Vasily Surikov

Vasiliy Surikov is an outstanding Russian master. The master’s works are in the same range as the masterpieces of Russian culture like “Boris Godunov” by A. Pushkin, “War and Peace” by L. Tolstoy, “Khovanshina” by M. Musorgsky.

Vasily Ivanovich Surikov was born in1848 in a Siberian town of Krasnoyarsk. In 1870 the talented youth came to Peterburg and entered the Academy of Arts.

Surikov’s first large painting, the “Morning of the Streltsy Execution” (1881), was devoted to the time of Peter the Great.

The picture “Menshikov in Beryozov” (1883) was devoted to Alexander Menshikov, the statesman at the time of Peter the Great. After the Tsar’s death, Menshikov fell in disgrace and was dismissed from all his posts and exiled to a remote part of Siberia. The picture shows Menshikov with his family in a tiny log hut with a small frozen window, old icons in the corner and and a icon-lamp in front of them. In the centre of the picture is Prince Alexander Menshikov. Next to him is his elder daughter Mary. The model for Mary had been the painter’s wife. Colouristically, this picture is considered the best work in the Russian painting of the XIX century.

During 1884 – 1912 Surikov painted “Boyarinya Morozova”, “Yermak Conquering Siberia”, “Suvorov Crossing the Alps”, “Stepan Razin”, “Princess Visiting a Nunnery”.

Alongside the history pictures, the aster created many portraits, mostly the Siberian women, dressed in old Russian attires. He also made several interesting self-portraits and many exquisite watercolours.

Vasily Surikov died in 1916 in Moscow.

Words

· outstanding master – великий художник, мастер

· range - ряд

· youth - юноша

· enter - поступть

· devoted - посвященный

· statesman – государственный деятель

· disgrace – немилость, опала

· dismiss – увольнять, смещать

· exile – ссылка, изгнание

· remote – отдаленный, далекий