Vladimir Nabokov’s Beloved Butterflies
St Petersburg University will host a collaborative exhibition project of the Nabokov Museum at SPbU and the ‘Yellow Snail’ Children’s Design Studio.
Vladimir Nabokov is renowned not only as a writer but also as a dedicated lepidopterist. The museum houses Russia’s only collection of Nabokov’s butterflies, specimens he caught in the United States during the 1940s and 1950s. Inspired by this rare entomological collection, the young artists of the ‘Yellow Snail’ studio sketched their favourite specimens and created a vibrant graphic composition based on them. These works have come together to form a colourful panel, reminiscent of an endless meadow on a hot summer’s day—full of life and evoking joyful childhood memories of summer.
The exhibition represents an introduction for children to Vladimir Nabokov’s life and creative legacy, with whom every child shares certain innate qualities: youthful naivety, natural curiosity, closeness to nature, powers of observation, dexterity, and a love of vibrant colours—all characteristics typical of young artists who have yet to discover the writer’s literary world.
The ‘Yellow Snail’ is a contemporary creative space dedicated to teaching painting, graphic arts, architecture and paper sculpture. The children’s design studio collaborates with most of St Petersburg’s museums and cultural institutions. In 2025, the studio published an large-format flip calendar featuring works from the collaborative project with the SPbU Nabokov Museum.
The ticket grants access to both the permanent exhibition and temporary displays.