Soviet Art

Angel sculpture. Work by Soviet sculptor-animalist Alexey Tsvetkov (March 17, 1924, Russia, the village of Bukarevo, Tver Region – June 28, 2009, Moscow, Russia)

Soviet sculptor-animalist Alexey Tsvetkov
Aleksey Sergeevich Tsvetkov (1924-2009) – prominent Russian and Soviet sculptor-animal artist, a member of the USSR Union of artists. He was an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, student of the most famous Soviet sculptor A. A. Vatagin. Veteran of World War II, Tsvetkov was a Cavalier of the Order of the Patriotic War of the first degree and Cavalier of the Order of the Red Star. According to art critics, Tsvetkov continued the traditions of Soviet animal sculptors. In particular, I. S. Efimov, V. A. Vatagin, A. G. Sotnikov, D. F. Tsaplin, along with his contemporaries A. V. Marts and A. M. Belashov. Traditionally, the artist created his sculptures using wood, metal, stone, porcelain and concrete, however, his favorite material was wood.
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Celluloid beasts of the Soviet sculptor animalist Boris Vorobyov (November 6, 1911, Tomsk – April 25, 1990, Leningrad)

Soviet sculptor animalist Boris Vorobyov

Probably, each of Soviet family had porcelain or plastic animal figures at home, and the author of them was Vorobyov. The animal sculptor worked in various materials: porcelain, faience, ceramics, glass, wood and metal. He is one of the leading animal sculptors and artists of the Leningrad Porcelain Factory, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, participant of all-Union and international exhibitions. His works are in the Hermitage, the Russian Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery, museums and private collections.
Boris (Isai) Vorobyov was born in the city of Tomsk in 1911. Until the age of 25, Boris himself had no idea that he would become an animal sculptor and this would become the work of his life. During his life, he tried many professions: he was an assistant to a bricklayer, a school teacher, and even an air gymnast in a circus. Also, he served at a dairy factory and studied at the construction college. In 1932, he entered the Moscow Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering, but in 1936 left it and moved to Leningrad to enter the Academy of Arts to become a sculptor.
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Lenin among peasants. 1957. Work by Soviet Russian sculptor Alexey Sotnikov (October 3, 1904 – February 18, 1989)

Soviet Russian sculptor Alexey Sotnikov
The second half of the 50s has become a turning point in the development of all Soviet art, associated with internal changes in the country. Almost all Soviet artists captured new ideas in architecture and fine arts, the struggle against embellishment in all areas of arts and crafts. In particular, the artists – ceramists were in the forefront of the new movement for exposing the design and form. Thus, they reduced decorative elements, preferring the frank presentation of ceramics as a material. And A.G. Sotnikov approved this line precisely.
In 1957, Sotnikov created his famous Falcon, followed by a number of white porcelain birds. Noteworthy, a series of white birds brought glory to Dulevo porcelain factory.
At the first post-war International Exhibition in Brussels in 1958, the Falcon, along with his other works, received the highest award – the Grand Prix.
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Directed by Roman Tikhomirov film ‘The Queen of Spades’. 1960. Soviet Russian film actress Olga Krasina

Soviet Russian film actress Olga Krasina

The magnificent actress Olga Krasina! It seems that the time has long passed when I was fascinated by the Queen of Spades movie, and now, having reviewed it again now, I still have the same feeling of a beautiful acting ensemble. Olga Krasina, in my opinion, is simply a find in this film! One can’t find a face, and indeed the whole appearance for this role. There is something directly divine in her. A lovely charming appearance, and at the same time strength, naivety and credulity, at the same time some kind of tragedy and predestination.
At the end of the filming of The Queen of Spades, Olga Mikhailovna was admitted to the State Institute of Theater and Cinema, from which she graduated in 1964.

Olga Mikhailovna Krasina was born on May 24, 1941 in Moscow. The girl grew not only talented, but also hardworking. In addition to a school with in-depth study of foreign languages, she also graduated from a music school. In 1959, she entered the acting faculty of the State Institute of Theater and Cinema, the workshop of Sergei Gerasimov and Tamara Makarova. After studying for one semester, Krasina was invited to the role of Lisa in the movie opera The Queen of Spades, but Gerasimov flatly refused to let his student go on set. Not wanting to lose her role, Olga Krasina decided to leave the institute.
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Holiday. 1952. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet artist Maria Savchenkova 1917-2017

Soviet artist Maria Savchenkova
Born in 1917 in Novocherkassk, Maria Vladimirovna Savchenkova (1917 – 2017) is a famous Soviet artist. First, she studied at the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions (1936-1937), workshop of Konstantin Yuon and M.S. Rodionov. Then, from 1937 to 1945 – at the Moscow State Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov. Her teachers were such famous masters as Grigory Shegal, Vasily Pochitalov and Dmitry Mochalsky. Her thesis was a painting “The Germans Caught” under the direction of no less famous master – Sergei Gerasimov.
While still a student, she met the artist Vasily Nechitailo, who for many years became her friend and partner in work and, later, her husband. They had a wonderful large and friendly family: in 1940 they had their firstborn – son Dmitry, in 1942 – daughter Ksenia, and after the war, in 1952 – son Sergey. All the children followed in the footsteps of their parents, became famous artists.
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Green house. 1966. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet artist Oleg Loshakov (born May 16, 1936, Moscow, USSR)

Soviet artist Oleg Loshakov
The communication of a person with nature, its cognition and creation in it are the main issues that interest the Moscow painter O. Loshakov.
The work of the institute era still did not portend the direction of his creative interests of a more mature period. Most often, these were modest landscapes made in the realistic traditions of the Moscow school of painting. It is difficult to say if Loshakov would have found his own path if, after graduating from the Surikov Institute, he had not gone to the Far East. There he had been a teacher at the Vladivostok Art School for two years. In fact, these years, this experience formed the personality of the young Soviet painter.
So far, Oleg Nikolaevich Loshakov is a teacher, professor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1982), and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts (2002). Also, he’s been a member of the USSR Union of Artists since 1967. In 1960 he graduated from the Moscow State Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov.
Even a student, in 1957 he began participating in republican, all-union and international exhibitions. Since 1993 he has been teaching at the State Specialized Academy of Arts, head of the department of painting and graphics (professor since 2002). Among his awards the Order of the Badge of Honor and a silver medal of the Russian Academy of Arts (1998).
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A woman in a black shawl. Sketch for the painting ‘Mother’. 1968. Soviet artist Vladimir Boborykin

Soviet artist Vladimir Boborykin

Born in 1922 in the village of Levkovo of Moscow region, Vladimir Mikhailovich Boborykin grew up in a family of a carpenter. According to the artist, he began drawing very early and already as a schoolboy was a recognized artist. Soon the family moved to Moscow. There the young artist became acquainted with the “peredvizhniki”, the popular artists of the time. In 1939 he entered Moscow Art school, where his teachers were such Soviet artists as Ye. Pochitalov, V. Dobroserdov and A. Khazanov. In 1941 Boborykin, like many of his contemporaries went to the front. After the war, in autumn of 1948 he became a student of Leningrad Art Instituite of Ilya Repin, workshop of Boris Ioganson. He graduated from the institute in 1954 with the thesis work “L.T. Kosmodemyanskaya at the Warsaw Peace Congress”. In search of characters for his paintings he went to Tadjikistan, where he found the heroes of socialist labor at the great construction sites. Among them are steel workers, builders, cotton growers and shepherds. For ten years, since 1954 to 1964 the artist taught art in Stalinabad (Dushanbe) art school and participated in exhibitions of Soviet Art.
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