On 12 February 2025, the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research hosted the opening ceremony of an exhibition of reproduced paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the outstanding artist’s birth. The exhibition, proposed and curated by FLNR JINR Scientific Leader, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri T. Oganessian, features 12 works painted in the middle of the 16th century, during the rise of national Dutch painting.

At the opening ceremony, Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Academician Grigory Trubnikov expressed gratitude to Yuri Oganessian and all employees of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions for their contribution to holding the exhibition. “We are here to celebrate something other than the discovery of a new element of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table, another particle, or even the launch of a large accelerator complex. We are celebrating the discovery of something truly wonderful, the world of the great Pieter Bruegel the Elder,” Grigory Trubnikov said. “This exhibition is one of the most remarkable latest cultural events in JINR”.

Yuri Oganessian gave a lecture about Pieter Bruegel and the era in which the Flemish artist lived and worked. “This brilliant Dutchman had a significant influence on the Northern Renaissance art. He is rightfully considered the founder of the genre of peasant painting. He primarily portrayed the everyday life of the peasant society, which earned him the nickname “peasant Bruegel”. Pieter Brueghel’s works celebrate the inseparable connection between humans and nature, showing us that every moment of life is an invaluable gift from God,” Yuri Oganessian emphasised.

The JINR exhibition features 12 reproductions of masterpieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The original artworks are presented at the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria. Among them are world-renowned paintings such as The Tower of Babel (1563), The Hunters in the Snow (1565), and Children’s Games (1560). Each piece not only tells a story, but also reflects the era in which myths and reality, work and festive days, the beauty of nature and the simplicity of everyday life were intertwined.

The exhibition is open every Friday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It is located in the conference hall of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions and available for all employees who have an electronic pass to the DLNP site.