Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov (1902 — 1980). Girl from Madras. 1968. Oil

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov (1902 — 1980). Girl from Madras. 1968. Oil

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov (1902 – 1980) – People’s Artist of the USSR (1963), the winner of two Stalin Prizes (1949, 1951), full member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1958), the founder of the modern Kyrgyz art. Semyon Afanasievich Chuikov was born 17 October 1902 in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR. His father served as a military clerk. S. Chuikov began as a writer-essayist. In 1924 – 1930 he studied at the Higher Art (class of RR Falk). Later he worked as a teacher – including Proletarian Fine Arts Institute (formerly the Higher Art and Technical Institute, VHUTEIN) in Leningrad (1930-1932). He was one of the founders and chairman of the board of the Union of Artists of the Kirghiz SSR (1933-1937, 1941-1943). In 1934 on his initiative in Frunze (former Pishpek), the first in the country Art Gallery (now the Kirghiz Museum of Fine Arts) was opened. Soon Chuykov organized school-studio, which in 1939 received the status of the Art School, for these places it was the first of its kind. He lived mainly in Frunze, often visiting Moscow.

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov. Flower seller, 1954

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov. Flower seller, 1954

He worked in genre painting, landscapes, and portraiture, devoting his art to the people and the nature of Kyrgyzstan and India (triptych “On the common people of India,” 1957-1960). Already in the 1930s, he has demonstrated uncommon pictorial talent and subtle aesthetic rhythm, creating landscapes and portraits of bright local flavor.

Having given a considerable tribute to the standard of socialist realist mythology, he won fame in the first place, by his “the Kyrgyz kolkhoz suite” (1939-1948), for which he was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1949.

Soviet artist Semyon Afanasievich Chuikov (1902 — 1980). Daughter of Soviet Kirghizia. 1948. Oil

Soviet artist Semyon Afanasievich Chuikov (1902 — 1980). Daughter of Soviet Kirghizia. 1948. Oil

His “Daughter of the Soviet Kyrgyzstan” (1948) has turned almost into a poster about the triumph of socialism in Central Asia. The painting, in fact is a bright and fresh study of the rural schoolgirl on the background of distant mountains, whose figure impressively and clearly symbolizes Kyrgyzstan itself.

Over the years, his colorism, colorful modeling skills enriched even more. A special role is played by the impressions of two trips to India (1952, 1957). And in this case Chuikov most naturally expressed himself in simple pictures-motivated sketches, emotional and picturesque (“On the waterfront in Bombay in the evening”, “On the road”, both works of 1954, Tretyakov Gallery). He has published three books of travel essays and memoirs: Images of India (1956), the artist’s notes (1962), the Italian blog (1966).

Chuikov died in Moscow May 18, 1980.

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Indian girl, 1952

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

USSR Postage stamp of 1974 on painting ‘Daughter of Soviet Kirghizia’

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Morning in old Bukhara. 1961. Oil on canvas on cardboard

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Morning, 1947

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

On the road. 1945. The State Tretyakov Gallery

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Memories of Jaipur. 1953. The State Tretyakov Gallery

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Shepherd’s Daughter. 1948-56

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Soviet artist Semyon Afanasievich Chuikov (1902 — 1980). Self-portrait. 1945

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Venice. 1956. Oil on canvas

Soviet artist Semyon Chuikov

Racing, 1970

Black Madonna. 1962

Black Madonna. 1962

Hunter with a golden eagle. 1938

Hunter with a golden eagle. 1938

The blessing of Jambul. 1942

The blessing of Jambul. 1942

Song. 1945

Song. 1945

Autumn Jailoo. 1945

Autumn Jailoo. 1945

Morning in a mountain village. 1967. Oil on canvas. State Russian Museum

Morning in a mountain village. 1967. Oil on canvas. State Russian Museum

At the foot of the Tien Shan. 1950

At the foot of the Tien Shan. 1950

Hunter with a golden eagle. 1938

Hunter with a golden eagle. 1938

On the Elk Farm

On the Elk Farm

The daughter of Soviet Kirghizia. 1940s

The daughter of Soviet Kirghizia. 1940s

The Indian bride. 1954

The Indian bride. 1954