Soviet Art

Kirghiz aul yard. 1950s. Painting by Soviet artist Vasily Akimovich Arlashin (6 April, 1923 – 1998)

Soviet artist Vasily Akimovich Arlashin 1923-1998
Born April 6, 1923 in the village of Svinchus of Ryazan region, Vasiliy Akimovich Arlashin grew in a large family of a village buoy. Since 1934 he lived in Frunze, and studied in the art studio. After school, he entered the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1939-1941). Participated in exhibitions since 1939.
Like many of his contemporaries, in the fall of 1942 he went to the front. He fought on the Western Front commander of a platoon of submachine gunners. After the war, in 1944-46 he worked in the Studio of Military Art of M.B.Grekov. Besides, in the period of 1946-1951 he studied at the Moscow State Art Institute of VI Surikov, P.Pokarzhevsky’s workshop.
Read more »

Picking up flowers. 1945. Painting by Soviet artist Gleb Ivanovich Barabanshchikov (1910 -1977)

Soviet artist Gleb Ivanovich Barabanshchikov

Born in the village of Sludka, Perm Gubernia, Gleb Ivanovich Barabanshchikov – from the family of employees. He studied at the Perm Art College (1927-1930), then served in the Red Army. Learning the world, he traveled half the country, and meanwhile, changed many professions – timber cutter, cattle breeder, loader in the Leningrad port, and a teacher at school. In 1937, withstood a large competition he became a student of the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the All-Russian Academy of Arts. Unfortunately, the war interrupted the study. Barabanshchikov participated in the heroic defense of Leningrad, awarded a medal for the defense of Leningrad. After wounding lived in besieged Leningrad, and finished his studies at the painting faculty of the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of I.E. Repin (1944-1946). As the best student, he received a Stalin scholarship. His mentor was the famous Soviet artist A.A. Osmyorkin, and the diploma painting – “Stalingrad.”
Read more »

Pioneers. canvas, oil. 1927. Painting by Soviet Russian artist Pyotr Dmitrievich Buchkin (January 22, 1886 – June 21, 1965)

Soviet Russian artist Pyotr Dmitrievich Buchkin

Born 22 January 1886 in the village of Sofronovo, Tver province, Pyotr Buchkin lived in Uglich since 1891. He graduated from the three-grade school and studied painting with local icon painters.
In 1899 he came to Petersburg, and began studying at the Central School of Technical Drawing of Baron A. L. Stieglitz (1899-1904). Then, at the Higher Art School under the Imperial Academy of Arts (1904-1912). At the end of school, as a grant of the Academy of Arts, the artist visited Italy, France, Germany, Spain and other countries (1912-1914).
Honored Artist of the RSFSR, a member of the Leningrad organization of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR, he became known for a series of portraits of his contemporaries – cultural and art figures. In genre works he paid much attention to the peasant theme and provincial life. During the Great Patriotic War, he began work on one of his most iconic painting, “The Appeal of Kozma Minin to the Russian People” (completed in the 1950s).
From 1947 until the end of his life, Buchkin was in charge of the Department of Monumental Painting at the Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry named after V.I. Mukhina. His works are in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, and the Uglich Historical and Art Museum.
Read more »

The Story of the Mother. 1985. Painting by Soviet artist Alexandr Nikanorovich Alimasov (2 February 1935 – 8 February 2011)

Soviet artist Alexandr Nikanorovich Alimasov

Born 2 February 1935 in the village of Ermolkino of Bashkir ASSR, Alexander Nikonorovich Alimasov dreamed to become an artist since childhood. Interestingly, in the family all the children were keen on drawing. First, the boy studied at the Cheboksary Art College (1956-1961), where his teachers were I.T. Grigorieva, M.F. Kharitonov, P.M.Ermolaeva, and V.C.Turin.
Then, after graduation, Alimasov works as a teacher of drawing in a secondary school in Cheboksary. Also, in the period of 1962-1974 he worked as an artist-director of the Cheboksary television studio. In all, he took part in the production of 60 television performances. At the same time, he collaborated with the Chuvash publishing house and issued several dozen books. In addition, he graduated from the Art and Graphic Department of the Chuvash State Pedagogical Institute (1974). He worked as a teacher of the Department of Fine Arts (1974-1977) in his native institute, and then taught at the Cheboksary Art College (1977-1995).
Read more »

Returning from the field. 1968. Hardboard, gesso. Perm Art Gallery. Painting by Soviet Russian artist Viktor Trofimovich Ni (December 10, 1934, Vladivostok – December 6, 1979, Tyumen)

Soviet Russian artist Viktor Trofimovich Ni

Born in Vladivostok, far east of the USSR, Viktor Trofimovich Ni was Korean by birth. He graduated from the Penza Art College of K.A. Savitsky (1953-1958). Then, studied in the studio of the famous Soviet artist Dmitry Zhilinsky at the Moscow State Art Institute of Surikov (1958-1964). After graduation, in 1964 he moved to Orenburg and taught at the art department of the Orenburg Musical College (1975-1979).
Member of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR (1969), Viktor Ni was a regular participant of republican and foreign exhibitions of Soviet Art. He loved and studied the art of old masters (Leonardo, Vermeer, Cranach, Rublev, Dionysius), and the Italian Early Renaissance. Among Soviet artists, he appreciated Arkady Plastov and Pavel Korin, and from the art of the East – Japanese engraving.
Meanwhile, his main works include 15 canvases. Among them – “Seeing Off” 1969, “Return from the Field” 1969, “Crew of the Local Line” 1973, “Summer” 1978, and “Combiners” 1979. In addition, he repeatedly addressed to the theme of the Great Patriotic War (“Seeing off”, “1941” 1969, Liberation 1973, “Return, 1945” 1970, The soldier returned from the war, 1979). In the paintings devoted to the war, Ni never portrayed fights and deaths, but sought a poetic, song, and emotional plot.
Read more »

A village. 1965. Oil on cardboard. From the collection of State Art museum of Tatarstan, Russia. Painting by Soviet artist Alexey Avdeyevich Anikeenok

Soviet artist Alexey Avdeyevich Anikeenok

Born in Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) in 1925, Alexey Avdeyevich Anikeenok (3.07.1925 – May 22, 1984) – Soviet artist, veteran of WWII. After a serious injury he arrived in Kazan, where his mother was in the evacuation. In Kazan he received an art education, and began his creative career. Artist of the 60’s, he represented informal painters, discovered impressionists, was fascinated by Van Gogh, and yet – not an imitator: he was looking for his own way. Straight, freedom-loving, he tried to prove his truth and his creative solvency. He was unbending. As a result, silence and isolation were waiting for him. Very often he used to earn for living playing the saxophone in the Kazan cinema and in restaurants. Besides, he was friends with Oleg Lundstrem, who at that time lived in Kazan.
Meanwhile, after the persecution of the Kazan authorities, deprived of his workshop, he had to leave Kazan and move to Pskov (1969).
Read more »

The image from the popular in the USSR magazine ‘Soviet Screen’, 1957. Soviet Latvian actress Dzidra Ritenberga. (August 29, 1928 – March 9, 2003)

Soviet Latvian actress Dzidra Ritenberga
Born August 29, 1928 in Latvia, Soviet Latvian actress, film director Dzidra Arturovna Ritenberga was the winner of the prize of the Venice Film Festival for the performance of the main role in the film “Malva” directed by Vladimir Braun (1957).
She graduated from the Liepaja evening high school, the studio of the State Drama Theater and the director’s department of the theatrical faculty of the Latvian State Conservatoire (1974).
She was an actress of the Liepaja Drama Theater (1948-1957), the Riga Theater of Russian Drama (1957-1962), and the Moscow Drama Theater of KS Stanislavsky (1962-1975). And later, Director of the Riga Film Studio (1975-1990).
Member of the Union of Cinematographers of Latvian SSR since 1958. Honored Artist of the Latvian SSR (1960).
Was married to the actor Evgeny Urbansky, tragically died on November 5, 1965 on the shooting of the film “Director”. After his death, she gave birth to her daughter Evgenia.
Read more »