Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova. Family of Vasily Shukshin. 1976

The Family of Vasily Shukshin. 1976. Painting by Soviet artist Elena Romanova (1944-2014)

Soviet artist Elena Romanova was born in 1944 in Moscow, the USSR. She graduated from the Moscow State Art Institute named after Surikov. In 1975 she became a laureate of the Moscow Komsomol for creating portraits of contemporaries, and later was awarded a diploma of I degree of the USSR Academy of Arts for her work “Portrait of a family of Vasily Makarovich Shukshin.” Pictures of Elena Romanova are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, in the collections of different cities and countries. She worked on a series of graphic works dedicated to the workers of Tajikistan and Baikal-Amur Mainline.

E. Romanova. Bright day in the studio. Self-portrait. Oil. 1974

Bright day in the studio. Self-portrait. Oil. 1974. Painting by Soviet artist Elena Romanova (1944-2014)

In the self-portrait of the artist, called “Bright day in the studio” (1974), the walls do not restrict the space of the room: a space in front of us – the space of thought, imagination. Romanova opens to the viewer the world of her affections, her work, and how she lives today, on what she will work tomorrow. In the confident standing figure of the artist is felt belief in the correctness of the chosen path. Optimism of the picture emphasizes the sunny color mood.

Maybe this enlightenment in painting by Romanova is emphasized by a modern refraction of her favorite art of Italian masters of the early Renaissance, which became for her, still a student of the Surikov Institute, model of excellence, humanity and beauty. Maybe to the graphically clear manner of her painting contributed the fact that she had the opportunity to study in the workshop of monumental painting, which for many years led the prominent Soviet artist Alexander Deineka.

While still a student, Elena Romanova had to work on the Volga near Astrakhan, decorated a rural House of Culture with her classmates. Later she visited the construction of the Nurek hydropower plant, has brought a lot of sketches from there. The pencil portrait of Zina Olenina showed the image of a girl-builder, catching character, the will of those internal forces that allow the Soviet people to move mountains, to explore outer space and give life to the desert. With a group of Bulgarian artists, Elena Romanova worked on Olkhon and the Baikal for a month. She saw how the islanders and fishermen live and work. These memorable encounters Elena depicted in her art.

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Olga and Masha Shukshin. Oil. 1976

The Academy of Arts sent Elena Romanova to work for a month in Italy. She spent much time in the Uffizi Gallery, looking at immortal creations of Botticelli, Titian, Raphael, familiar from reproductions since childhood. To be able to draw well, to feel the plastic like old masters of the Renaissance – it is necessary to study all life to achieve the results through the knowledge and skill. Direct contact with the works of great artists has added confidence in her strength, caused an even greater desire to work and hope that the best is ahead.

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Portrait of Zina Olenina, Brigadier of Komsomol youth brigade. From the ‘Nurek Hydro-electro Station’. Fragment. Pencil. 1973

Meanwhile, her lyrical painting “Lark” Elena Romanova dedicated this work to the Pilots of the 586th Fighter Regiment. On the wide meadow is a plane. Its flattened along the horizon wings as if pushing the boundaries of the image, highlight the boundless expanse of land. The plane – a girl – pilots. Their friend, dressed in blue is sitting astride the fuselage. They stare up, where sounds sonorous, melodic song between heaven and earth. This is an early bird. If you ever heard it sing, then you already know how it is difficult to find a singer in the vast blue expanse. I think here it is very close to his ringing sounds, shimmering voice. The girls, forgetting everything in the world, listen to the singer of the fields. And it seems, the war is no longer on Earth …

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Alla Pugacheva. 1978

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Autumn in my city. 1974. Painting by Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

‘Indian Summer’, 1968

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Winter portrait. Painting by Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

In red sweater. Painting by Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Self-portrait with mother. Painting by Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Self-portrait. Painting by Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova (1944-2014)

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

The artist in a red dress. Painting by Elena Romanova

Soviet artist Elena Romanova

Self-portrait. Winter 1967. Oil on canvas

Flowers of July. From the cycle Endangered species. 1979

Flowers of July. From the cycle Endangered species. 1979

E.B. Romanova. Roma Shubochkin. 1979

Roma Shubochkin. 1979

Flowers in interior. From the series 'Disappearing species'. 1979

Flowers in interior. From the series ‘Disappearing species’. 1979

Skylark. May 1945. 1975

Lark. May. Dedicated to the pilots of 586 th Fighter Regiment. Oil. 1975

Kupava and lily of the valley. 1979

Kupava and lily of the valley. 1979

September in the village. 1984

September in the village. 1984

Kristina (daughter of Alla Pugacheva). 1985

Kristina (daughter of Alla Pugacheva). 1985

Visiting Granny Shura. 1967. Oil on canvas

Visiting Granny Shura. 1967. Oil on canvas

Bathing day. 1967. Oil on canvas

Bathing day. 1967. Oil on canvas

Bell ringers. Sketch. 1972

Bell ringers. Sketch. 1972

Bird cherry. 1970

Bird cherry. 1970

Chairman. 1972. Oil on canvas

Chairman. 1972. Oil on canvas

Old Man. 1969. Oil on canvas

Old Man. 1969. Oil on canvas

Portrai of Peruvian artist Lionel Velarde. 1967

Portrai of Peruvian artist Lionel Velarde. 1967

Portrait of artis Galina Sinyak. 1973

Portrait of artis Galina Sinyak. 1973

Self-portrait. 1973. Oil on canvas

Self-portrait. 1973. Oil on canvas

Shukshin V.M. 1974. Paper, coal

Shukshin V.M. 1974. Paper, coal

Sketch of decoration of Culture Palace in Stupino. Detail. 1967

Sketch of decoration of Culture Palace in Stupino. Detail. 1967

Tadjik still life. 1973

Tadjik still life. 1973

Valery Zolotukhin, Russian actor. Portrait. 1974

Valery Zolotukhin, Russian actor. Portrait. 1974

Sources:
Young Soviet artists. Painting, Sculpture, Graphics. Illustrated album. Art. 1982
Magazine “Young Artist” 1978, Moscow
Elena Romanova. From the series “New Names”. Soviet artis publisher. 1976