The Lipetsk Regional Museum of Local Lore houses a portrait of General Alexander Mikhailovich Gubin and his wife Claudia Ludwigovna (or Lvovna in the Russian version of her name). The portrait was painted by the self-taught artist P. Volkov.
This is a genre scene. Against the backdrop of a park landscape, the Gubins enjoy their evening tea, in keeping with the summer traditions of the Russian nobility. The general wears a ceremonial white uniform. His figure is stately and dignified, his gaze is open and calm. His wife wears a dark dress and has an expression on her face that suggests some anxiety. The faces are much more detailed than anything else in this image. It is likely that the artist copied them from a daguerreotype, a common practice at the time for this type of portrait.
Major General Alexander Gubin was born into an ancient noble family. He was an officer and participated in numerous military campaigns in the 19th century. For his bravery and valor, he was awarded many orders and medals. After his health was undermined by the military battles in the late 1870s, he was sent to the city of Lipetsk for treatment. Years later, he returned as an uyezd military commander. His wife Claudia Ludwigovna was the daughter of the military engineer and colonel Ludwig Fortini from Königsberg. She rented out rooms in her house on Dvoryanskaya Street to visiting physicians and tourists at the Lipetsk health resort. In August 1917, the Gubin family left their home. After that, the history of their house is similar to that of many other nationalized buildings. At first, it housed the Council of Workers’ Delegates, and after the Great Patriotic War — various cultural institutions. In 1960, the Gubin House was taken under protection as a historical monument of republican importance.
Although this portrait is not characterized by great artistic value, it has immense significance for the history of Lipetsk. For many years, the portrait was kept in the family of Irina Vasilyevna Kolomeitseva, granddaughter of Alexander Mikhailovich Gubin. Her descendants donated the portrait to the Lipetsk Regional Museum of Local Lore in 1979.
