Soviet Art

Self-portrait. Soviet artist Vasily Prokofievich Yefanov (November 23, 1900 – March 3, 1978)

Soviet artist Vasily Prokofievich Yefanov (1900-1978) was a master of the ceremonial portrait, communist (since 1954), and five-time winner of the Stalin Prize (1941, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952). Besides, a full member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1947) and People’s Artist of the USSR (1965). For his 50 years of artistic life, Yefanov has created a gallery of portraits of his contemporaries. His paintings entered the treasury of Soviet art. The master of the portrait and the teacher, Yefanov brought up a whole galaxy of young talented Soviet artists who took a prominent place in Soviet art.
Born on 23rd November 1900 in Samara, he studied at the local Art and Industrial College (1917-1921). After unsuccessful attempts to enter the Petrograd Free Art Workshops (the former Academy of Arts) and the Moscow Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops (Vhutemas), in 1922 he moved to Moscow. There he studied at the studios of AE Arkhipov (1922) and DN Kardovsky (1922-1926).
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Soviet canned goods. Oil on canvas. Still life. 1939. Soviet Russian painter Boris Yakovlev (17.09.1890-08.12.1972)

Soviet Russian painter Boris Yakovlev (17.09.1890-08.12.1972) was a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1958). A Member of the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia, he acted as one of its organizers (1922).
Born in Moscow, Yakovlev graduated from the Moscow University (1917), and then – School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He studied in the workshop of A.M. Vasnetsov and A.S. Stepanova (1918), and also his teachers were S.V. Malyutin and A.E. Arkhipov. Mentors of the young artist were representatives of Russian realistic art. From them, Yakovlev perceived the remarkable national traditions of landscape painting. Master of lyrical landscape, he became the founder of the Soviet industrial landscape. His famous works on the topic of industrialization of the country – “Transport is getting better”, 1923 and the lyrical landscape “Arable land”, 1950s.
Since 1916 he began to participate in exhibitions. Since 1922 – a participant in exhibitions of the CPX. In 1921, the artist exhibited with the group “World of Art”. Yakovlev’s paintings were present at the exhibitions “Artists of the Russian Federation for 15 years”, “Industry of Socialism”, All-Union art exhibitions,
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After milking. 1970. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet Ukrainian artist Mikhail Antonchik (15 June, 1921 – 8 July, 1998)

Soviet Ukrainian artist Mikhail Antonchik (15 June, 1921 – 8 July, 1998) – member of the USSR Union of artists (1950), Honored Artist of the USSR (1970), People’s Artist of the USSR (1982). He studied in the Kiev State Art Institute (1944-1950), workshops of Soviet artists A. Petritsky and K. Eleva. The artist mostly worked in the field of easel painting and began exhibiting in 1949.

Mikhail Vladislavovich Antonchik is the author of lyrical paintings on rural themes, posters, and portraits. In particular, “Portrait of the milkmaid K. Koshevaya”, “The Peace Will Win”, “Youth”, “Holiday in the village of Morintsy”, “Poem about a Woman”, “Golden Age”, “My teachers”, “Morning”, “The owner of his native land. Twice Hero of Socialist Labor F. Zhelyuk” (1975), and others. Representative of Soviet school of socialist realism, Mikhail Vladislavovich died on July 8, 1998 in Kiev. His works are in the National Art Museum and other museums of Ukraine and Russia, as well as in private collections in Europe and US.
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Frontier Guard returned (1948). Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet Turkmen artist Yakub Annanurov (1916-2002)

Soviet Turkmen artist Yakub Annanurov – member of the USSR Union of artists, Honored worker of arts of the Turkmen SSR, laureate of the State Prize named after Makhtum-Kuli. Among the most notable works of Annanurov – Frontier Guard returned (1948), News from the front (1946), At the maternity hospital (1947), Shepherds (1946), Kurbandyaga (1941). Besides, the artist created a gallery of his contemporaries and notable people of the time – “People’s Artist of the Turkmen SSR laureate of the Stalin Prize Alty Karliev” (1949), Honored Artist of the Turkmen SSR Annagul Annakulieva (1949), Hero of Socialist Labor Ata Karryev (1949), Hero of Socialist Labor of Alta Nazarov (1946), etc.
The leadership of the country did not forget the people who started building Turkmenistan’s independence and preserved culture and art. Ya. Annanurov was awarded posthumously, according to the Presidential Decree.

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Artist’s wife. Oil on canvas portrait. Work by Soviet Ukrainian artist Leonty Koshtelyanchuk (14 April, 1914 – 1984)

Soviet Ukrainian artist Leonty Koshtelyanchuk ((14 April, 1914 – 1984) – member of the USSR Union of artists. Born in Zhitomir, he studied in the Kiev State Art Institute, workshop of Soviet artist Alexey Alexeyevich Shovkunenko. After graduation, he taught at the Kiev Art Institute, Associate Professor. Talented Soviet artist mostly worked in the genre of portrait. He took part in many Ukrainian, all-Union and international exhibitions of Soviet Art (1950, 1955) in Moscow.
Leonty Filippovich died in 1984. His works decorate museums of the republics of the former USSR, as well as foreign museums. Lots of his works are in private collections in Russia, Ukraine, and abroad.
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Turksib (Turkestan–Siberia Railway). 1969. Soviet Kazakh artist Abylkhan Kasteyev (1904-1973)

Soviet Kazakh artist Abylkhan Kasteyev – an outstanding painter and the founder of Kazakh fine arts. Member of the USSR Union of Artists (1940), Kasteyev is an original artist, distinguished by his own style and ability to convey his love for his native land on canvases.
People’s Artist of the Kazakh SSR, laureate of the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR A. Kasteev was born on January 10, 1904 in the village of Chizhin, Panfilov district of the Taldy-Kurgan region. He studied at the N. Khludov Art Studio in Verny (Alma-Ata, 1929-1931). Participated in exhibitions since 1934.
Kasteyev painted more than a thousand paintings in oil and watercolors. Some of his works are on display in the State Tretyakov Gallery, in the State Museum of East Nations Art, in the Central Museum of USSR Revolution by Lenin Order in Moscow, and in the State Museum of Fine Arts of Kazakhstan (renamed after Kasteev), and in the other museums of the country
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Interior of Frunzenskaya metro station, St. Petersburg (Leningrad). Soviet Russian sculptor Vladimir Sychev (1917-1995)

Soviet Russian sculptor Vladimir Sychev

The station, opened on April 29, 1961, was named in honor of the revolutionary and Soviet state and military figure Mikhail Vasilievich Frunze. Decorated with a bas-relief of aluminum and red smalt the panel depicts Mikhail Frunze on horseback, surrounded by Red Army soldiers and against the backdrop of battle banners. This is a remarkable work of the Soviet sculptor, member of the USSR Union of Artists (1948) Vladimir Sychev.
Born in 1917 in Ukraine, Vladimir Isakovich Sychev from an early age showed interest in art. In 1940, after the Odessa Art School, Sychev moved to Leningrad, where he entered the All-Russian Academy of Arts, and studied in the studio of the outstanding Soviet artist A.T. Matveyev. In 1941, after the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, he took part in defense works, and was a fighter of the Moscow Military District. In 1942, all students and faculty of the Academy of Arts evacuated to Samarkand. However, the heaviest blockade winter influenced all the further work of Vladimir Sychev.
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