Oleg Torbosov’s Mecenaty (Patrons of the Arts) Lecture 2026

Oleg Torbosov’s Mecenaty (Patrons of the Arts) Lecture 2026 returns to the Theatre of Digital Art (ToDA) in Dubai on Tuesday 17 November, with an evening devoted to two Moscow textile merchants who quietly assembled some of the most daring art collections of the early twentieth century. The talk is delivered in Russian and runs for around two hours, making it an ideal midweek evening for Russian speaking art lovers in the city.

Two merchants, two collections

“Mecenaty” is the Russian word for patrons of the arts, and Oleg Torbosov’s series looks at the people whose money and taste shaped art history. This edition focuses on Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov, two businessmen from Moscow’s textile trade who, in their spare time, bought paintings by French artists that most people of their era considered mad.

Shchukin was the first to believe in Matisse and Picasso, buying their work when it was still treated as a provocation. He went on to commission Matisse’s monumental panels “Dance” and “Music” for his Moscow mansion. Morozov, more reserved and calculating by temperament, spent fortunes on Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh, building a collection that was every bit as ambitious in its own way.

Both men created world class collections, and both lost them after the 1917 revolution, when their paintings were nationalised. The works were later divided between the Pushkin Museum in Moscow and the Hermitage in St Petersburg, which is why so many visitors to those museums today are looking at pictures chosen by these two collectors.

More than an art history lecture

Torbosov frames the evening as a story about art, but also about money, love, family tragedy, rivalry and courage. The rivalry between Shchukin and Morozov, the personal losses that shadowed their lives and the risk of backing artists nobody else wanted give the lecture a narrative pull that suits listeners who are not art historians as much as those who are.

• Speaker: Oleg Torbosov
• Subject: collectors Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov
• Artists discussed: Matisse, Picasso, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh
• Language: Russian
• Running time: about 120 minutes
• Age: 12 and over

Why ToDA works for this talk

The Theatre of Digital Art is best known for immersive, projection based exhibitions, so it is a fitting home for a series about the people who made modern art possible. The venue sits within the Souk Madinat Jumeirah complex, which makes it easy to pair the lecture with dinner beside the waterways before or after. Find out more about the space in our ToDA venue guide.

Doors open at 6:30pm and the lecture starts at 7pm, so there is time to settle in before Torbosov begins. The age policy of 12 and over means older children and teenagers with an interest in art or Russian history can come along with their families.

Getting there

If you are driving, take Sheikh Zayed Road (E11), exit at interchange 5, join Umm Suqeim Road and follow the signs to Souk Madinat Jumeirah, where parking areas sit close to the souk. By public transport, take the Dubai Metro to Mall of the Emirates station and continue by taxi or ride hailing app to the Souk Madinat Jumeirah entrance. Taxis can reach the Madinat Jumeirah complex from anywhere in Dubai.

Booking is through Platinumlist, and if your plans change you can exchange your ticket with another guest.

Who should go

This lecture suits Russian speakers who enjoy museums, collectors and the stories behind famous paintings, as well as anyone who has already attended earlier evenings in the Mecenaty series and wants to continue. It is also a good choice for teachers, art students and gallery regulars looking for a thoughtful weeknight out that is a world away from the usual brunch and nightlife scene.

For more cultural evenings, browse our art and culture events, see the full list of things to do in November, or explore more things to do in Dubai.