Nikolai Galakhov Explained

Nikolai Nikolaevich Galakhov
Birth Date:29 May 1928
Birth Place:Kazan, USSR
Field:Painting
Nationality:Russian
Training:Repin Institute of Arts
Movement:Realism
Awards:Honored Artist of the Russian Federation

Nikolai Nikolaevich Galakhov (Russian: link=|Никола́й Никола́евич Гала́хов; May 29, 1928 – March 1, 2022) was a Russian artist. He was an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, a member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists (before 1992 the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation).[1] Living and working in Saint Petersburg, he was regarded as one of the representatives of the Leningrad School of Painting,[2] and is most famous for his landscape paintings.

Biography

Nikolai Galakhov was born May 29, 1928, in Kazan city, Tatar Republic, USSR, on the Volga River. In 1942 he entered in Kazan Art School, and graduated in 1947. In the same year he moved to Leningrad and was admitted to the first course of Department of Painting of the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin. He studied of Leonid Ovsannikov, Joseph Serebriany, Piotr Belousov, Yuri Neprintsev.[3]

In 1953 Nikolai Galakhov graduated from the Repin Institute of Arts in Rudolf Frentz workshop. His graduation work was a genre painting named "Poet Nikolai Nekrasov on the Volga River", dedicated to Nikolai Nekrasov, a prominent Russian poet, writer, critic and publisher of the 19th century[4] (painting now resides in the Museum of the Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg).[5]

In 1954–1956 Galakhov continued his postgraduate study in the Repin Institute of Arts. Since 1951 Galakhov had participated in Art Exhibitions,[6] mostly as a master of landscape and genre scene. He worked in technique of oil painting, tempera, pastel, watercolors, and pencil drawing. Since 1953 Galakhov also start painted pictures on contract. In 1955 for series landscapes of the Volga River he was admitted to the Leningrad Union of Soviet Artists.

In the 1950s the leading place in art of Galakhov belonged to landscapes of the Volga River. He traveled on the Russian rivers Volga, Vetluga, Vyatka, where he painted a lot sketches from the life. His paintings are sustained in the strict, almost classical tradition of Russian landscape painting. This is indicated by the work shown in exhibitions, such as "Landing stage on the Volga River", "Evening. Kama mouth"[7] (both 1954), "July" (1955), "Port on the Volga River. Evening", "Blooming meadows on the Volga River"[8] (both 1956), "The Storm under the Volga River", "On the Volga River"[9] (both 1957), "Construction of the Kuibyshev Hydroelectric Station"[10] (1957), "Autumn on the Volga River"[11] (1957), and others.[12]

In the late 1950s Galakhov traveled to Siberia and Baikal Lake. This led him to new experiences, embodied in numerous sketches from the life and landscape paintings, such as "The Village in Siberia" (1959), "On the shore of Baykal Lake",[13] "At The crossing",[14] "Siberian Village"[15] (all 1960), "Soon alloy"[16] (1961), "Construction in Siberia"[17] (1962), and others. These travels helped him to diversify his palette and to understand the plastic characteristics of different places, gave new impetus to picturesque searches and preparing for a meeting with Karelia, which became a turning point in his work.

In the 1960s Galakhov discovered Karelia. He painted numerous sketches and paintings devoted to the nature and the present day of this region. Although Galakhov created a lot of genre paintings (among them "On the roads of Karelia",[18] "Yuma lumber station in Karelia",[19] "Forest Weekday",[20] "Forest Master",[21] and others), most of his work was still landscapes. He was particularly attracted to the wild parts of northern nature, untouched by civilization. He knows how to show us her fragile beauty and majesty. Among the famous works of this period were "The Village of Umba"[22] (1969), "Karelia. The beginning of winter"[23] (1973), "White Night in Karelia"[24] (1974), "Northern Summer"[25] (1977), "Kem. Winter is coming"[26] (1978), "Old Church in Kem"[27] (1982), "Northern Spring"[28] (1984), and many others.

In his works Nikolai Galakhov consistently advocated the principles of picture-landscape, with well-developed plot basis and elements of the genre. His methods of realization of pictorial ideas are near to the works of known Russian landscape painter Arcady Rylov.

In 1984 Nikolai Galakhov was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of Russian Federation. Solo Exhibitions by Nikolai Galakhov were in Leningrad[29] (1988) and Saint Petersburg[30] (2010, 2013).

Paintings by Nikolai Nikolaevich Galakhov reside in State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery, in the lot of Art museums and private collections in Russia, China, England, in the U.S.,[31] Japan, and in other countries.[32]

Galakhov died on March 1, 2022, at the age of 93.[33]

See also

Exhibitions

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Directory of members of the Leningrad branch of Union of Artists of Russian Federation. Leningrad, Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1987. P.28.
  2. Sergei V. Ivanov. Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School. Saint Petersburg, NP-Print Edition, 2007. P.9, 19, 20, 24, 359, 372, 389–407, 445.
  3. Nikolai Galakhov. This is my Motherland. Saint Petersburg, Art-Centre, 2009. P.7, 11.
  4. Anniversary Directory graduates of Saint Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture named after Ilya Repin, Russian Academy of Arts. 1915–2005. Saint Petersburg, Pervotsvet Publishing House, 2007. P.69.
  5. Чегодаева М. Искусство как классовая идеология // Диалог искусств. № 4, 2010. С.39.
  6. [Exhibition of Leningrad artists (1951)|''Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1951 года. Каталог'']
  7. [Spring exhibition (Leningrad, 1954)|''Весенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1954 года. Каталог'']
  8. [Autumn exhibition (Leningrad, 1956)|''Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников. 1956 года. Каталог.'']
  9. [Anniversary Art Exhibition (Leningrad, 1957)|''1917 – 1957. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников. Каталог.'']
  10. [All-Union art exhibition (Moscow, 1957)|''Всесоюзная художественная выставка, посвященная 40-летию Великой Октябрьской социалистической революции. Каталог'']
  11. [Autumn exhibition (Leningrad, 1958)|''Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1958 года. Каталог.'']
  12. Web site: Ленинградский художник Галахов Николай Николаевич. Socialist Realism. Kiev club of collectors..
  13. Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1960 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1961. С.13.
  14. [Annual Exhibition of Leningrad artists (1960)|''Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1960 года. Каталог'']
  15. [Soviet Russia (exhibition, 1960)|''Республиканская художественная выставка "Советская Россия". Живопись. Скульптура. Графика. Плакат. Монументально-декоративное и театрально-декорационное искусство. Каталог.'']
  16. Художник. 1962, № 1. С.10
  17. Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1962 года. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1962. С.10.
  18. [Exhibition of Leningrad artists (Russian Museum, 1960)|''Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1960 года. Каталог'']
  19. [Exhibition of Leningrad artists (1961)|''Выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1961 года. Каталог.'']
  20. Вторая республиканская художественная выставка "Советская Россия". Каталог. М., Советский художник, 1965. С.14.
  21. [Soviet Russia (exhibition, 1967)|''Третья Республиканская художественная выставка "Советская Россия". Каталог.'']
  22. [Spring exhibition (Leningrad, 1969)|''Весенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников 1969 года. Каталог.'']
  23. Весенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1974. C.6.
  24. [Soviet Russia (exhibition, 1975)|''Пятая республиканская выставка "Советская Россия".'']
  25. [Art belongs to the people (Leningrad, 1977)|''Выставка произведений ленинградских художников, посвящённая 60-летию Великого Октября.'']
  26. [Autumn Exhibition (Leningrad, 1978)|''Осенняя выставка произведений ленинградских художников. 1978 года. Каталог'']
  27. Sergei V. Ivanov. Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School. – Saint Petersburg: NP-Print Edition, 2007. P.270.
  28. Nikolai Galakhov. This is my Motherland. Saint Petersburg, Art-Centre, 2009. P.96.
  29. Николай Николаевич Галахов. Выставка произведений. Каталог. Л., Художник РСФСР, 1987.
  30. Nikolai Galakhov. This is my Motherland. – Saint Petersburg: Art-Centre, 2009.
  31. Vern G. Swanson. Soviet Impressionism. Woodbridge, England, Antique Collectors' Club, 2001. Р.21, 122.
  32. Sergei V. Ivanov. Unknown Socialist Realism. The Leningrad School. – Saint Petersburg: NP-Print Edition, 2007. P.6-7.
  33. Web site: ВЫСТАВКА «ЛЕНИНГРАД-ПЕТЕРБУРГ. ЖИВОПИСЬ. ДИАЛОГ ЭПОХ» В МВК РАХ . RAH . 9 January 2024.