Svetlana. 1975 (artist’s wife). Painting by Soviet Belarusian artist Leonid Dmitrievich Shchemelyov (born 5 February 1923)

Soviet Belarusian artist Leonid Dmitrievich Shchemelyov
Born February 5, 1923 in Vitebsk, Leonid Dmitrievich Shchemelyov turns 95 years old this year. He is one of the greatest masters of Belarusian fine arts, a teacher. People’s Artist of the BSSR (1983), Honored Artist of the BSSR, and laureate of the State Prize of the BSSR (1982).
Being a native of Vitebsk (1923), most of his life he lives in Minsk. In 1959 he graduated from the Belarusian State Theater and Art Institute, painting department. From that time up to now, Shchemelyov is a participant of almost all Belarusian republican exhibitions. Also, exhibitions of Soviet art in the USSR – RSFSR, Lithuania, Uzbekistan, Ukraine. Besides, his works appeared in the exhibitions of Soviet Belarusian artists abroad. In particular, in England, Austria, Algeria, Angola, Bulgaria, Hungary, the GDR, West Berlin, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Poland, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia, and Japa.
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Stalin Generalissimo of the Soviet Union. 1945. Soviet artist Vasily Nikolayevich Yakovlev (2 January 1893 – 29 June 1953)

Soviet artist Vasily Nikolayevich Yakovlev
Born on January 2 (14), 1893 in Moscow, V.N. Yakovlev was a Soviet painter, People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1943) and Laureate of two Stalin Prizes (1943, 1949).
The boy grew up in a wealthy merchant family. Since 1911 he studied at the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of Moscow University, simultaneously visiting the art studio of VN Meshkov. Just before the Great October revolution, in 1917, he graduated from the Moscow University of painting, sculpture and architecture. In the university, his teachers were famous Russian artists Konstantin Korovin, AE Arkhipov, SV Malyutin, and others.
Vasily Yakovlev taught at VKhUTEMAS (1918-1922), at Moscow Institute of Arts (1934-1936), and Moscow State Institute of Architecture and Art named after VI Surikov (1948-1950). And in 1922 he became a member of Union of artists of Revolutionary Russia (AHRR).
After the great Patrotic war, in 1947 he became a full member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR. From
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Surgeons. Operation. 1981. Painting by Soviet Belarusian painter Eduard Belagurov (November 27, 1947 – May 17, 1998)

Soviet Belarusian painter Eduard Belagurov
Born in Bobruisk, Belarus, USSR, Eduard Alexeyevich Belagurov was a Soviet painter, member of the USSR Union of Artists (1977). In 1974 he graduated from the department of monumental and decorative painting of the Belarusian State Theater and Art Institute. Currently, his works are in the National Art Museum of Belarus, Museum of Modern Art in Minsk, the funds of the Belarusian Union of Artists and the Ministry of Culture of Russia.
The artist has participated in the exhibitions of Soviet Art since 1975, awarded a diploma of the USSR Academy of Arts (1980). Meanwhile, already in the early works Eduard Belagurov manifested his civic position and the desire to raise actual problems of history and modernity in his art. He worked in easel painting in genres of figurative paintings and portraits. Among his major works: “Autumn cross” (1975), “Early Spring” (1976), “Conversation” (1982), “Dialogue” (1982), “Children of War”, “The Return”, “Surgeons. Operation” (the above image), and others.
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Portrait of actress Lyudmila Chursina. 1980. Painting by Soviet artist Viktor Mikhailovich Oreshnikov (20 January 1904 – 15 March 1987)

Soviet artist Viktor Mikhailovich Oreshnikov
Born 20 January 1904 in Perm, Oreshnikov – Soviet painter, teacher, and master of portrait. Candidate of Art History (1937), Corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1947) and Doctor of Art History (1948). Besides, he was the winner of the Stalin Prize of the third degree (1948) for the painting “VI Lenin at the exam at the Petersburg University” (1947). In addition, the winner of the Stalin Prize of the third degree (1950) for the painting “At the headquarters of the defense of Petrograd” (1949). Academician of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1954) and People’s Artist of the USSR (1969).
First, Oreshnikov received an art education in the Perm Art College (1924). Next, in 1927 he graduated from the Leningrad Higher Art and Technical Institute, and Academy of Arts (1933-1936). Noteworthy, his teachers were prominent Soviet masters Konstantin Petrov-Vodkin and I. I. Brodsky.
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Collective farmers welcome tankmen during maneuvers. 1937. Soviet artist Ekaterina Sergeevna Zernova (19 April 1900-1995)

Soviet artist Ekaterina Sergeevna Zernova
Born 19 April 1900, Ekaterina Sergeevna Zernova (Simferopol) – Member of the Moscow Union of Soviet Artists (1932), book illustrator, poster and monumental artist. Daughter of the curator of the Natural History Museum of the Tavrichesky provincial zemstvo. When she was 14 years old, the family moved to Moscow. There she studied in private studio of F.Rerberg (1915-1918). Later, she studied at the State Free Art Studios – Vhutemas (1919-1924). First, it was the workshop of I. Mashkov, and then A. Shevchenko and D. Shterenberg. Meanwhile, alongside with artistic education she studied at the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of Moscow University (1917-1924).
She joined the artistic group OST and in 1925 presented her works at the first exhibition. In the late 1920’s, within the framework of this society she conducted active public work. In particular, she decorated clubs, created wall newspapers, and cartoons. Also, illustrated several books, including children’s books, for the publishing houses “Mediator”, and “Gosizdat”. Engaged in a poster, she led agitation work to combat illiteracy, and even designed the “Poster alphabet.”
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Meeting the heroic crew. 1936. Soviet artist Pyotr Tarasovich Maltsev (17 December 1907 – 5 October 1993)

Soviet artist Pyotr Tarasovich Maltsev

Born 17 December 1907 in Mariupol of Ekaterinoslav province, Pyotr Tarasovich Maltsev was a many awarded Soviet artist working in the genre of socialist realism. A member of the USSR Union of Artists (1932), Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1958) and People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1968).
Pyotr Maltsev graduated from the Zaporozhie Art School (1921-1924), workshop of V.N. Nevsky. After that, studied at the monumental department of the fine art faculty of VKhUTEIN (1924-1930). His teachers were famous Soviet artists P.V. Kuznetsov, V.A. Favorsky, L.A. Bruni, and N.M. Chernyshev. While still a student, Maltsev began participating in the exhibitions of Soviet art (1928).
During the Great Patriotic War Maltsev served as an artist of the cultural enlightenment department of the Northern Fleet. Awarded with the Order of the Red Star and medals. In 1949 he joined the Studio of Military Artists of M.B.Grekov. Awarded with the first degree diploma and the gold medal of the USSR Academy of Arts (1960) for creating the diorama “Sturm of Sapun-mountain” (1959). Also, he received the gold medal of M.B.Grekov (1968) for participation in the reconstruction of the panorama of F.Rubo “The Battle of Borodino” (1967).
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Ilya Rakhnaev (1934-2003). Cotton growers of collective farm ‘Tajikistan’. 1975. Oil on canvas. Gallery of paintings by Soviet Tajik artists

Gallery of paintings by Soviet Tajik artists
This post features creativity of three Soviet Tajik artists, members of the Union of Artists of the USSR. In particular, Ilya Rakhnaev (1934-2003), Sukhrob Kerbanov (1946-2016) and Abdurakhmon Rakhimov (1933-2000).
The author of the above painting – Ilya Rakhnaev, a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR, the main artist of Dushanbe, and the head artist at the Art Fund of Tajikistan.
Born in 1934 in Tashkent, he successfully graduated from the theatrical art institute and began his creative career in the art fund of Tajikistan. The thirst for knowledge, the desire to see the world and depict what he saw in his paintings, prompted the artist to travel a lot. He creates a series of drawings and sketches depicting the life of the peoples of Central Asia, towns and villages, fortresses and historical monuments. Also, colorful portraits of Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazakhs, Kirghiz, Gypsies, Jews and other representatives of the East.
Ilya Rakhnaev died suddenly in 2003 in Austria, and buried in the Jewish cemetery in Vienna.
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