Portrait of the notary Ivan Ivanovich Bashilov takes pride of place in the exhibition of the Uglich Museum. The portraits of Ivan and Yelena Bashilov were transferred to the museum from the local community center and restored in Yaroslavl.

The artist chose a particular episode for portraying the Bashilovs — the couple is going out to see a theater production. The male image with its casual elegance and even some social polish seems to reflect various aspects of current urban culture: the showiness of magazine images, and the attraction of boutique signs. The slim dark-eyed and dark-haired man could equally fit a fashion advertisement or an adventure novel. It is likely that both portraits were painted based on photographs that had become popular in the provinces. During that period, several photographers worked in Uglich, and photos taken in a studio, including wedding and family ones, could be found not only in the city but also in the somewhat archaic atmosphere of country houses.

Ivan Ivanovich Bashilov was an Uglich notary whose office was located on Moskovskaya Street, close to the city center. A notary was still a novelty in the provinces. It was a person of high status and influence. The notary service was established a century and a half ago: initially, it was regarded with suspicion. It aimed to regulate business affairs, and protect honest entrepreneurs from market risks and fraud, but in fact, it caused dissatisfaction among the merchants who believed in sacred promises and striking hands on a deal. One of the characters in the book “Manufactory Councilor” published by Ivan Myasnitsky in 1903, complained,

Bashilov’s office was located in the house of his wife, a representative of the old ancient family of the Pivovarovs. Several contracts on stamp paper, certified by the signature of the notary Bashilov, are stored in the museum’s document collection.