Portrait of Vladimir Mayakovsky. 1968-1970. Oil. Soviet artist Nikolai Sokolov (8 July 1903 – April 15, 2000)

Soviet artist Nikolai Sokolov
Rightly called a witness of the twentieth century, he could remember every detail of his meetings with Mayakovsky, Gorky, Ilf and Petrov, Shostakovich … He was the oldest member of the Russian Academy of Arts (1947). People’s Artist of the USSR (1958), Hero of Socialist Labor (1973), winner of the Lenin (1965), five of Stalin (1942, 1947, 1949 1950, 1951) and the USSR State Prize (1975), Sokolov worked in the genre of the portrait, caricature, illustrations in the style of socialist realism. He was one of Kukryniksy, the creative team of Soviet graphic artists and painters, in which, apart from him, were full members of the USSR Academy of Arts, People’s Artist of the USSR, Heroes of Socialist Labor M.V. Kupriyanov (1903-1991), and P.N. Krylov. Nikolai Sokolov until the last days of his life continued to paint and retained an incredible clarity of mind. By his 95th anniversary Sokolov has released a book “Sketches from memory.” He died on the absurd randomness from complications after surgery on a broken leg.
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Vasily Terkin. Illustration to the poem of A. Tvardovsky. Soviet artist Orest Vereisky

Soviet artist Orest Vereisky (7 July 1915 Smolensk province – January 2, 1993, Moscow) – Academician of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1983), Corresponding Member (1958), People’s Artist of the USSR (1983), winner of the USSR State Prize (1978). Orest Georgievich Vereisky was born in the family of artist Georgy Vereisky and Elena Vereiskaya, the daughter of the historian NI Kareev. Until 1922 he lived in the village of Anosovo of Smolensk region. In 1936-1938 he studied at the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the Russian Academy of Arts. Leningrad has brecome the place of creative formation of Vereisky as an artist. There, he was taught by an artist and educator AA Osmerkin, along with his father. In 1940 Vereisky moves to live and work in Moscow.
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Nurse, 1955, oil on canvas/ Painting by Soviet artist Mikhail Bozhyi

Soviet artist Mikhail Bozhyi (1911 – 1990) – People’s Artist of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1963), a full member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1962). In the portraits revealed the inner significance of the person. M. Bozhyi was born September 20, 1911 in Odessa. From 1930 to 1933 he studied at the Moscow Art College (1872 – 1949). In 1936, Mikhail and his wife moved to Odessa. He worked as an animator at the Odessa film studio. He first exhibited his work in 1938 at the Regional Art Exhibition. Bozhyi made his debut with a few portrait sketches. During the Great Patriotic War, the artist, due to the state of health, did not go to the front, and created war posters and satirical drawings.
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Soviet artist Mikail Abdullayev (Mikail Husein oglu Abdullayev) – Azerbaijani painter and graphic artist, People’s Artist of the USSR, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Arts

Soviet artist Mikail Abdullayev (December 19, 1921, Baku – August 21, 2002, Baku) – Azerbaijani painter and graphic artist, People’s Artist of the USSR (1963), member of the Academy of Arts (1988). He studied at the Azerbaijan Art College (1935-39) and the Moscow Art Institute of Surikov (1939-49) at SV Gerasimov. During the war, he was not drafted into the army due to the request of the largest Azerbaijani artist Azim Azimzade before the first secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan Mirjafar Bagirov. The artist’s work is dominated by lyrical themes. Author of paintings “Evening” (1947), “Mingechevir Lights” (1948), “The builders of Happiness” (1951), “Indian series” (1957-1960), “Centennial carver A. Babayev” (1961), “Girls of Khachmaz” (1982), “Beyond the river Araks” series of drawings (1950), illustrations to the epos “Kitabi Dede Korkut” (1956) and the poem “Layla and Majnun” (1958). Mikail Abdullayev is the author of the book “Through the eyes of Baku citizen” (1962)

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Standing next to his painting, Soviet Tatar artist Haris Yakupov (1919-2010)

Soviet Tatar artist Haris Yakupov
The author of historical and genre paintings, portraits, and landscapes, he was an academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (1997, Corresponding Member (1973). Besides, People’s Artist of the USSR (1980), and deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1971-1974). In addition, he was the winner of the third degree of the Stalin Prize (1951) and RSFSR State Prize of Repin (1976). Born December 23, 1919 in Kazan, Haris Abdrahmanovich Yakupov began to draw in an early age. According to the artist, he he copied his favorite pictures from magazines and books. Then, he sold his paintings at a local market, helping his large family. Once in the street, he saw an artist at the easel, and realized that this is his calling. The talented boy easily passed the exams and entered the Kazan Art School.
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Moscow suburbs youth. 1926. Oil on canvas. Soviet artist Konstantin Yuon (1875-1958)

Soviet artist Konstantin Yuon (12 October 1875 – 11 April 1958) was a master of landscapes, portraits, and genre paintings. In addition, he was a theater artist, set designer, and theorist of art. Konstantin Yuon – representative of Symbolism and Art Nouveau, organically continuing traditions in the Soviet era. After the revolution, Yuon was one of the founders of the school of fine arts at the Moscow office of public education.
In 1920 he won first prize for the project of the curtain for the Bolshoi Theater. And a year later he became a full member of the Russian Academy of Artistic Sciences. In addition, he was a member of the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia (1925). For a short period, in 1938-1939 he headed the personal studio of the Russian Academy of Arts in Leningrad. In 1940, made the sketch of the mosaic design of the Palace of Soviets. In 1943 he received the Stalin Prize, and in 1947 became a member of the USSR Academy of Arts.
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Unique Soviet artist Nadya Rusheva (January 31, 1952, Ulan Bator – March 6, 1969, Moscow, USSR)

Soviet artist Nadya Rusheva had only 17 years to live, but left a huge artistic heritage – about 12,000 drawings. In fact, their exact number is impossible to calculate, because of many reasons. For example, a significant proportion – sent in the letters. Besides, she gave hundreds of illustrations to friends and acquaintances. Unfortunately, a considerable number of works for various reasons did not come back from the first exhibitions. Many of her paintings are in the museum of Leo Tolstoy in Moscow, and in the museum-branch named after Nadya Rusheva in the city of Kyzyl. Also, in the Pushkin House of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, the National Culture Fund, the Municipal Museum in Sarov, and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
Among Nadya’s sketches were, for example, a series of drawings devoted to the ballet “Anna Karenina”. By the way, this ballet appeared on stage after the artist’s death, and a major role in it danced Maya Plisetskaya.
Noteworthy, she created her drawings without corrections, and she never used an eraser. “I see them in advance … they show through on the paper, as a watermark, and I have to repeat them in ink” – said Nadya.
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