Soviet Art

Hutsuls sign an appeal for a pact of peace. 1952. Painting by Soviet Ukrainian artist Leonid Chichkan (August 21, 1911 – December 13, 1977)

Soviet Ukrainian artist Leonid Chichkan

Born August 21, 1911 in Ekaterinodar, Kuban region of Russia, Leonid Ilyich Chichkan graduated from the Krasnodar Art College (1933). After graduation, he entered the Kharkov Art Institute. Unfortunately, he was not able to finish the institute due to the WWII. Member of the Great Patriotic War, he was awarded the Order of Glory 3rd degree, and medals. After the war, in 1945 he graduated from the Kiev Art Institute (workshop of A. Shovkunenko). Member of the Union of Artists of the Ukrainian SSR, he was a permanent participant of republican, all-Union and foreign exhibitions of Soviet art (since 1942). In addition to painting, the artist taught at the Kiev Art Institute (since 1952), and since 1971 – a professor. Honored Artist of the USSR (1969).
Master of still life, landscape and portrait painting, as well as genre paintings, he mainly painted on the theme of the life of Hutsuls. Famous works of the artist: “We will revenge” (1945), “Blue Distances” (1953), “Ukrainian Souvenirs” (1957), “Olexa Dovbush” (1959-60), “Spring” (1968), “Celebration. 1939” (1970), “To Partisans” (1975), and “Evening in the Carpathians” (1976).
Leonid Ilich died on December 13, 1977 (Kiev, Ukrainian SSR). His works are in the museums, galleries and private collections in Ukraine, Russia and abroad.
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Happy. 1949. Painting by Soviet artist Nikolay Belyayev (28 May, 1916 – 18 December, 2004)

Soviet artist Nikolay Belyayev

Born in the city of Tsaritsyn, Nikolai Yakovlevich Belyaev showed his interest in drawing since childhood. First, he visited the private studio of the artist Durnao. Later, he studied at the Moscow State Academic Art School in memory of 1905 (1936-1940), workshops of PI Petrovichev, SI Frolov, GN Gorelov, and KI Finogenov. Then, he perfected his education in the Studio of Military Artists of M.B.Grekov (1939-1942).
Veteran of WWII, he was the correspondent of the front-line newspaper “Red Warrior” and the magazine Krasnoarmeets (1942). Participated in the fighting in the 16th Army. In 1942, seriously wounded, he lost his left hand. Perseverance and hard work helped him to continue his journey in art. He was awarded with orders: Patriotic War I degree, Labor Red Banner, Friendship of Peoples and medals “For Military Merit”, “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War”, etc.
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Nineteen eighteenth. 1963-1965. Volgograd art meseum. Soviet artist Gennady Sidorovich Mosin (in co-authorship with M.Sh. Brusilovsky)

Soviet artist Gennady Sidorovich Mosin

In the painting “Nineteen eighteenth” (1963-1965), the artist managed to create a vivid and effective image of a revolutionary impulse and an entourage. Here everything is filled with high pathetic: the severity and passion of people, piercing contrast of colors, hard, steel rhythm of lines. The concentrated minds generalize the thoughts and feelings of the revolutionary masses. The whole energy of the picture concentrated in the figure of Lenin, the orator, who addresses the crowd with an ardent appeal.
Born January 26, 1930, in the village of Kvmenno-Oesrsky of Sverdlovsk region, Mosin always felt himself cultivated by the Urals, its nature and its cultural and historical environment. He inherited from his ancestors, indigenous Uralians, a sense of devotion and love for everything that gave him life and talent.
First, Gennady Mosin graduated from the Sverdlovsk Art School. And later, in 1957 he graduated from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of I.E. Repin.
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Next to the window. 1981. Oil on canvas. Soviet landscape painter Eduard Bragovsky (October 6, 1923, Tiflis – August 6, 2010, Moscow)

Soviet landscape painter Eduard Bragovsky

Born in 1923 in Tbilisi, Eduard Georgievich Bragovsky graduated from the Moscow State Art Institute of VI Surikov (1953). He studied in the workshop of PI Kotov. Author of genre paintings, landscapes, portraits, and still lifes. Painting by Bragovsky differs spectacular colorful, joyful, and major sound. The richness of color development serves for the artist a bright emotional interpretation of nature. According to the Moscow based artist, he proudly belongs to the “sixties” (1960s). The sixties of the last century, when a young artistic movement was born from the “thaw”, changed the development of Russian fine arts. This movement gave so many fine artists: Pavel Nikonov, Nikolai Andronov, Ivan Sorokin, Viktor Popkov, Tair Salakhov, Albert Papikyan, Peter Ossovsky, Heliya Korzhev, and Mikhail Ivanov … Meanwhile, today this movement in the West is called “Russian impressionism” for some reason.
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On the roof of a house. 1949. Soviet artist Ivan Andreyevich Yazev (27 August, 1914 – 17 May, 2011)

Soviet artist Ivan Andreyevich Yazev

Born August 27, 1914 in Romanovskaya stanitsa, now Rostov region, Ivan Andreevich Yazev studied at the Rostov Art College (1931-1935). His teachers were M.B. Grekov and A.M. Chernykh. After graduation, he worked at the Rostov Association of Artists “Rostov Art” (ROSTIZO) for 3 years. Meanwhile, in 1938 he entered the Moscow State Art Institute of V.I. Surikov. Yazev studied in the workshops of outstanding Soviet painters A.V.Lentulov, A.A. Deineka, and S.V. Gerasimov. Unfortunatelly, the artist had to interrupt his study because of WWII. Member of the Great Patriotic War, Ivan Andreyevich Yazev fought on the Volkhov, 2-nd Ukrainian, and 3rd Ukrainian fronts, as commander of a rifle battalion. His military awards include the Order of Alexander Nevsky and the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, medals “For Courage”, “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945”, “For the Taking of Budapest”, and “For the Taking of Vienna”.
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Schoolgirl. 1958. Oil. Painting by Soviet artist Askhat Safargalin (8 August, 1922 – August 26, 1975)

Soviet artist Askhat Safargalin
Born 8 August 1922 in the village of Staroye Kurmashevo in Tatarstan, Askhat Gazizulinovich Safargalin studied in the Kazan art school (1938-1941). However, the artist had to interrupt his study due to the WWII. Veteran of Great Patriotic war, awarded with military awards, he was able to return to his study only after war (1945-1947). In addition, he studied in Kharkov art institute, workshops of prominent Soviet artists A. Kokel, P. Kotov, M. Rybalchenko and L. Chernov (1947-1953). Participant of republic, All-Union and foreign exhibitions of Soviet art, he became a member of the USSR Union of artists in 1958. Besides, personal exhibitions of the artist took place in 1954 and 1977. Honored Artist of the USSR (1968), Safargalin mainly worked in the field of genre and easel painting.
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Self-portrait. 1908. The State Tretyakov Gallery. Soviet Russian landscape painter Nikolay Krymov (1884-1958)

Soviet Russian landscape painter Nikolay Krymov

“I can only write bushes and fences, but this I do best of all.” Nikolai Petrovich Krymov (1884-1958)

Idealization of the landscape is an indispensable feature of Nikolai Krymov’s paintings. Trees, flowers, curves of the road, the clear blue of the sky – everything the artist designed for admiration, quiet contemplation, everything tends to the embodiment of a dream.
Born in Moscow in the family of the artist PA Krymov, who wrote in the manner of the “Wanderers”, Nikolai Krymov got his initial training from his father.
In 1904 he entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he first studied in the architectural department, and in 1907-1911 – in the landscape studio of Apollinary Vasnetsov. Member of associations: “Blue Rose” and “Union of Russian Artists”.
He made a significant contribution to the scenography, having decorated several performances at the Moscow Art Theater.
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