The art collection of the Penza Literature Museum includes an illustration to “The Shepherd Boy, ” an autobiographical novella by Pyotr Ivanovich Zamosky. The painting was created by the Penza artist Boris Ivanovich Lebedev.

The cultural identity of the Penza region simply would not be the same without certain artists. One of them is Boris Lebedev. He produced countless works, including propaganda posters, book and magazine illustrations, caricatures, and portraits of prominent residents of the Penza region. His motto was “Not a day without work.” According to his daughter, the lights in their house were always on and he was working on new paintings all the time.

The museum features an extensive collection of illustrations by Boris Lebedev, including his sketches with images of Penza, its residents and everyday life. According to the artist’s memoirs, it was his acquaintance and friendship with Pyotr Zamoysky that had a significant influence on his development as an illustrator of works by Penza writers. Thanks to his friend, Boris Lebedev gained a deeper understanding not only of his writings but also of the life of rural workers. This contributed to the vividness and verisimilitude of his illustrations.

Boris Lebedev often visited the Zamoysky family in Moscow. The two friends would talk about life for hours in the evenings, sometimes until the early morning. Pyotr Zamoysky was a great storyteller. Later, the artist recalled that his friend would narrate events from his life in such vivid detail that all listeners ended up feeling that they knew the characters personally. Boris Lebedev was inspired by his friend’s stories and would easily depict these vivid images. He also illustrated books by Pyotr Zamoysky. According to both Zamoysky and his fellow villagers, Lebedev’s characters were so convincing that long-time residents could identify who they were based on.