Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov

Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov

Lenin at the meeting. 1988. Oil on canvas, painting by Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov

Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov – a member of the USSR Union of Artists, and a member of the Union of artists of Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1967).
He was born February 14, 1935 in the village of Shadrikha of Poretsky district of Chuvash region. Aged five, the boy could count, read and write quite well, and studying in school was easy. Also, everybody noticed his exceptional talent in drawing, when the boy copied pictures from magazines, or photographs. Meanwhile, childhood of Nikolay coincided with the years of the Great Patriotic War, when the children had to work early and grew up before becoming a real adult. This time has left an indelible mark on the soul of a sensitive boy and largely determined the nature and direction of future creativity of the artist.
In 1950, when Nikolai graduated from the seven-year school, there was a question about the choice of profession. After reading ad in the newspaper “Red Chuvashia” about Cheboksary art school, 15-year-old Nikolay immediately declared of his desire to go to Cheboksary.

Evening in the sheep barn, 1989

Evening in the sheep barn, 1989

At the Cheboksary art school (1950 to 1955) he studied in the workshops of artists E. Burgulov and I. Grigoriev. Meanwhile, creative atmosphere in the school, the spirit of competition, and continuous improvement promoted active development of creative attitude to life and to his profession. Besides, becoming a socially active person and citizenship, Karacharskov proved the correctness of the chosen path.

The talented young artist graduated from the school with honors (1955) and began working as a graphic designer. In the spring of 1956 Karacharskov goes into a creative trip to the village. There he created a series of landscapes. In these studies, he felt restrained, delicate enthusiasm, dictated by a sincere feeling of love towards nature.

Later, working in the House of Artists, he mainly painted portraits. In addition, the artist traveled with a sketchbook throughout his native Chuvashia and neighbors, creating intimate and familiar in spirit images. Here he showed a real gift of a wizard.

The exhibition activity of the artist began in 1957, and their level varied from republican, national and all-union exhibitions. As a result, his paintings are in rural museums in the country, in the Chuvash State Art Museum, the museums of other cities of Russia, and among them – the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and abroad.

In 1970 he joined and headed the creative team of artists “Rural Dawns”, organized on his initiative and with the assistance of the Chuvash organization of Artists Union.

Representative of realistic traditions of Soviet art and Russian painting, his works have remained echoes of the aesthetics of the “severe style” and socialist realism. Besides, each canvas clearly expressed the position of the artist, his need to convey to the audience his understanding of and love for the working man. Thus, he has created hundreds of portraits of farmers, mechanization, livestock, and veterans of war and labor. And all of them distinguish deep psychological study of the characters, and the high level of their picturesque incarnation.

Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov

NP Karacharskov (Cheboksary)

In the photo – Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov (Cheboksary) with his portraits

Agronomists. 1977 (from the series People of the collective farm Yangorchino)

Agronomists. 1977 (from the series People of the Yangorchino collective farm)

And a rare ray of sunshine 2006

And a rare ray of sunshine 2006

Arseny, 1985

Arseny, 1985

Carpenters foreman Alexei Fedorovich. 1979

Carpenters foreman Alexei Fedorovich. 1979

Self-portrait with son

Self-portrait with son

The Ulyanov brothers

The Ulyanov brothers

Village man

Village man

We are written about. 1969

We are written about. 1969

It is time for good conversations. From the series 'People of Yangorchino collective farm.' 1981. Oil on canvas

It is time for good conversations. From the series ‘People of Yangorchino collective farm.’ 1981. Oil on canvas

Vassily Ivanovich pleased with harvest. Canvas, oil. 1982

Vassily Ivanovich pleased with harvest. Canvas, oil. 1982

Woman of a forester 1984

Woman of a forester 1984

Glikeriya Egorovna on the day of her 90th anniversary. 1995-1999

Glikeriya Egorovna on the day of her 90th anniversary. 1995-1999

Group portrait of tractor drivers. 1964

Group portrait of tractor drivers. 1964

Horses of my childhood. 2000

Horses of my childhood. 2000

In the forest. 1979

In the forest. 1979

In the village. 1966

In the village. 1966

Merchant P. Yefremov

Merchant P. Yefremov

Noble grower of rustic tobacco T. Dugayeva. 1985

Noble grower of rustic tobacco T. Dugayeva. 1985

Portrait of old woman

Portrait of an old woman

The head of a girl in a shawl 1975

The head of a girl in a shawl 1975

Evening in Shadrikha. 1996

Evening in Shadrikha. 1996

Georgy Vaskov talking. 1991

Georgy Vaskov talking. 1991

Breakfast in the field. 1977

Breakfast in the field. 1977

Images scanned from Soviet era magazines and albums
Young artist, Exhibition of Soviet art,
paintingofrussia.com,
Official site of Chuvash republic gov.cap.ru