Little sketch about contemporary Russian academic paintings and China art market.
Today’s Russian academic art, with a few exeptions, follows soviet union traditions of so called “social realism”. A few examples of this style are below:

As we can see, this style is not the thing we can call “contempoprary” art. But there are still a lot of artists, who tries to follow this art style nowadays, in Russia. First of all, at the institutes, which belongs to the RAH (Russian academy of fine arts). Teachers, who also called themselves artists, producing a lot of art pieces, which does not have any chance to be exhibited among contemporary, fresh art objects.

As a result, the market possibilities for this art works are also very limited.

China, with its growing art market, and nostalgia about Soviet period, became a really good opportunity to almost vanished interest at domestic and European galleries. High ranked Russian artists starts to produce a lot of artworks, specially made for China art taste.

China Today "Russian art. A run on oils in China":

"...In order to cater to the Chinese market, Russian painters have also adjusted their styles."

"...Yury Kalyuta, a noted artist in St. Petersburg, often exhibits his paintings in China. Some of his best pieces have sold in the range of RMB 200,000 to 300,000."

"...Such a strong demand from the Chinese market could hardly be met by the limited output of Russian artists. As a result, reproduction workshops flourished and the shanzhai products have come into vogue with common art lovers put off by the high costs of original works."

As a sample, let’s have a look at the paintings of Mr. A.Chuvin, dean of painting faculty of Repin art institute. 

Winter:

Summer time:

As we can see, there is no big difference in subjects, colours and style.  This similarity helps to produce such “artworks” in huge amounts, in short time periods.

However, looks like all this cheap tricks are very welcome at the Chinese art market. Such academic art (which is really  academic, produced by dean of Repin institute) covers the huge walls of art exhibitions in China.

If we take a closer look, we will see poor quality of the painting technique. It is allways funny to see the small details of the painting, they sometimes can make you smile.

Trees and the house are painted with absolutely the same crappy color; sky, roof and water also shares the same bluish dirt. Luck of paint? Or, maybe, some vision decease?

Check this pretty stones at the foreground, sharing same color with the sky. Also, check the estimate of this Chuvin’s masterpiece. Would you buy it for just 15000 $?

Find any difference, or "how to make a unique artwork".  Do not forget - this are  completely different, independent artworks. 

 Another possibility is to use works of another artists, to exhibit (and sell) them as paintings of more expensive artist.

Because almost all students and professors share the same, chineese-welcome style, changing the description is always an option.

Why not taking the son’s painting (also Chuvin), and, changing one letter, also adding a zero to the right end of the price estimate?

Is it any difference? Looks like there is NO difference at all.  Except increasing of price level. 

Of course, this Chuvin’s works are only a samples of contemporary Russian academy's way of making art. There are a lot of professors, doing the same things, the same way, following this "Chuvin style".
More examples could be found here:

http://www.cnicif.com/people/elszq/

http://www.cnicif.com/people/elszq/