Nikolay Shmatko Explained

Mykola Shmatko
Native Name Lang:	uk
Birth Date:	17 August 1943
Birth Place:	Krasnohorivka, Reichskommissariat Ukraine
Death Place:	Pereiaslav, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine
Occupation:	Sculptor, painter
Nationality:	Ukrainian
Website:	Marble sculpture of King of marble of Nicolai Shmatko

Mykola Havrylovych Shmatko (uk|Микола Гаврилович Шматько; 17 August 1943 – 15 September 2020) was a Ukrainian sculptor and painter. He was born in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

Biography

Shmatko became a sculptor at the age of 33, having previously been a firefighter.^[1] During all his creative development Nikolai Shmatko created more than 750 various monuments and about 500 pictures.^[2]

He worked in marble, inspired by European culture and art. His studio and gallery contain 100 sculptures (more than 70 of which are made of Ural and Italian marble); 30 plaster casts; and about 300 pictures (including paintings, graphics, and architectural designs). In total, there are approximately 750 pieces, ranging from simple decorations to bas-relief and high relief busts and sculptures.^[3] Some of these pieces are sexually explicit and even pornographic.^{[4] [5]} Shmatko also worked in architecture, and had a design for a penis-shaped high-rise building.^[6]

In 2004, for his work "Sviatohorska Blessed Virgin" - a statue of the Virgin Mary (Theotokos "Hegumenia") for Sviato-Uspenskyi Sviatohorskyi Monastery - Shmatko was awarded the order of Nestor Letopisets by Volodymyr Sabodan, the Kyiv Metropolitan, and all of Ukraine.

In the autumn of 2005 the Transfiguration church was opened in the village of Keleberda, Poltava region. Exclusively for this church, the sculptor created a marble sculpture "The Crucifixion".

In autumn 2012, at the invitation of oligarch Viktor Baloha,^[7] Shmatko moved with his family to the city of Mukachevo.^{[8] [9]}

Exhibitions

• 2007: Biennale di Firenze 2007, Italy; received 4th place award in sculpture and installation^[10]
• 2009: Biennale di Firenze 2009, Italy; Participating Artists 2009^[11]
• 2012: ArtMonaco 2012, Monaco; Exposants - Exhibitors, Art Monaco 2012 (page 160)^[12]

Works in public collections

• Shmatko's bust of Ivan Maksymovych Soshenko is stored in the museum of Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg.^[13]

External links

• Official website
• Official website of HRH Princess Basmah Bint Saud
• Sculpture Gives Yulia Nude Treatment
• Radio Liberty interview

Notes and References

1. Smirnova, Helen (September 10, 2003), "I lived 13 years in a vault", Facts and comments (Ukraine, Donetsk)
2. Web site: Nikolai Shmatko :: Biography :: Personal exhibitions. 2020-08-31. www.kingofmarble-shmatko.com.
3. Web site: Скульптор із підземелля Микола Шматько .
4. Web site: Автор скультруры голой Тимошенко показал, что такое секс (фото). Pda.segodnya.ua. 14 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160126101000/http://pda.segodnya.ua/regions/donetsk/avtor-ckultrury-holoj-timoshenko-pokazal-chto-takoe-cekc.html. 26 January 2016. live.
5. Web site: Новые скульптуры Шматько: виртуозы секса и луганский судья с индюком. Citynews.net.au. 14 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141127223113/http://www.citynews.net.ua/news/11473-novye-skulptury-shmatko-virtuozy-seksa-i-luganskiy-sudya-s-indyukom.html. 27 November 2014. live.
6. Web site: Автор 140-метрового фаллоса изобразил, как Тимошенко всем на голову села (Фото). ОстроВ. 14 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129053231/http://www.ostro.org/general/society/news/39686/. 29 November 2014. live.
7. Web site: Покинувшего Луганск скульптора Шматько взял под опеку Балога. Eastkorr.net. 14 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140201153803/http://www.eastkorr.net/kultura/pokinuvshego-lugansk-skulptora-shmatko-vzyal-pod-opeku-baloga. 1 February 2014. dead.
8. Web site: Культурный герой Шматько покинул Луганск. Давление света - новости культуры, авторские статьи, рецензии, стихи, фото, живопись. 14 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140201210205/http://tisk.org.ua/?p=18517. 1 February 2014. live.
9. Web site: Николаю Шматько предложил переехать в Мукачево министр МЧС Украины Виктор Балога. Top.lg.ua. 14 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141125225741/http://www.top.lg.ua/news/Nikolayu-SHmatko-predlozhil-pereehat-v-Mukachevo-ministr-MCHS-Ukrainy-Viktor-Baloga-29056. 25 November 2014. live.
10. http://www.florencebiennale.org/ing_premiati07.html
11. Web site: Participating Artists 2009 . 2016-02-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160209190407/http://www.florencebiennale.org/en/artists-2009/ . 2016-02-09 . live .
12. Web site: Art Monaco . 2016-02-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160216051349/https://issuu.com/artmonacomagazine/docs . 2016-02-16 . live .
13. Web site: The Ukrainian artist Soshenko I.M. 1807-1876 (Carrara marble 0,35x0,35x0,60). Kingofmarble-shmatko.com. 14 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140413125657/http://www.kingofmarble-shmatko.com/engver/w153z.html. 13 April 2014. live.