Mosque of Córdoba. Discover why these abstract forms became central to Islamic art and why their study remains culturally significant today.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Caution: Stalinist Classicism!
Imagine that the beauty of architecture can hide ideology and human suffering. In this episode, we talk about Stalinist Classicism — a style where ancient columns and pediments become tools of power and propaganda, grandiose yet dangerous at the same time.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
Art style that vanished
The art style that vanished: how Soviet ideology erased Mannerism. How Russian art history often denied the existence of Mannerism, instead categorizing the style as an early stage of Baroque.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.
When the Kremlin almost became Europe
An analysis of Vasily Bazhenov’s unrealized plan to rebuild the Moscow Kremlin, revealing its overlooked meaning — a shift from a “medieval fortress” to a “modern European ensemble,” symbolizing Russia’s move toward a new model of statehood and architecture.
This episode was created using an LLM. Original jingle. Based on a text first published here.