War artists

An Artist at the Front

Tatiana Volkova

Article: 
EXCLUSIVE PUBLICATIONS
Magazine issue: 
#2 2015 (47)

KONSTANTIN MOLCHANOV (1906-1980) WAS BORN IN MOSCOW AND GRADUATED FROM THE RENOWNED VKHUTEMAS-VKHUTEIN (RESPECTIVELY, THE HIGHER ART AND TECHNICAL STUDIOS, OR THE HIGHER ART AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, AS IT WAS KNOWN AFTER 1926). HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MEMBERS OF THE MOSCOW BRANCH OF THE UNION OF SOVIET ARTISTS, A DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AT THE MOSCOW SECONDARY ART SCHOOL; HIS MILITARY SERVICE BEGAN WHEN MOSCOW WAS THREATENED BY THE APPROACHING GERMAN ARMIES, AND ENDED IN BERLIN. THE ARTIST'S DAUGHTER SVETLANA AND GRANDSON VALERY MOLCHANOV TREASURE THE MEMORABILIA THAT TESTIFY TO HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WAR EFFORT: HIS MEDALS "FOR THE DEFENCE OF MOSCOW", "FOR THE DEFENCE OF STALINGRAD", "FOR THE LIBERATION OF WARSAW", "FOR THE CAPTURE OF BERLIN", "FOR VALIANT LABOUR IN THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 1941-1945", "FOR VICTORY OVER GERMANY IN THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 1941-1945", AS WELL AS THE ORDER OF THE PATRIOTIC WAR 2ND CLASS, A "DISTINGUISHED COMBAT ENGINEER (SAPPER)" BADGE AND MORE THAN 60 LETTERS OF COMMENDATION FROM HIS COMMANDING OFFICERS.

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KONSTANTIN MOLCHANOV (1906-1980) WAS BORN IN MOSCOW AND GRADUATED FROM THE RENOWNED VKHUTEMAS-VKHUTEIN (RESPECTIVELY, THE HIGHER ART AND TECHNICAL STUDIOS, OR THE HIGHER ART AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, AS IT WAS KNOWN AFTER 1926). HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MEMBERS OF THE MOSCOW BRANCH OF THE UNION OF SOVIET ARTISTS, A DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AT THE MOSCOW SECONDARY ART SCHOOL; HIS MILITARY SERVICE BEGAN WHEN MOSCOW WAS THREATENED BY THE APPROACHING GERMAN ARMIES, AND ENDED IN BERLIN.

The Power of Truth and Light

Boris Nemensky

Article: 
EXCLUSIVE PUBLICATIONS
Magazine issue: 
#2 2015 (47)

BORIS NEMENSKY BEGAN HIS SERVICE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR AS A 19-YEAR-OLD ENLISTED SOLDIER AND ARTIST EMBEDDED WITH THE ARMY. THE "MUNITIONS" HE CARRIED ON HIS BACK WERE THOSE ALREADY TESTED BY ARTISTS FROM THE GREKOV STUDIO OF WAR ARTISTS WHO HAD PRECEDED HIM TO THE FRONT LINE: A HOME-MADE SKETCH-BOOK FOR DRAWING ON PAPER, WHICH WAS SUITABLE FOR DRAWING IN ALL ELEMENTS, WHETHER STANDING, SITTING OR LYING DOWN. THE YOUNG ARTIST'S MISSION, AS STATED BY GLAVPUR (THE CHIEF DEPARTMENT ON POLITICAL MATTERS OF THE SOVIET ARMY AND NAVY), WAS TO CREATE "A PICTORIAL RECORD OF REAL EVENTS AT THE FRONT". HERE, NEMENSKY REMEMBERS HIS WARTIME EXPERIENCES, AND THE EFFECT THAT THOSE WAR YEARS HAD ON HIS SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT AS AN ARTIST.

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Борис НеменскийBORIS NEMENSKY BEGAN HIS SERVICE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR AS A 19-YEAR-OLD ENLISTED SOLDIER AND ARTIST EMBEDDED WITH THE ARMY. THE "MUNITIONS" HE CARRIED ON HIS BACK WERE THOSE ALREADY TESTED BY ARTISTS FROM THE GREKOV STUDIO OF WAR ARTISTS WHO HAD PRECEDED HIM TO THE FRONT LINE: A HOME-MADE SKETCH-BOOK FOR DRAWING ON PAPER, WHICH WAS SUITABLE FOR DRAWING IN ALL ELEMENTS, WHETHER STANDING, SITTING OR LYING DOWN.

The Grekov Studio of War Artists: From Its Inception to the Present Day

Alexander Sytov

Article: 
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Magazine issue: 
#2 2015 (47)

FRANZ ROUBAUD (1856-1928) WAS THE FOUNDER OF PANORAMA PAINTING IN RUSSIA IN THE LAT 19TH-EARLY 20TH CENTURIES, AND BECAME FAMOUS FOR HIS COMPOSITIONS "THE SIEGE OF SEVASTOPOL" AND "THE BATTLE OF BORODINO". ROUBAUD BELIEVED THAT "A MILITARY ARTIST SHOULD CULTIVATE HIS FACULTY TO QUICKLY GRASP WHAT IS MOST COMMON AND TYPICAL, TO CAPTURE THE MODE IN MOTION, TO DRAW AND TO PAINT FROM MEMORY, RELYING ON WHAT HAS STUCK IN HIS MIND... FOR A LONG TIME ROUBAUD TAUGHT AT THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS IN ST. PETERSBURG, EDUCATIN( A LARGE GROUP OF TALENTED RUSSIAN BATTLE-SCENE PAINTERS, THE MOST FAMOUS AMONG WHOM WAS MITROFAN GREKOV.

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FRANZ ROUBAUD (1856-1928) WAS THE FOUNDER OF PANORAMA PAINTING IN RUSSIA IN THE LAT 19TH-EARLY 20TH CENTURIES, AND BECAME FAMOUS FOR HIS COMPOSITIONS "THE SIEGE OF SEVASTOPOL" AND "THE BATTLE OF BORODINO". ROUBAUD BELIEVED THAT "A MILITARY ARTIST SHOULD CULTIVATE HIS FACULTY TO QUICKLY GRASP WHAT IS MOST COMMON AND TYPICAL, TO CAPTURE THE MODE IN MOTION, TO DRAW AND TO PAINT FROM MEMORY, RELYING ON WHAT HAS STUCK IN HIS MIND... FOR A LONG TIME ROUBAUD TAUGHT AT THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS IN ST.

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