Vasily Igorevich Nesterenko: interview. Vasily Igorevich Nesterenko - Biography Historical paintings of Nesterenko in and

Artist Nesterenko Vasily Igorevich, painter, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, full member of the Russian Academy of Arts. Born in Pavlograd, Ukraine in 1967. After training in the workshop of the People's Artist of Russia NS. Prisekin in 1980 entered the Moscow Secondary Art School at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute. IN AND. Surikov to the department of painting, which he graduated in June 1985 with a gold medal. After serving from 1985 to 1987 at the SA, he studied from 1987 to 1994 at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I. IN AND. Surikov, workshop of the People's Artist of the USSR Academician T.T. Salakhov.

Marriage at Cana of Galilee. Patriarchal refectory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 2001

Vasily Nesterenko made a great contribution to the reconstruction of the artistic decoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. His brushes belong to the monumental paintings "Resurrection of Christ", "St. The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew "," The Baptism of the Lord "," The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem ", a cycle of the Theotokos icons, five pictures on gospel subjects for the Patriarch's Refectory and the Shroud. The artist's works can also be seen in the Museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Under his leadership and with his personal participation, new murals were created in the Assumption Cathedral in Dmitrov and the iconostasis in the Millennium Church of the Baptism of Rus in Tsaritsyno. The works of Vasily Igorevich Nesterenko are in large museum collections in Russia and abroad.

Vasily Nesterenko is the author of a number of personal exhibitions, including exhibitions at the Russian Academy of Arts, in the Kremlin, at the New Manezh State Exhibition Hall, at the Museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, as well as numerous exhibitions in Europe and the USA.

View of the Kremlin from the Old Square, 1998

Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 2002

The Last Supper. Patriarchal refectory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 1998

Miraculous multiplication of loaves. Patriarchal refectory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 2001

Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. Icon of the Theotokos cycle of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 2002.

Introduction to the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. Icon of the Theotokos cycle of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 2002.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.Icon of the Theotokos cycle of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 2002

Christmas, 2004

Easter, 2003

Trinity, 2004

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, 1996

Portrait of Patriarch Alexy II, 2000

The image of the Holy Trinity. Painting of the Assumption Cathedral in Dmitrov, 2002

Autumn bouquet, 1998

Memories of Holland, 1998

Spring on Athos, 1996

Autumn in Pechory, 1996

Balaam

Winter in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 1995

Rabbit tracks, 2003

Spring Blossom, 2002

Sakura branch, 2005

Gold Cover, 2005

First snow, 2006

Magic dream, 2005

Sea, 2004

Night light, 2006

Dreams of the Navy, 1995

Triumph of the Russian fleet, 1994

Moscow meets the heroes of Poltava, 1997

Triumph of Catherine, 2007

Defend Sevastopol, 2005

Russian Madonna, 2005

Girl's Dreams, 2003

Mother's portrait, 2004

"Achievement list":

1988 - participation in the All-Union exhibition "Youth of Russia" in the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh", Moscow

1989 : - All-Russian exhibition of young artists in the Central House of Artists, Moscow

1990 : - personal exhibition of graphic works in the Exhibition Hall of the Moscow State Academic Art Institute. V.I.Surikova, Moscow
1991 - personal exhibition at the Happy World Incorporation Gallery in Tokyo, dedicated to Mikhail Gorbachev's visit to Japan
- All-Russian exhibition of portrait in the MOSKh Gallery on Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
1991 — 1992 - Diploma internship under the Ministry of Culture of the USSR at the PRATT Art Institute in New York under the guidance of professors Ross Niar, Phoebe Helman, Frank Lindt
- personal exhibition at the City Bank Gallery in New York
1992 : - personal exhibition at the Ambassador Gallery in SOHO, New York
- accepted as a member of the American League of Professional Artists (ALPH)
- personal exhibition at the Ambassador Gallery with the publication of a catalog of paintings, New York
1994 - Member of the International Federation of Artists UNESCO and the International Art Fund
- Presentation of the painting "Triumph of the Russian Fleet" and personal exhibition at the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, Moscow
1995 : - the beginning of work on sketches of murals in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
- Member of the Moscow Union of Artists
- awarded with the Diploma of the Russian Academy of Arts
1996 : - personal exhibition in the halls of the Russian Academy of Arts with the publication of the album “Vasily Nesterenko. Painting, graphics ”, Moscow

- personal exhibition at the House of the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow
- exhibition of the painting "Triumph of the Russian Fleet" in the Palace of Congresses in the Kremlin as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet
- personal exhibition in the gallery "Mercer", New York
1997 : - personal exhibition in the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, Kremlin, Moscow
- personal exhibition in the "Barvikha" gallery
1998 : - acquisition by the Government of Moscow of the painting "The Last Supper", and donation to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior for placement in the Patriarch's Refectory
1999 : - awarding the honorary title "Honored Artist of the Russian Federation"
- work on the murals of the Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow. “Resurrection of Christ”, “Apostle Matthew” (north-western pylon of the temple); “The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem” (western tympanum of the temple); "Baptism of the Lord" (northern tympanum of the temple)
- at the invitation of the Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchate, he headed a team of artists who worked on the creation of the interior decoration of the Throne Hall of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, built for solemn events dedicated to the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ
2000 : by the decision of the Moscow Government, the State Cultural Institution “Moscow State Art Gallery of Vasily Nesterenko” was created
- with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexei II, work on a cycle of paintings on Gospel subjects for the Patriarchal Refectory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow
- personal exhibition in the Museum of the city of Ostashkov within the framework of the Irina Arkhipova Music Festival on Seliger
- headed a team of artists who worked on the creation of the artistic decoration of the Entrance Hall of the Hall of Church Cathedrals of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, was the author of ten murals
- award with the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 2nd degree for work on the murals of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
- personal exhibition "Autumn Landscape" in the cultural center UPDK, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Moscow
2000 — 2001 - work on four canvases: "Marriage at Cana of Galilee", "Miraculous multiplication of loaves", "Christ and the Samaritan woman", "Miraculous catch" for the Patriarchal refectory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow
2001 : exhibition "Path to the Temple", Museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
- Elected Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts
- personal exhibition at the Russian Cultural Foundation
- Election of the Chairman of the Board of the Charitable Foundation "CREATIVITY"
2002 : - work on the cycle of the Theotokos icons and the Shroud for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
- personal exhibition at the Museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the birth, and the presentation of paintings from the Gospel cycle of the Patriarchal Refectory
- at the invitation of the Head of Administration of the Dmitrovsky District of the Moscow Region, he headed the creative team that worked on the creation of a new picturesque decoration of the Assumption Cathedral in Dmitrov - a cultural monument of federal significance. Work on the murals “The Image of the Holy Trinity”, “The Last Supper”, “Prayer for the Chalice”, “Calvary” in the Dmitrovsky Assumption Cathedral
- with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexei II, we invite a team of artists and icon painters to create a picturesque decoration of the Life-Giving Trinity Church, built in honor of the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia in Tsaritsyno, Moscow
- personal exhibition at the Famagusta Gates Exhibition Hall, Nicosia, Cyprus
- personal exhibition at the Museum of Books and Printing in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
2003 : - at the invitation of the vice-mayor of Moscow V.P. Shantsev, he headed a team of artists and restorers who are working to recreate the artistic decoration of the Temple in the name of the Assumption of the Mother of God in the village of Domnino, Susaninsky district of the Kostroma region, the family estate of the Romanovs
- personal exhibition at the State Orenburg Art Museum
2004 : - personal exhibition at the State Exhibition Hall "Manezh", Moscow
- personal exhibition at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1955. on Poklonnaya Hill
- personal exhibition at the Oryol State Museum of Fine Arts
- conferring the honorary title "People's Artist of the Russian Federation"
- personal exhibition in the Museum complex of the city of Dmitrov
- Elected a member of the Expert Commission for awarding State Prizes in the field of literature and art in the Central Federal District
- personal exhibition in the art gallery of the Vologda Kremlin Museum-Reserve
- personal exhibition at the Central House of Art Workers, Moscow
2005 : - personal exhibition in the Lipetsk Regional Exhibition Hall
- personal exhibition at the Sevastopol Art Museum named after M.P. Kroshitsky
2006 : - personal exhibition at the Moscow State Exhibition Hall "New Manezh"
- personal exhibition at the Ryazan Art Museum
- personal exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia

- personal exhibition at the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus
2007 : - personal exhibition in the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore
- personal exhibition at the House of the Government of the Russian Federation
- personal exhibition in the Bryansk Regional Art Museum and Exhibition Center
- elected as a Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts
2008 : -exhibition in the "Obraz Regional Art Gallery", Kaluga
- personal exhibition at the Belgorod State Art Museum
- personal exhibition at the Tyumen Regional Museum of Fine Arts
- personal exhibition at the Ukrainian House, Kiev
- personal exhibition in the State Institution of Culture of Moscow "State Historical-Architectural, Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve" Tsaritsyno "
2009 : - personal exhibition at FGU "House of Cosmonauts"
- personal exhibition at the Yaroslavl Art Museum
- personal exhibition at the Embassy of the DPRK
- personal exhibition at the Russian Academy of Arts
- personal exhibition at the Academy of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation
- personal exhibition at the Central Museum of the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation
- personal exhibition at the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh"
2010 : - personal exhibition at the Chuvash National Art Museum of Cheboksary
- personal exhibition at the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation
- personal exhibition at MSTU im. N. E. Bauman
- personal exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Academy of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation
2011 : - personal exhibition at the Academy of Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- personal exhibition in the Museum and Exhibition Center "Worker and Kolkhoz Woman"

2004, March- personal exhibition at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1955. on Poklonnaya Hill

2004, May - June- personal exhibition at the Oryol State Museum of Fine Arts

2004, September - October - personal exhibition in the Museum complex of the city of Dmitrov

2004, October - participation in the exhibition “The Bible in the paintings of Russian artists of the 18th-20th centuries”, organized by the Moscow Patriarchate in cooperation with the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum

2004, October- was elected a member of the Expert Commission for awarding State Prizes in the field of literature and art in the Central Federal District

2004, October - December - personal exhibition in the picture gallery of the Vologda Kremlin Museum-Reserve

2004, November - personal exhibition at the Central House of Art Workers, Moscow

2005, June- presentation of the painting "Defend Sevastopol" in the State Historical Museum, Moscow

2005, August- personal exhibition at the Sevastopol Art Museum named after M.P. Kroshitsky

2005, October- presentation of the portrait of V. Matorin in the role of Boris Godunov in the Union of Theater Workers of Russia

2006, January - February- personal exhibition at the Moscow State Exhibition Hall “New Manezh”.
Elected a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts

2006, June - July- personal exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia

2006, December- personal exhibition at the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus

2007, February - March- personal exhibition in the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore

2007, February - March- personal exhibition at the House of the Government of the Russian Federation

2007, April - May- personal exhibition in the Bryansk Regional Art Museum and Exhibition Center

2007, April- participation in the exhibition “Historical and Cultural Heritage of Moscow. 10 years of development "in the Central Exhibition Hall" Manezh ", Moscow

2007, June- participation in the Jubilee Exhibition dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Arts in the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh", St. Petersburg

2007, June - September- participation in the exhibition “We will remember the harsh autumn ... Moscow. 1941 "in the building of Provision shops

2007, October- participation in the opening of the Historical Forum and the November historical and musical festival "Pearls of Russia"

2007, November - December- participation in the exhibition "Dedicated to the Fatherland" at the Moscow Academic Art Lyceum of the Russian Academy of Arts

2008, January - February- personal exhibition in the Regional Picture Gallery Obraz, Kaluga

2008, February - March- personal exhibition at the Belgorod State Art Museum

2008, April - May- participation in the exhibition "Moscow family: traditions and modernity" in the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh"

2008, April - August- participation in the exhibition of FGUK "State Central Museum named after A. A. Bakhrushin"

2008, June - July- personal exhibition at the Tyumen Regional Museum of Fine Arts

2008, September - November- Elected a member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Arts.
Personal exhibition in the State Institution of Culture of Moscow "State Historical, Architectural, Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve" Tsaritsyno "

2010, January - February- participation in the exhibition of the Moscow Academic Art Lyceum “A. V. Dronov and his students "

2010, February - March- personal exhibition at the Central Museum of the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation

2010, August - September- personal exhibition in the Chuvash National Art Museum in Cheboksary

2011, January - March- personal exhibition at the Academy of Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Member of the Patriarchal Council for Culture.

2011, March - May- personal exhibition in the Museum and Exhibition Center "Worker and Kolkhoz Woman"

2011, September - 2012, February- personal exhibition in the State Institution of Culture of Moscow "State Historical-Architectural, Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve" Tsaritsyno "

2012, February - March- jubilee personal exhibition "Distant Frontiers"
at the Russian Academy of Arts

2012, March - May- personal exhibition "Great milestones in Russian history"
in the State Institution of Culture of Moscow "State Historical, Architectural, Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve" Tsaritsyno "

2014, May - June- personal exhibition “Russia. History and modernity "
at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing

2014, June- participation in the exhibition "Symbols of the Fatherland 2014" in Moscow.
Member of the Central Council of the Russian Military Historical Society. Presentation of portraits of M.Yu. Lermontov and F. Cooper at the Library of Congress, Washington.

2014, August- participation in the meeting of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin with cultural figures
in the House-Museum of A.P. Chekhov in Yalta

2014, October - November- personal exhibition at the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum

2015 - Artistic director of the exhibition project RVIO "Remember ... the world was saved by a Soviet soldier!" (together with S.A. Shcherbakov), Moscow State Exhibition Hall "New Manezh". Personal exhibition "We are Russians, God is with us!", Sevastopol. Personal exhibition "The Light of Christ enlightens everyone", Vatican Museums

2015 – 2016 - work on the murals of the Church of St. Panteleimon the Great Martyr and Healer in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos

2016, December - 2017, January- exhibition "Russian Athos" in the halls of the Russian Academy of Arts

2017, February - March- jubilee personal exhibition "Our Glory - Russian Power!" at the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh", Moscow; April May- in the St. Petersburg Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh"

“You can imagine how important and relevant it is now - to convey to our people, to our consciousness, the greatness and power of Russia.”

V. Nesterenko

Biography. The young years of Vasily Nesterenko

The youngest People's Artist of Russia was born in the Ukraine in Pavlograd in 1967. After the death of his father, at the age of 9, he began serious training in painting, and in 1980 he entered the Moscow Secondary Art School at the Academic Art Institute. Surikov. Vasily Igorevich was an excellent student and graduated from a secondary art school with a gold medal.

In October 1985 he entered the faculty of painting at the Surikov Institute, but in the winter of the same year he was drafted into the army, where he served until 1987. After the army, he continued his studies at the institute and in the class of academician T.T. Salatova. Among the teachers were prof. L.L. Shepelev, prof. S.N. Shilnikov, N.P. Khristolyubov and E.N. Troshev, but T.T. Salad, which the artist will write about more than once in his articles.

In the fall of 1988, Nesterenko participates in the All-Union exhibition "Youth of Russia" in the Moscow "Manezh". This exhibition brings him success and until 1990 he participated in several more exhibitions of young artists.

The first personal exhibition of a promising artist took place in April 1990 at the Exhibition Hall of the Moscow State Academic Art Institute. Surikov. Another sign of his success was the purchase by the Kiev Art Museum of the painting "Chernobyl" in May 1990. This is followed by many exhibitions, both at home and abroad.

From September 1991 to June 1992, Nesterenko undergoes a diploma internship on behalf of the USSR Ministry of Culture at the PRATT Art Institute in New York, where his leaders were such eminent personalities as Ross Near, Phoebe Helman and Frank Lindt. Members of the American League of Professional Artists (ALPH) come to his exhibition, who are so delighted with the young talent that in April 1992 they accepted him into their organization. For a resounding success during the period of New York creativity, Nesterenko was awarded the Honorary Prize at the 64th National Exhibition of the ALPH.

Upon returning to his homeland, Nesterenko took up his thesis "Triumph of the Russian Fleet" (1994). In the spring of 1994, Nesterenko brilliantly defends his diploma and graduates from the Surikov Institute. At the same time, he became a member of the UNESCO International Federation of Artists.

Biography. The mature years of Vasily Nesterenko

Since Vasily Nesterenko achieved success very early on, the period of maturity can be counted from the moment of completion of his studies at the institute. He quickly found his way in art, he is capable of all genres of painting: from historical paintings to psychological portraits.

In 1995, he began work on sketches of murals in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which, already in 1996, won the competition and Nesterenko became one of the restorers. He works a lot on sketches and in 1999 the monumental painting was completed. For the design of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, he was awarded the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 2nd degree.

At the age of 33, in May 1999, Vasily Nesterenko became an honored artist of the Russian Federation, and in 2000, the state cultural institution "Vasily Nesterenko's Moscow Art Gallery" was created. His hard work and zeal for work are stunning: after all, not every artist is able to create a collection for an exhibition in the New Manege, especially at such a young age.

In 2002 he took part in the painting of the Assumption Cathedral in Dmitrov. In 2003 his albums were published. Later he painted the Assumption Temple in Domnino, the Throne Hall of the Patriarch of Jerusalem in Jerusalem.

In 2004 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation, and in 2007 he was elected a Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts.

The most famous paintings by Vasily Nesterenko

The paintings in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior include the following works: "The Resurrection of Christ", "The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew", "The Baptism of the Lord", "The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem", as well as four icons of the Theotokos, five paintings on biblical themes for the Patriarchal Refectory and a shroud that literally mesmerizes the viewer.

The Triumph of the Russian Fleet (1994) is a huge work, 6 meters long, striking not only in its size, but also in its technique. It is hard to imagine how difficult it is to write such a variety of portraits in one painting without losing the central figure - Peter I. Made in the classical style of Russian painting, it is filled with dynamics in the movements of the characters and the contrast between military suits and women's jewelry.

The historical canvas "Let's Defend Sevastopol", created in 2005, was a kind of declamation of the artist that the main task of his contemporaries is to honor the victories of their ancestors.

The genre portraits "Unconquered" (2005) and "Alone with myself" (1995) are images of "heroes of my time" - people who live an unusual life and are happy in their loneliness and inner harmony.

Belonging of Nesterenko's paintings to artistic styles

Nesterenko works mainly in the style of Russian classical painting. For him, examples are Nesterov, Ivanov, Vasnetsov and Van Dyck. In historical canvases and in religious painting, especially in the painting "Alone with Oneself", there are similarities with Nesterov: he also tries to find beauty in the ascetic lifestyle of monks.

Museums and galleries - places of exhibitions of paintings by Vasily Nesterenko

Museum and Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Central Museum of the Armed Forces of Russia

Russian Academy of Arts .

View all paintings by the artist Nesterenko V.G. can

© Artist Nesterenko. Biography of the artist Nesterenko. Pictures, description of paintings by artist Nesterenko

Personal exhibition of Vasily Nesterenko
"Our glory is the Russian state!"
at the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh"

Exhibition of the famous artist opens at the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh"

He is one of those on whom the Russian land is held, one of the participants in the press conference said about Vasily Nesterenko - Alexander Rozhkin, academician, member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Arts, editor-in-chief of the Tretyakov Gallery magazine. And at the very beginning of his short speech, rather an introduction to the exhibition, he called the artist an ascetic of Russian culture.

In the presence of representatives of many media outlets, in fact, such things are not simply said all over Russia. And it was these words that came to mind when, after the press conference, I left the building of ITAR-TASS, which is at the beginning of Tverskoy Boulevard. It was a stone's throw from here to the Manege, where Vasily Nesterenko prepares his paintings for the show. A little over a kilometer, about 20 minutes on foot, leisurely, along Bolshaya Nikitskaya. On this street, by the way, 100 years ago in the house No. 5 in December 1916 - March 1917 the jubilee, 45th, exhibition of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions was held. At that time Moscow also exhibited the "Union of Russian Artists", "World of Art", the Moscow Association of Artists.

In general, the first two months of the revolutionary 1917 for the masters of fine arts coincided with the zenith of the exhibition season. “There is such an abundance of exhibitions in Moscow,” the reviewer noted, “as if Russian artists were obliged to paint pictures instead of military service… There are eleven in total. It seems like a bit too much for a year of experienced events. " At the same time, one of the directors of the Art Theater, Vl. Nemirovich-Danchenko was not at all groundlessly asking the question: “Is it certain that at the present time society is really interested in new achievements in art? Can it be interested in this now? Does he have enough attention for this? " And the artist Apollinarius Vasnetsov wrote: "The modern direction of art, its alienation from life, naturally, in no way can react to the exciting events of recent times: it passes without a trace for him."

A hundred years later, these problems - whether today's society is really interested in art, whether art is alienated from life, in Russia - are not so acute, although they have not disappeared anywhere. At the press conference, a question was raised about the attitude of Vasily Nesterenko to the fact that there is still a division of artists into "white" and "red" (realists and avant-gardists).

And the artist replied that confrontation is inevitable in art, but "it is not necessary to stifle either one or the other, then there will be a wide palette." And as an example, he named Zurab Tsereteli, who "reconciled everyone."

Nesterenko said that at one time he also studied with Tair Salakhov (People's Artist of the USSR), a kind of Soviet "almost avant-garde artist." And he stressed: our main task is to overcome the split in society, otherwise we can slip into turmoil. He also said that the state could lose art education.

Surprisingly, today the artist has outlined almost the same problems that agitated Russia a century ago. “At the present time,” wrote the critic A. Rostislavov in 1917, “it is hardly possible to speak of a specific banner of this or that advanced art society. Splitting into separate societies and circles is indeed a very noticeable phenomenon in our country in the last decade. Apparently, the time for salons is ripe for us. " This idea of ​​exhibitions, like the Parisian Salons, where artists representing all trends of contemporary art would gather under one roof, was expressed everywhere. In Moscow on Easter 1917, the opening of the exhibition "Spring Salon" was planned, at which the participation of all art societies was expected and the hope was expressed that "such an exhibition would be able to vividly and most typically (32) present all existing trends in contemporary art."

In arranging such exhibitions, contemporaries saw an opportunity to put an end to the transformation of exhibitions “into a sales market”, hoped that they would be able to move “Russian art forward” and, being the highest court for artists, would help them to improve. And this was also one of the features of the artistic life of the beginning of 1917. And today, just look at those grandiose queues that line up in the country's art galleries, and many questions that are drawn to us from the past will disappear by themselves ...

Vasily Nesterenko, People's Artist of Russia, full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, has this third solo exhibition in the Bolshoi Manezh.

In the entire history of this main exhibition hall in the country, only a few artists have been awarded such a high honor. And not everyone, frankly speaking, is capable of such a titanic work as arranging a personal exhibition on an area of ​​10 thousand square meters. m, where, according to Vladislav Kononov, executive director of the Russian Military Historical Society and one of the organizers of the exhibition, 1,000 works by Vasily Nesterenko are being prepared for display. To which the artist replied: "Not counting the small ones." And he said that reproductions of paintings from Mount Athos and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in full size will also be presented.

In general, the artist's track record includes so many personal exhibitions that it is almost impossible to list all of them. However, among them there are some that cannot be forgotten. These are exhibitions held in the Russian Academy of Arts, in the Kremlin, in the Government House of the Russian Federation, in the Museum of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in the Museum of Books and Printing in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in the Ukrainian House (Kiev), in many cities of Russia and abroad, including in Prague, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo, New York ... The closer you get to know the work of Nesterenko, the more astonishing the scale of his activities. He can simultaneously lead several large projects, almost every year he holds several personal exhibitions in the country. At the same time, the concept of "Russia" includes for the artist both Ukraine and Belarus, which he spoke about more than once.

The previous exposition at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall took place in the summer of 2010 and was called “Russia - the Link of Times”. The current exhibition of Vasily Nesterenko was named "Our Glory - Russian State!" Consonant and symbolic!

The exposition is timed to the 50th anniversary of the artist and, strange as it may seem, to the 35th anniversary of his creative activity. The master asked about this oddity.

“I painted portraits on envelopes at school. There was such a job. The first time I took part in an exhibition in the 7th grade. In general, you need to set yourself the maximum goals. If you don’t try, nothing will work, ”he said.

Vasily Nesterenko writes in the realistic manner of Russian classical painting and works in various genres. The basis of the new exhibition is historical works reflecting the turning points of Russian history: "Deliverance from the Troubles" (a fragment of the picture - in the photo) , "The death of the invasion", "Moscow meets the heroes of Poltava", "Defend Sevastopol!", "Triumph of the Russian fleet", "We are Russians, God is with us!" other.

“For me, history is not just events. This is a reason to speak in the language of history about the present, - said Vasily Nesterenko. - “Getting Rid of Troubles” is an important topic. The Time of Troubles is always relevant for Russia ... 1612. The people recite repentance, and the whole course of history has changed. Archbishop Arseny said recently that "our Fatherland is now on the scales of God's justice."

For four years the artist worked on the creation of this grandiose canvas.

When the artist is asked about historical parallels, he explains his position as follows: ““ Defend Sevastopol ”for me means - we will defend the Kuriles, Kaliningrad, Crimea, we will defend Moscow, in the end. The historical theme in my understanding is a bridge to the present and the future. "

We add that historical painting requires detailed knowledge of the depicted era, even the state of the weather. For example, the fact that on the day of the victorious entry of Peter I to Moscow, it snowed, as shown on the canvas of Nesterenko.

By the way, on the day of the press conference, the air was frosty, fresh and transparent, as happens in Moscow at the turn of January-February. And when I went out into the street, the sun was already sinking, but still gleaming in the golden domes of the Great Ascension Cathedral, flooding the upper floors of houses on Nikitsky Boulevard with bright light, oblique rays touched the roofs of the old buildings of Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street. And above all this splendor hung a young moon filled with silver light. Believe it or not, the phases of today's moon almost coincide with those that were observed in 1917. And in Moscow today, too, many exhibitions are open, both good and different. “But his (Nesterenko's) paintings have spiritual magnetism,” noted Alexander Rozhkin. And Vladislav Kononov emphasized: “How much you need to know in order not to fall under the court of professional historians. But they have no complaints about the artist. Vasily Nesterenko's paintings are a weapon in the fight against falsifications of history. Nesterenko's mission is to carry the historical truth. "

“For me, the First World War is the pinnacle of the Russian spirit,” said Vasily Nesterenko. Painting "We are Russians, God is with us!" and is dedicated to the First World War, more precisely - to one of its heroic episodes. For a long time the Germans could not take the weakly defended Osovets fortress and decided to let gas on the Russian troops. When, driven by a favorable wind, a thick cloud of a poisonous mixture of chlorine and phosgene approached the Russian positions, even the grass withered, and our soldiers and officers did not have gas masks. The Germans took truncheons, studded with nails, and moved on to "clean up the territory" - to finish off the surviving soldiers. But the poisoned Russians, doomed to death, rose to hand-to-hand combat. "Attack of the Dead" - later called this impulse of several hundred warriors.

Russian newspapers of that time asked: “What does“ enlightened ”Europe bring us? Poisonous gases and clubs for finishing off Russian soldiers. Cultural barbarians! " Since then, Europe has not changed in its attitude towards Russia. And the questions to the "civilized" countries remained the same.

A series of works "Oh, Russian land!" Is a true anthem of Central Russia with its poetic nature, temples and monasteries. “He is devoted to the Fatherland,” Alexander Rozhkin emphasized during a press conference. - His art fosters an attitude towards his roots. In his work, Russia appears as the Phoenix bird. This is a concern for future generations. "

“They ask,” says the artist, “why don't you paint the volcanoes of Indonesia? Let others draw them, and I will draw our mountains, our rivers. And when I find myself in an icy river in Altai, I know why I am doing this, but in Indonesia I don’t know. ” A series of landscape paintings was the result of the artist's creative trips to Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, to the Sayan Mountains and to Baikal. The works dedicated to the nature of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East are combined into a cycle called “On the Distant Frontiers”.

Vasily Nesterenko's real creative success was his participation in the restoration of the murals of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. For this, a team of almost three hundred artists was created in order to get the work done in the shortest possible time. The most difficult task required not only the highest professional skill, but also the ability to paint in the manner of the greatest painters of the 19th century.

Vasily worked fourteen hours a day. As befits an icon painter, he fasted and prayed before starting work, and then climbed the scaffolding and painted the temple, doing this without any drawings or grids, directly. It was he who made the murals "The Resurrection of Christ", "The Apostle Matthew", "The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem", "The Baptism of the Lord" for the Cathedral, wrote the cycle of the Theotokos icons and the Shroud, "The Last Supper" and pictures of the Gospel cycle for the Patriarchal refectory. “The temple has been restored the way Russia deserves it now,” said Vasily Nesterenko.

Before the beginning of the painting of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the artist completed work on the icon "The Image of the Mother of God Unexpected Joy" and on the painting "The Crucifixion".

And there was also Athos in his life, where for almost a year he led a group of artists, which, with the blessing of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and the elders of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery, painted the church of St. Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon on Old Rusik.

It is almost 3500 sq. m! During a press conference, Vasily Nesterenko remarked: "They say that Athos is heaven on earth, but heaven on earth is hard."

Female images play a significant role in the artist's work. The portraits of women created by him, as he says, always emphasize the merits of their models. For example, the painting "Alena" depicts a girl with a huge bouquet of daisies. The heroine of the painting "Indian Summer", a girl from the Russian hinterland, stands in a thin dress and rubber boots near a fence overgrown with weeds ... The portraits "Maiden's Dreams" and "Premonition of Love", imbued with delicate lyricism, are also devoted to the theme of female expectation.

But, I think, the strongest impression in this series is made by the painting "Russian Madonna". Until recently, I did not know that it depicts the artist's wife Olga and son Vanya. And in the painting "Spring" - Olga too ...

A very special place in the artist's work is occupied by a portrait of his mother, Galina Vasilievna. It was my mother who helped Vasily become an artist. From her - and love for the native Fatherland.

According to experts, the most capacious image of the Motherland is reflected in the epic picture of Vasily Nesterov "Oh, Russian land!" The line is taken from "The Lay of Igor's Campaign." (Oh, Russian land! You are already over the hill!) In this brilliant poem of antiquity, the Russian land is perceived as something single, as the property of the people coming from one root, despite strife, strife and troubled times ...

But, as Vasily Nesterenko said, “you have to watch the works”. And all the time of the press conference on the wall of the spacious room, a fragment of the picture "Deliverance from the Troubles" was shown in front of the journalists' eyes. And in response to the question whether he likes to give interviews, the master said: “Telling is not my profession. It is not my face that should know, but my works ”.

Many of the master's canvases will be exhibited for the first time. And not at all for the sake of a compliment, Alexander Rozhkin remarked: "This is not just an exhibition, it is a phenomenon in the cultural life of Russia."

Let's listen to the competent opinion. And let us remind you that the personal exhibition of Vasily Nesterenko "Our glory is the Russian state!" will be held at the Central Exhibition Hall "Manezh" from February 10 to March 3, 2017 and the opening will take place tomorrow, February 9.

Especially for the "Century"

The article was published within the framework of the socially significant project “Russia and the Revolution. 1917 - 2017 "with the use of state support funds allocated as a grant in accordance with the order of the President of the Russian Federation dated 08.12.2016 No. 96 / 68-3 and on the basis of a competition held by the All-Russian public organization" Russian Union of Rectors ".