Soviet artist Vasily Pogorelov

In the days of October, in the turbulent revolutionary period, he was little more than twenty years old. By today’s standards it’s still young age. And then behind the young man was already serious enough life experience, difficult biography, closely intertwined desire to become an artist, and the need to earn for a living. Soviet artist Vasily Pogorelov (1895 – 1980) was born in a large family. Early lost his father. The mother could not feed her five children, and Vasily had to work. A twelve year old teenager, he already worked 16 hours a day at the tobacco factory – as an adult. From the strong exhaustion and malnutrition he became seriously ill. And, of course, recovered, stronger, found the strength to live and to dream.

In rare free hours he painted houses and streets of his native Simbirsk, drew from life portraits of brothers and sisters. The path has been chosen. Vasily Pogorelov went to Kazan to study in art school. There he was taught by renowned teachers NI Feshin and PP Benkov. The lessons of the masters he will remember for life. They laid the foundation for serious professional skills, through which Pogorelov was able to paint and perform complete graphic things, to work on the design of the revolutionary festivals and to create posters for “Window of TASS”.

Study in VHUTEMAS (Higher Art and Technical Studios) in the 1920s identified the main profession. Pogorelov mastered Plastic skill under the guidance of M. Chaikoff. Great influence on the formation of the young sculptor had after studying at the university, AT Matveev.

But the main teacher of the artist and citizen Vasily Mikhailovich Pogorelov was life itself, while romantic, full of daring reality. During the Civil War he was in the Red Army, fighting against Kolchak. After the war, he taught drawing in Simbirsk school. He works as an artist in the community of Lenin in the North Caucasus. It is no accident the main themes of the works of those years are two: the heroism of the revolution and the creative work of his contemporaries.

From thesis – multi-figure composition “Riders of the revolution” to the portrait works of 1970-ies Vasily Mikhailovich carried through the entire career an inquisitive interest in the active person, selfless, faithful noble goal. His first heroes were people in Budenovka helmets and long coats, young woman in a simple blouse and working headscarf, Industry soldiers, then carefully concentrated on the next manufacturing operation, or solemnly appearing in the free leisurely poses of relaxation, meditation. His people – quiet reflection of the great things and tasks that the country and all the people decide.

The sculptor himself is a particle of this nation. He recently took off his sweaty overalls, left a Red Army rifle to take up the case of another kind: to perpetuate the sculptural images of the working man, whose hands create the future! His road workers are busy laying track; actions of each are accurate and natural. Casters, distributors, builders in Pogorelov’s compositions differ in confident force gesture, vigorous modeling figures, the unity of the labor gust and smooth consistency of movements.

The artist sketched and sculpted a lot from nature. He was interested in every little detail of the production, fascinated by the very rhythm of collective labor. He quickly responded to every good perspective of a figure, to eloquent detail of the industrial paraphernalia. Particularly frequent visitor Vasily Mikhailovich was at the Moscow plant “Hammer and Sickle.” Here throughout the work shift he did sketches in clay, pencil sketches, noticing expressive gesture of professionals, the general mood of factory.

Moscow plant “Hammer and Sickle” inspired the artist to create a mural relief “Industry”. The composition consists of several stories, united by the idea of the labor community of workers and farmers. Generalized episodes fieldwork of rural workers side by side with industrial processes.

Soviet art of the 1930s developed in strict ideological framework of socialist realism. However, the sports theme of this period demonstrates cheerfulness, optimism, are clear evidence of mass sports of the youth movement of that era, reminiscent of the many thousands of parades of athletes of pre-war generation on Red Square. Entrancing beauty of youth, sports athleticism, each movement of the beautiful, flexible and strong body of a girl-swimmer at start. By subtly expressive silhouette found the accuracy of the figures volume, capturing the very moment of the jump in the water, when hands are laid back, and the young athlete is already flying into the water easily and beautifully, like a bird.

Soviet artist Vasily Pogorelov