The artists of Evenkia land

Compiler V.Sumakov
Photoreproduction V.Sumakov

Evenkia is the land with severe winters,ringing frost and strong snow-storms. The land where winter lasts nine months, the rest is summer, where the herds of deers roam from place to place in the immense space of taiga and tundra, where rare birds gather together, where bears and gluttons wonder, foxes and polar foxes rove, downy sables live. Evenkia is the land where during short northern summer rivers and smaller rivers that were frozen over with one metre ice get thawed , flowers get bloomed,berries and mushrooms get ripened... For many people Evenkia was and still is the land of romance and exotic character also because here, on Vivi lake there is a geographical centre of our great Russia.

As fate willed it, here, in the very middle of our Motherland many centures ago Evenks -courageous and talanted people - settled down. They enriched mankind material culture with different things: domestication of reindeer, invention of artful means of work - hunting and fishing equipment,adaptapion to the most severe climate. Evenks keep constant touch with nature, its natural beauty.

Everybody can feel the beauty of Evenkia nature. But you have to be a true artist and not only to see but also to show it on the canvas and paper, be able to choose the main things and not to sink in impetuous stream of equivalent images. Evenkia land has given many of such artists.

Maybe the secret is that closeness of nature awakens ability in man`s soul to perceive and express the beauty. It was noted that practically every Evenk child has a talent to drawing and if it`s developed, it can bring good results. The most popular kind of fine arts among Evenks is graphic with prevalence of white and black colours. This colours reproduce peculiarity of Evenk sight in the most exact way: in this land taiga and tundra are covered with blinding white snow for the great part of the year, against the white background black and grey strokes are seen very distinctly, shapes of trees, rocks, caravans of deers, swiftly flying sledge, mating-calls of capercailyes, small jets of smoke above peaked tents... Artists of standing reputation are R. Pikunov, N. Botulu, A. Emidak, unfortunately they died in early age, and also S. Salatkin, N. Hukochar, A. Amelkin...

The last one is Russian, in fact, but who living in Evenkia and having god`s gift cannot be an artist who glorifies the beauty of these places? There`s no coinsidence in the fact, that people who came to Evenkia in different time yield to the beauty of local taiga views, continued to cultivate their talent so they are also considered to be "our" painters and graphics.They are V. Sadovnikov, S Kazantsev, B. Romanovskiy, V. Donchenko, A. Popov.

Every artist has his own way of writing, his own handwriting. Certainly landscapes of Evenkia take greater part in works of artists. They were painted in different seasons, different time of a day. But all these works are full of love to the Motherland, to severe but so beautiful land.


Amelkin Anatoliy Grigorjevich

Amelkin Anatoliy Grigorjevich

Came to Evenkia in 1966. Came right after the service in the armed forces and stayed in the region for ever. The northern land bewitched him,lured him away. His family is here, his children are growing up here. Years of life were devoted to the work in the Red tent and to reindeer-breeding.He always tried to do his best and sacrified his interests to the work. And the great longing for cognition at the same time. And besides - the art. Many of his works are full of freshness of feelings, sharpness of composition, sonority of colouring. On small, refinely coloured pastels - Evenkia. Taiga, hills, snowy passes, reinbreeder`s of normads which fit the landscape so perfectly. Cones of tents and light as tongues of gas flame crowns of larches...

Anatoliy Grigorjevich knows practically all languages of the Northern nations. Amelkin is expert at place-names of Evenkia. Maybe such deep knowledge mixed with love is the reason for this truth, this sharpness of feelings in semi-pictures - semi-drawings. He likes to paint Evenk rivers. Impetuous, with light water rivers where grayling plays and mighty tajmen unexpectedly splashes with his orange tail. These rivers feed with the water The Beauty N-Tunguska - the river of life in Evenk language. The work of A. G. Amelkin pours into one mighty stream called the art. Nobody can dam this stream.
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Botulu Nikolai Hristoforovich

<H3>Botulu Nikolai Hristoforovich Was born in 1932,21 of November in Essey settlement. A self-taught artist. Drew since his childhood. In the childhood he endured all burdens and hardship, lost his mother early in life. Studied in Krasnojarsk. During the last years of life - from 1962 to 1979 - worked in Nidim settlement, was the manager and designer SDK. When he was alive he was aknowledged to be a distinctive artist.In 1970 on the exibition in Moscow he was awarded with diploma of the first degree for his linocuts "Young Reindeer", "Mother and Child", "To the Homeland". His exibitions were organized in Moscow, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and even in Japan. But in spite of this he and his family were financially strepped. Work of Nikolay Hristoforovich, his main genre-painting in which he succeded mostly was linocut. Everyday life of people, his working routine, and of course beautiful northern nature were reflected in his works. There`s 17 years since Nikolay Botulu has died, but his work, his remarkable linocuts, pictures, sketches that prove a distinctve talent of this astonishing person of natural gifts who was aknowledged being alive yet. Being the son of two nations - Yakut and Evenk - he knows two languages perfectly, knows the history of these nations. All this is reflected in his works. The great love to homelan d, true knowledge of the North shines in his work.
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Meshkov Vladimir Iljich

Meshkov Vladimir Iljich Meshkov Vladimir Iljich was born in 1919, in Sayatro-Kayasov village, Chuvash. At the age of eight he with his parents moved to Siberia, Irkutsk region.

Maybe beautiful virgin nature of Siberia awakened the talent in him. In school years his ability to drawing was already revealed. Since 1934 V. I. Meshkov worked in a village large-circulation newspaper, then he many years contributed to regional, city newspapers of Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk region. In 1939 he began to work in Evenkia, in "Evedi oshakta in" newspaper. In exhibit hall of district museum the works of V. I. Meshkov painted in oil in 1940 are displayed.

During the years of work in Evenkia Vladimir Iljich took part in all-union agriculture exhibitions twice. Vladimir Iljich often comes to Evenkia. The North is a source of inspiration for him. Right here he obseves and converts into the language of graphic the romance of taiga, snowy paths, the poetry of labour, the routine of heroic deeds of north people. The works of V. I. Meshkov were exhibited in Berlin, Bucharest, Budapesht, Gunea, Cube, France, Japane...

V. I. Meshkov says about himself:"I saw the North in winter and summer. I saw first green leaves of Evenkia, and never melting snow in Taimir. I wrote articles for hunters and wrote portraits of reinbreeders and fishmen. Working in the local newspaper has taught me to see life with the eyes of my country-men, northerners.

If my works will be able to arouse audience interest to Taimir and Evenkia in some way, help understand the of my nation, I will be the happiest man.

The names and topics of my works are concrete:"Road to Essey", " In Tura"- these are stories about Motherland. This way I saw my Northern land, severe, cold, Motherland of strong, courageous people.
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Pikunov Roman Iljich

Pikunov Roman Iljich Was born in Vanvara village, T-Chunskiy region, Evenk autonomous district, 1941-1982, Evenk.

Graduated from artistic and graphic faculty of Leningrad Gerzen institution. Defended his thesis by the cycle of engravings about romantic story by Mihail Osharov "The water of Kimtchu runs". Pikunov`s thesis was estimated at "exellent" unanimously. Impressions maintained by the artist in early age are expressed in his works. He often spent his vacation in reinbreeders brigades that days.

In his work his favourite graphic prevails.The most interesting engravings are those from series of illustrations to M. Osharov`s novel "Big argish". This book attracted Pikunov`s attention by its rich content, opportunity to express the life of Evenks in the most characteristic and dramatical situations. M. Pikunov worked in portrait genre successfully enough. Inhabitans of Evenkia can be seen on his drawings.

All these works are noted for the author`s ability to express the essence of a man`s character, imprint the sign of man`s destiny in a portrait.

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Popov Aleksandr Ivanovich

Was born in 1950 in Baikit settlement, Russian. Mother is a teacher, father is a chief of RUS, served in GDR, in 1972 graduated from artistic and graphic faculty of Leningrad Gerzen institution.

Worked in BCSH for 9 years, worked as an artist in fishcooperation for 3 years and in section of Culture for 6 years. Now works in BCSH. Start drawing from school years. Exhibited his works in all exhibitions that took place in Baikit settlement, in Krasnoyarsk, Moscow.

Now the artist plans to hold an anniversary exhibition in 1999. Popov`s works are an intricate fusion of painter`s feelings and thoughts.

Years of life spent in Evenkia, passionate desire to tell people about poetic nature of the North helped the artist to find his own topic in the art. Using inspired, expressive language Popov tells us about astonishing places of Evenkia land.

"Awakening", "After the Rain", "Morning in cedar wood" - these and other works impress us with transparence and subtlety of work, creative individuality, ability to penetrate through the depth and multilaterality of the world around us. Since the childhood he liked drawing. First with pen, then with water-colours, later with oil. Landscape, sometimes still-life, touched him most of all. Graphic and wood carving attracted him too. Of course the artist has many projects. The main task is to make public image of Evenk taiga that is to gather characteristic details of nature - combination of the sky, ground, landscape - and to transmit all this to people who live and just don`t pay attention to the beauty around them.
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Sadovnikov Vasiliy Ivanovich

Sadovnikov Vasiliy IvanovichWas born in 1926. Fought at the Leningrad front. Came to Tura in 1950.

Vasiliy Ivanovich Sadovnikov has such a picture. On a snowy field, against a background of a thunderstorm fire of war there is a gun and a soldier`s helmet, and painter`s easel and brush. This picture is about himself.

V. I. Sadovnikov were at the front from the first days of World War II, defended Leningrad.

An artist became a soldier and a soldier became an artist. During all postwar years he worked in the North as a designer, created a galary of pictures about Evenkia. His works were in many exhibitions of district, region, in Moscow.
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Salatkin Sergey Gennadjevich

Salatkin Sergey GennadjevichWas born in 1953. Evenk. Finished High school in Tura in 1970. In 1976 graduated from Moscow architecture institute where painting, sculpture, composition was taught. This fact played great role in his formation as an artist.

Sergey Gennadjevich is one of those who organized the hall of ethnography in Evenkia district museum of local lore.

As an artist he is a draughtsman and prefers to work with black and white colours. He thinks that these colours reproduce peculiarity of Evenk sight in the most exact way. In our land there is snow for the great part of the year, and black and grey strokes, shapes of taiga, deers, dogs stand out against its background.

His pictures were exhibited in district museum, Krasnoyarsk, regional exhibition. The most successful pictures are:"Madonna", "Young Reinbreeders".

In 1989 Krasnoyarsk publishing house issued the by A. S. Pushkin in Evenk language translated by Alitet Nemtushkin - Evenk poet. It was a surprise for many Evenks to know Sergey Salatkin as a book designer. There were no such attempts to go out of the region territory before. It`s a very unusual, original interpretation of the fairy-tail.

Though he studied at architecture institute, he`s rather an artist. It`s really difficult to determine a genre of his works - so wide the range of his creative interests is. He is equally well at making scetches of theatre decorations and costumes, and think of the conception of disign of People Art Festival and make it with his own hands. On his scetches polygraphic production is turned out: posters, cards, leaflets. He`s the author of Evenkia emblem and flag.

He was a designer of three books issued in Krasnoyarsk publishing house. "Evenks are singing and dancing in a ring" by A. Melnik, "Welcome to Tujun" by N. Sviridova, and also "Samelkin" (a mark on deer`s ear) by A.Nemtushkin - collected stories of Evenkia topic.
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Hukochar - Potapova Nadezda Gerasimovna

Nadezda Gerasimovna Hukochar was born in 1955, 6 of March, in Chirinda settlement, in a large family. Studied at Chirinda primary school, then at Tura boarding high school. In 1978 graduated from artistic and graphic faculty of Leningrad Gerzen pedagogical institution. It was really difficult for her to study. Nadezda Gerasimovna found strength and inspiration not only to graduate from institution, but also to carry on creative work as a draughtsman.

It has been 10 years since she started to teach drawing and decorative applied art at Tura boarding auxiliary school. She pays much attention and time to children gifted for drawing. Her students often take part in competetive exhibitions.

The works of N. G. Hukochar were exhibited in the district museum during II all-union Festival of amateur works, and also on regional exhibition.

Nadezda Gerasimovna is very good at portraits. In her works of this genre she shows the character of a person, his inner world. Series of her portraits "The Classmates", portraits of G. N. Hukochar, "Girl in Sailorjaket" are interesting.
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Emidak Anufriy Leonidovich

Emidak Anufriy Leonidovich. B. B. Romanovskiy`s work.Was born in 1936 in Chirinda trading station. He spent his childhood in taiga. After finishing the seven-year school in Tura entered Minusinsk culture and enlihgtener school. From early age he went hunting with his father. Everything he had seen in the forest lay on the paper easily. There were no pencils so he had to draw with coal. At school this passion was skilfully led by teachers. Later he served in the army. His passion came useful to him there, he was an artist in the agitation car. Having come back to Evenkia Anufriy Leonidovich devoted himself to painting. They were landscapes, portraits, everyday life of his countrymen.In the landscapes Anufriy Emidak has created generalized image of Evenkia nature. He writes with scope, glorifies severe nature of Evenkia. Everything here is close: the light blue sky, sparkling snow, magnificent hills and their majestic inhabitans; deers, bears. He loves his land and its people. All his pictures are full of love to the Motherland, to his land and full of admiration to nature. Reproductions of his works were placed in newspapers "Krasnoyarskiy Rabochiy", "Sovetskaiy Evenkia", in magazines"Ogonek","Smena" . Took part in exhibitions of young artists from the North and Far East, was awarded with diploma for participating in exhibition in Habarovsk, in 1963, and in international folk-lore festival in Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, in 1992.
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