Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin Squads of young fighters were gathering

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin – ‘Squads of young fighters were gathering’. 1969-1970. canvas, oil

Russian Soviet painter Victor Shatalin (1926 – 2003) was a master of genre painting on the military, revolutionary and patriotic themes. Victor was born in a village of Saratov region. From the age of 13 he studied at the Leningrad Art School at the Academy of Arts of the USSR. In 1941, 15-year-old boy went to the front, and became the “son of regiment” of the 1st Ukrainian Front. After the end of World War II, in 1945, Victor attended the Kiev Art School named after Shevchenko, after which he entered the Kiev Art Institute.

Russian Soviet painter Victor Shatalin (1926 - 2003)

Russian Soviet painter Victor Shatalin (1926 – 2003)

Victor Shatalin became a master of genre painting on the military, revolutionary and patriotic themes. So, in 1957, for the painting “In the valleys and on the hills,” which was exhibited at the All-Union Exhibition in Moscow, he received a silver medal of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR. In 1960 – 1970 he worked on the paintings dedicated to the historical sites and landscapes of the Russian North (Rostov, Novgorod, Pskov, Suzdal, etc.), carried out a large number of lyrical sketches.

'Budenovets'. 1970s. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet artist Victor Shatalin

‘Budenovets’. 1970s. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet artist Victor Shatalin

‘Budenovets’ (fighter of the First Cavalry Army, which during the Civil War of 1918-1920 was commanded by Semyon Budyonny.

Victor Shatalin participated in numerous art exhibitions; he was a member of the Union of Artists since 1957. He was repeatedly elected the secretary of the Board of the Union of Artists of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Secretary of the Board of the Union of Artists of the USSR. Victor Shatalin – Honored Artist of the USSR in 1964, People’s Artist of the USSR in 1967.

Since 1973, Victor Shatalin taught at the Kiev Art Institute, since 1976 became a professor, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts in 1978, winner of the USSR State Prize of Taras Shevchenko in 1984. He was awarded the Soviet Order of “Badge of Honor”, “Labor Red Banner”, “Patriotic War” II degree and several medals.

'In the valleys and on the hills.' 1957. Oil on canvas

‘In the valleys and on the hills.’ 1957. Oil on canvas. Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Many revolutionary and patriotic paintings of Victor Shatalin marked by lyrical tone, often even wear the name of the song – “In the valleys and on the hills,” “The fame of these days will not fade,” “Squads of young fighters were gathering”, and others. Images of young fighters of the revolution involuntarily evoke the famous line “Grenada” by Soviet poet Mikhail Svetlov:
We went to a step,
We raced in the fighting and “apple” – a song held in our teeth …
… I left the hut,
I went to war,
To give land to peasants in Grenada.
Goodbye, native,
Goodbye, family!
“Grenada, Grenada,
Grenada is mine! ”

Not only the young impulse and romantic elation combined pictorial images and the hero of “Grenada”. They are united by a profound ideological content. The images of Red fighters, loyal fighters of the revolution, are tough and courageous, willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of an idea.

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Novgorod militia. Diploma work by V. Shatalin, Soviet Russian painter

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

‘The fame of these days will not fade’. 1962- 1965. Oil on canvas, detail

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

‘The fame of these days will not fade’. 1962- 1965. Oil on canvas

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

‘Portrait of daughter’. 1960s. canvas, oil

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Church, 1960

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

East

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Legend of the North, 1977

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Pskov Kremlin, 1968

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Winter landscape

Soviet painter Victor Shatalin

Landscape

‘In the valleys and on the hills.’ 1957. Fragment

‘In the valleys and on the hills.’ 1957. Fragment

Fragment of painting ‘In the valleys and on the hills'

Fragment of painting ‘In the valleys and on the hills’

Combat assignment

Combat assignment

Lenin died

Lenin died