Soviet artist Yevgeny Kibrik

Soviet artist Yevgeny Kibrik (1906-1978) – the winner of the Stalin Prize third degree (1948), Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1949), academician (1962), People’s Artist of the USSR (1967). He was awarded the Order of Red Banner of Labor (1956) and the Order of Lenin (1976). Yevgeny Kibrik was born Hertz Adolfovich Kibrik on February 18, 1906 in Voznesensk of Nikolayev region, into a wealthy Jewish family. In 1922 he moved to Odessa, where he studied in art school, faculty of painting, workshop of Frayerman. Since the end of 1922 he worked in the newspaper of Odessa Regional Committee of the Komsomol “Young Guard”.

In 1925 he came to Leningrad to study at the Higher Art and Technical Institute. In 1927 he interrupts his studying at the Academy and goes to the workshop of Pavel Filonov, later becoming his disciple. He joined based by Filonov group “Masters of Analytical Art” and created the first independent work under the strong influence of the teacher. In 1927 he took part in the general work of the group “Masters of Analytical Art” – in the design of the Leningrad Publishing House. Kibrik is the author of picturesque panel “New life” (“May”).

From 1927 he worked as an illustrator of the Leningrad newspaper “Smena”. In 1930, he completed the illustrations for “Lieutenant Kizhe” by Tynyanov, the work done with the help of his teacher, Pavel Filonov. In 1932 Yevgeny Kibrik returned to Leningrad. He worked in book illustration, mostly in the technique of lithography.

In the early spring of 1942 he went to Samarkand, Uzbek SSR, where he led the graphic studio of the Academy of Arts, in the following year he returned to Moscow. In 1943, he performs a series of drawings “The land of Uzbekistan” and “Farhad-operation.” In September 1943, the artist was summoned to Moscow in the Arts Committee and was sent to Stalingrad. The result of the trip was a series of graphic works “Stalingrad”.

In 1946-47 he created a series of graphic works “Lenin in 1917”, one of the most important works in the Soviet Leniniana; on Leninist theme the artist continued working until 1959.

Kibrik was engaged in public and teaching activities. In 1949 he was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR; in 1954 became the professor of Moscow Art Academy, 1962 – academician, member of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Arts. For twenty-five years (1953-1978) taught easel graphics, in which he trained a number of well-known artists.

Ye. Kibrik died July 18, 1978. He was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery. In October 1985, in Voznesensk of Nikolayev region was opened Art Museum of EA Kibrik. The museum exhibits collection of works of the artist, which his heirs donated to the museum.

Soviet artist Yevgeny Kibrik