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Iraida Barry

  • After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Barry settled in Istanbul, where she lived until her death. She is remembered as one of the first female sculptors of the Turkish Republic.
  • Iraida
  • Barry
  • Ираида Барри, Ираида Бари, Iraida Bari, Ираида Вячеславовна Кедрина, Iraida Viacheslavovna Kedrina, Iraida Kedrina

  • 10-09-1899
  • Sevastopol’ ()
  • 1980
  • İstanbul (TR)
  • Sculptor
  • After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Barry settled in Istanbul, where she lived until her death. She is remembered as one of the first female sculptors of the Turkish Republic.

    Word Count: 29

  • Iraida Barry, photography, detail (© Cengiz Kahraman Koleksiyonu, Istanbul).
  • After the events of the Russian Revolution of 1917, young Iraida Barry settled in Istanbul, where she lived until her death. She is remembered today as one of the first female sculptors of the Turkish Republic.
    While still a child and living in Crimea, Barry was interested in painting and planned to enter Imperial Academy of Arts of the Russian Empire. As a result of her exile, she studied at Sanayi-i Nefise (Imperial School/Academy of Fine Arts) in Istanbul, where she was taught by Ihsan Özsoy. Yet even before studying there, she took part in exhibitions of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople (where she met Dimitri Ismailovitch with whom was in close contact at least till 1927). For instance, her name is mentioned in one of the newspaper reports in connection with the exhibition in June 1923: “The field of sculpture is represented by very few objects, it is pleasant to note the small figurines by Barry, in which the talent and immediacy of perception can be felt, but these things, unfortunately, are spoiled by bad casting.” From 1929 to 1936 she took an active part in the Galatasaray exhibitions, and even presented her works in Paris. Many of Barry's works now belong to the Istanbul Museum of Art and Sculpture.
    It is known that Barry was married to the famous dentist Albert Barry, who was fond of photography. The story of this émigré sculptress saw the light thanks to these photographs by her husband, that were found by chance in antiquarian shops in Istanbul. Barry also had a daughter who, due to her illness, needed constant care. In exchange for this care, Barry bequeathed all her property to Balıklı Rum Hospital in Istanbul. The daughter outlived her by only 12 years. As for Barry herself, she became mentally ill in the last years of her life. Iraida is buried at the Orthodox Christian cemetery in Şişli, Istanbul.
    She is the author of Mirror Shards, her autobiographical texts written between 1951 and 1970 (now they are at the Bakhmeteff Archive of Russian and East European Culture in New York). In 2019, The Alexander Solzhenitsyn House of Russia Abroad in Moscow hosted the exhibition Iraida Barry (1899–1980) — Russian sculptor in Istanbul.

    Word Count: 365

  • Iraida Barry (© Cengiz Kahraman Koleksiyonu, Istanbul).
    Iraida Barry’s studio at the Mısır Apartments (© Cengiz Kahraman Koleksiyonu, Istanbul).
    Iraida Barry’s studio at the Mısır Apartments (© Cengiz Kahraman Koleksiyonu, Istanbul).
    Nude by Iraida Barry, 1937 (MSGSÜ İstanbul Resim ve Heykel Müzesi). (Photo: Ekaterina Aygün, 2021).
    Bust by Iraida Barry (Meşher Gallery). (Photo: Ekaterina Aygün, 2021).
    Bust of Namık İsmail by Iraida Barry (Meşher Gallery). (Photo: Ekaterina Aygün, 2021).
  • Akpamuk, Günce. “İraida Barry’nin İstanbul günleri.” Atlas Tarih, January–February, 2020, pp. 116–121.

    Anonymous. “Iraida Barry (1899–1980) – Russkiy Skul’ptor Stambula.” domrz.ru, https://www.domrz.ru/exhibition/iraida_barri_1899_1980_russkiy_skulptor_stambula_/. Accessed 18 August 2020.

    Dirican, Gül. “Uzak ve Yalnız İraida.” Gazete Pazar, 16 February 1997, p. 19.

    Kadıoğlu, Ayşe. “Exile, dignity and love: an Istanbul story.” t24.com.tr, https://t24.com.tr/k24/yazi/exile-dignity-and-love-an-istanbul-story,2682. Accessed 25 November 2020.

    Sığırcı, Marina. Spasibo, Konstantinopol’! Po sledam beloemigrantov v Turtsii. “Yevropeyskiy Dom”, 2018.

    Ted’. “K Vystavke Hudojnikov.” Presse du Soir, 29 June 1923, n.p.

    Word Count: 93

  • Cengiz Kahraman Koleksiyonu, Istanbul.

    Word Count: 4

  • I am very grateful to Cengiz Kahraman for his valuable help.

    Word Count: 11

  • Ekaterina Aygün
  • Istanbul, Ottoman Empire / Turkey (1919–1980).

  • Mısır Apartmanı, Tomtom, Beyoğlu, Istanbul (residence and studio).

  • Istanbul
  • Ekaterina Aygün. "Iraida Barry." METROMOD Archive, 2021, https://archive.metromod.net/viewer.p/69/2949/object/5138-10436677, last modified: 29-05-2023.
  • Roman Bilinski
    PainterSculptorCollectorArt restorer
    Istanbul

    At the beginning of the 1920s, a member of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople, Roman Bilinski was known as a sculptor. At the end of the 1920s–beginning of the 1930s – as a sculptor, painter and connoisseur of local antiques.

    Word Count: 42

    Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople
    Association
    Istanbul

    The Union existed for less than two years but in that short space of time a tremendous amount of work was done by its members, refugees from the Russian Empire.

    Word Count: 30

    Dimitri Ismailovitch
    PainterArt Historian
    Istanbul

    In Istanbul, Ismailovitch became one of the leaders of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople, organised three solo exhibitions, and made contribution to the study of Byzantine art.

    Word Count: 29