The Unequal Marriage

This impressive scene is exhibited in the Tretyakov State Gallery. We are looking at a wedding scene taking place in a church. Also, this is an Orthodox Church. The young bride is the main hero of our picture... When we step back and look at it, we can immediately understand what is happening on stage. The expressions are quite strong. In other words, the figures expressed their expressions as if they were theater actors. The old groom and the sad young bride are the first figures that catch our eye in the picture.
Let's imagine that we don't know the name of the picture at all. When we looked at this scene, we might have thought that this old man, who was giving the woman a strange and disturbing look, was the bride's father, not the groom. However, hopes are dashed with the name 'Unequal Marriage' and the positioning of the figures.
There are exactly 10 figures in the picture. Although the main figures attract our attention at first glance, we understand that the story of the painting is not limited to the figures in the background. Look at the figure behind the bride, she looks very angry and has her arms crossed...

There is fire in his eyes as he looks at our elderly son-in-law. We can feel his anger strongly. All the other men in the background also have uneasy facial expressions. So could this figure in the background be the bride's real lover? Maybe his brother?
Of course, it is impossible to tell from the picture. That's why we need to look at historical documents, what the painter said or notes about the work. Looking at this, it becomes clear that this angry figure standing behind the bride figure is the artist, that is, Vasili Pukirev.
But did Vasili's beloved find favor with other old men? Or, we do not know whether the artist painted this painting as a criticism of the 'Unequal Marriages' issue, which was frequently discussed at that time, but it is obvious that he was quite disturbed by the situation...

The bride, quite unhappy, extends her right hand towards the clergyman for the ring to be placed on him. We can say that the candle held by the old groom is a northern tradition. It represents the candle that the bride gives to the groom before the wedding. Can also symbolize 'hope' and 'all-seeing god'.

It is used as a symbol. This work, which the artist painted at the age of 33, is one of his very important and well-known works. The expressions on the faces of the figures always seriously impress me. The old man is not mentally at the wedding. Yes, his body is there, but we call it undressing with his looks. We feel this very comfortably. When he looks at the bride's face, which has accepted the situation helplessly, cold and unconscious eyes that do not show even the slightest remorse or pity...
However, the painting was subject to harsh criticism when it was exhibited. For many people, the picture does not reflect reality. The reason for this is that such situations were very common at that time, but young girls knowingly and willingly married these old bureaucrats...