Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe, Frog-Princess of Neoacademism

Vladislav Mamyshev‐Monro (1969–2013) represents perhaps the most striking example of the esthetics of transgression that characterized Neoacademism as an artistic movement. Best known for his uncanny embodiment of historical figures and celebrities ranging from Adolf Hitler to Marilyn Monroe, Mamyshev‐Monro/e was a fixture in the underground scene out of which Neoacademism emerged in late‐1980s Leningrad, as well as a close friend of and collaborator with the movement's founder, Timur Novikov. In addition to creating works in a wide variety of media, including live performance, video, photography, verbal text, and painting, Mamyshev‐Monroe played a prominent role in interventions orchestrated by Novikov on behalf of the New Academy of Fine Arts. The artist, whose name, identity, and life story shifted with each new personality he donned, stepped over the line of social acceptability by including in his artistic repertoire icons of femininity, such as Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Mary, Soviet film star Liubov' Orlova, and, most famously, Marilyn Monroe. As a result, Western observers hailed Mamyshev‐Monroe as “the first Russian drag‐queen” at a time when drag had captivated the imagination of commentators in Europe and North America.