Soviet Art

Mother. 1945. The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Soviet artist Boris Mikhailovich Nemensky (b. 1922)

Paintings by Soviet artist Boris Mikhailovich Nemensky (b. 1922) many times became a phenomenon, of not only artistic, but also social life, the subject of a very heated debate. Faith in humanity, in its beauty and indestructibility, the artist’s belief in the power of the human principle, to be fought not only among inhuman trials of war, but today – this is perhaps the most important characteristic of his work. “B. Nemensky has already become a classic at twenty-two years old when he created his famous picture “Mother”, – said the famous Soviet poet Konstantin Simonov. Boris Nemensky is known as a painter of easel painting with complex and dramatic content, and at the same time as very lyrical artist with a bright and vibrant view of the world. As an academician, a member of the Academy of Education and the Academy of Arts of the USSR and Russia, People’s Artist of the RSFSR, laureate of Stalin and State prizes, he remains the same, not going to compromise, original master.
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Self-portrait in a hat. 1921. Soviet artist Igor Grabar (1871-1960)

Soviet artist Igor Grabar (1871—1960) – one of the most famous names in the history of Russian and Soviet culture of the twentieth century. A man of art, science, museum and restoration work, Grabar in his very long life showed the wonders of diligence, putting all of himself into art. In addition, origin and place of birth of Grabar, his family history is quite unusual. He was born March 13, 1871 in Budapest, in the Russian family that belonged to an ethnic group concentrated in the Ugrian Russia. This Carpathian region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And almost all the numerous relatives of Grabar, especially his maternal grandfather Adolf Ivanovich Dobryansky, were involved in the European Slavophile movement. Besides, they participated in the fight against “Magyarization” of Slavs of Austria-Hungary.
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Portrait of the Artist (self-portrait). 1912-1913. Art Museum, Kostroma. Soviet artist Constructivist Vladimir Tatlin (28 December 1885 — 31 May 1953)

Soviet artist Constructivist Vladimir Tatlin

“Vladimir – thin and tall young man, a bit like a fish with a protruding upper lip, with a snub nose and evocative melancholy eyes.” Natalia Goncharova, 1911.
In fact, Constructivism was a Soviet phenomenon that emerged after the October Revolution as one of the areas of new, avant-garde, proletarian art. As Vladimir Mayakovsky wrote in his essay on the French art: “For the first time not from France, but from Russia flew the new word of art – constructivism …”
And one of the largest representatives of the Russian Soviet avant-garde, the father of constructivism was Soviet artist Constructivist Vladimir Tatlin (28 December 1885 — 31 May 1953). This direction, called Constructivism, was a new way of thinking. It presents a new logic in the way of artistic thinking, hence its importance to contemporary art. Besides, it assigns a major role to structure and establishes design principles. Tatlin, Rodchenko and many other artists, coming from the abstract, worked on the problem of interdependence of forms. By the way, Tatlin was one of the few avant-garde artists who stayed in the USSR, while the majority of them left the Soviet country.
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Aristocrat of Soviet cinema Vasily Lanovoi

Aristocrat of Soviet cinema Vasily Lanovoi

Although Vasily Lanovoi was born in Moscow on January 16, 1934, his parents were simple laborers “from the plow.” Fleeing from hunger, they moved to the capital of the USSR from the village near Odessa. When he was 7 years old, his father and mother sent Vasily to grandparents. Have decided as follows: let him spend the summer in the village, and help the elderly. They couldn’t even think their son to get into the German occupation – as much as three and a half years. Once one of the Germans gave Lanovoy his smart belt. The boy without hesitation put it on and went for a walk. But another soldier gunner ordered the boy to return the unearned gift. Lanovoi refused. Then the raging fascist let machine gun all over the child’s head. “I returned the belt with a trembling hand, and then stuttered for year from the shock”, – says the actor. But the actor is grateful to be alive.
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Composition “Dialogue” (Russian poetess Anna Akhmatova and Nikolai Gumilev). Bronze, 2001. Sculptor Vladimir Tishin

Creativity of Soviet Russian sculptor Vladimir Tishin bears the features characteristic of the Moscow School of plastic. In particular, the desire to intensify the artistic language, theatrical, and colorful imagery. A great sense of material and design allows the sculptor to work in a variety of materials: wood, stone, bronze, and chamotte. Born 16, 1963 in Moscow, Vladimir Tishin graduated from Moscow State Art and Industry University named after Stroganov (MGHPU of Stroganov), the sculpture department (1985). And four years later, in 1989, became a member of the USSR Union of Artists. In addition, in 1990-1991 got a scholarship of the Union of Artists of the USSR. In 2012 he became a member of the Russian Academy of Arts.
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Self-portrait. 1927. Soviet artist Vasily Hvostenko (1896 – 1960)

Soviet artist Vasily Hvostenko (1896 – 1960) – comes from a galaxy of serfs artists (his great-grandfather, grandfather and father were icon painters), a member of the “Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia” (AKhRR). One of the first works carried out on the revolutionary theme: “Lenin on the armored car”, “Lenin in Smolny”, etc. Hvostenko – artist and researcher, developed technologies and modern methods of encaustic painting and revived this ancient art.
Soviet graphic artist, painter, and muralist Vasily Veniaminovich Hvostenko was born August 15, 1896 in Kursk province. In 1910-1917 he studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, workshops of Alexander Arkhipov, V. Baksheyev, N. Kasatkin, K. Korovin, A. Korin, S. Malyutin, L. Pasternak. Since 1918, he exhibited his works at many art exhibitions in the USSR and abroad, including the exhibitions “Free art”, “Union of Russian Artists”, “Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia.”
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Hero of the Soviet Union sergeant M.A. Yegorov (1923-1975), a soldier hoisted the Banner of Victory on the remains of the defeated Reich. 1945. Bronze, granite. The State Tretyakov Gallery. Soviet sculptor Ivan Pershudchev 1915-1987

Soviet sculptor Ivan Pershudchev (1915 – 1987), Honored Artist of the RSFSR – one of those sculptors whose works entered the golden fund of Soviet art. He created gallery of sculptural portraits of heroes of the Great Patriotic War. His monuments that perpetuate military exploits are well known in our country and abroad. They show a deep sense of love to the simple Soviet man, the ability to see and clearly display the extraordinary and heroic, which is often hidden behind the modesty and the seemingly ordinary. This amazing involvement of artist in the lives of those people whom he portrayed explains the biography of the sculptor.
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