Soviet Art

By the northern sea way. Soviet artist Leonid Baikov 1919-1994

Soviet artist Leonid Baikov 1919-1994

Leonid Baikov (28 July 1919 – 17 June 1994) – Soviet Russian painter, a member of the Leningrad Union of Artists of the RSFSR, and a veteran of Great Patriotic war.
Leonid Petrovich Baikov was born July 28, 1919 in the city of Vyshny Volochyok of Tver province. His father, Peter Ivanovich worked as a carpenter, and mother Elizaveta Baikova (nee Koroleva) was a seamstress and worked in housekeeping. In 1927 the family moved to live in Leningrad. In 1933 he began studying at the Art Studio at the secondary school of Vasileostrovsky district. A year later he took part in city competition of young talents, after which he became the student of Leningrad Secondary Art School at the Russian Academy of Arts. His teachers were Soviet artists Vladimir Gorb and Alexander Debler.
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A boy behind car window. 1937. Pastel on paper drawing by Soviet graphic artist Vasily Litko (1900-1939)

Soviet graphic artist Vasily Litko (1900-1939)

Vasily Yeliseevich Litko – Soviet graphic artist, book illustrator and designer, poster artist and portrait painter. He lived a short life, but left a bright trace in the Soviet art. The talented young man entered the Petrograd Academy of Arts when he was 16 years old. And in the age of 18, he worked in Tsaritsyno, as a graphic designer in such newspapers as “The South’s Truth” and “Soldier of the Revolution.” In 1919 Litko created posters and sketches by participating in the “Satire Windows of ROSTa” of the Western Military District and Red Army front-line magazine “Red bumblebee”. At the age of 24, he successfully graduated from the Higher Art and Technical Institute in Leningrad (VHUTEIN).
But even while still a student, he taught in the Kremlin Joint School of All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets of Workers ‘and Soldiers’ Deputies. In addition, as the graphic artist, collaborated with a number of publishing houses in Moscow.
Unfortunately, in 1939 the artist died tragically hit by a train. And in the same 1939 in the Moscow branch of the Union of Artists of the USSR held a posthumous exhibition of the artist.
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Flowers, palette, and artist. 1973. Soviet Russian artist Andrey Pozdeyev (27 September 1926 – 12 July 1998)

Soviet Russian artist Andrey Pozdeyev

Andrey Pozdeyev (27 September 1926 – 12 July 1998) – member of the USSR Union of Artists (1961).
He was an artist with a capital letter, like no one else. Born and lived all his life in Siberia, he devoted his creativity to the native land.
Born September 27, 1926 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, he began drawing in early childhood. In 1937 he participated in the contest of children’s drawings, dedicated to the centennial memory of Alexander Pushkin. For his magnificent portrait of the poet Andrey Pozdeyev received an award.
When the war began, the artist got a job at the plant, but then decided to go to the mother’s relatives. For such unauthorized action the artist received 6 years in prison. Pozdeyev kept his head and continued to paint in the colony, engaging in a variety of design of wall newspapers.
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Polar Willow grouses. Soviet Finnish painter Toivo Ryannel (1921-2012)

Soviet Finnish painter Toivo Ryannel – member of the USSR Union of artists (1947), Honored artist of RSFSR (1974) and People’s artist of Russia (1991). The Krasnoyarsk art connoisseurs pronounce the name of Toivo Rännäli with great respect. Finn, for whom Siberia became a second home, is the pride of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the whole of Soviet art.
Toivo Vasilevich Ryannel, the future honorary academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, was born in 1921 in the village of Tozerovo near Petrograd. Siberia, where the exiled family of Ryannel moved in 1931, became for him an inexhaustible source of inspiration and love throughout his creative life. He drew from his childhood, and studied in the Omsk Art College. During the war, he taught drawing at the school, then went to the geological party surveys as a technician. During long taiga expeditions in his backpack always were paints, pencils, and paper. So, in the brief moments of rest he did a lot of sketches. Developing, changing over the years, the artist remained faithful to realism, the Russian academic school.
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Maya Plisetskaya posing in the workshop of Soviet Sculptor Elena Yanson-Manizer (1890-1971)

Soviet Sculptor Elena Yanson-Manizer

Elena Yanson-Manizer (1890-1971) – Soviet sculptor and artist, wife of Soviet sculptor Matvey Manizer. She worked in the style of miniature sculpture, portraits, monumental and decorative reliefs, medals, and easel composition. However, her favorite theme – the dance. She created a series (1934-1937) of the seven sculptures on the theme of the ballet “Swan Lake”, “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Egyptian Nights” and others.
She has created a series of figurines for the Leningrad Porcelain Factory (1950). Among them – “Giray sitting”, “Giray with a cloak”, “Zarema with the mirror”, “Zarema with dagger”, “Maria with a scarf,” and “Maria sitting.” Part of made in china figurines was later repeated in the iron. Besides, such sculptures as “Zarema – Kaminska ballerina”, “Maya Plisetskaya dancing Persian dance”, and “Spaniard with a Fan” were replicated with great success in late 1950s-1980s.
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Space theme, 1975. Soviet poster artist Evgeny Kazhdan (1922-1984)

Soviet poster artist Evgeny Kazhdan

Evgeny Kazhdan – Member of the USSR Union of Artists (1965), member of the USSR Union of Journalists (1971), and Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1977). In addition, he is the owner of numerous awards and gold medals at the international exhibitions of the poster. One of his last award – the highest award of the Soviet Peace Committee – an honorary medal “Fighter for Peace”.
Kazhdan was born in 1922 in the city of Nikolaev. Veteran of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, he fought on the Leningrad, Western, and the 3rd Belorussian fronts. He was awarded several orders and medals, including the Order of “Patriotic War” 1 and 2 degrees, “Red Star”, and 7 medals. In 1946 he was discharged from the army in the rank of captain (in Port Arthur). After that, for 7 years he worked as an artist – designer at the Moscow regional art fund “Mosoblhudozhnik”.
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Photo of young Soviet Ukrainian naive artist Yekaterina Belokur (1900-1961)

Soviet Ukrainian naive artist Yekaterina Belokur

Amazing and unique is painting of Yekaterina Belokur, a peasant from the village of Bogdanovka in the Kiev region. More than fifty years have passed since the death of the artist, but her contribution to the Soviet art seems more significant and original. And the country highly appreciated achievements of Yekaterina Belokur – she was awarded the honorary title of People’s Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, and the Honored worker of arts of the USSR. In her native village Bogdanovka appeared the monument to the outstanding master, as well as a museum of her works. Unfading flowers by Belokur praised the art of the Soviet Ukraine, and embodied the bright creativity of a peasant woman who devoted her talents to the beauty of her native land.
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