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Biography. The meaning of Surikov Ivan Zakharovich in a brief biographical encyclopedia Vasily Surikov short biography for children

As a child, he lived very poorly, especially after his father died from tuberculosis when he was only 11 years old. After graduating from two classes of the parochial school, Surikov entered the district school. It was while studying there that Vasily began to draw. After finishing my studies, I went to work, since my family did not have money to continue my studies. By chance, his drawings were seen by the governor himself, who helped him enter the Academy of Arts of the city of St. Petersburg, where Surikov studied from 1869 to 1875. In 1877 he moved to Moscow and lived there until the end of his life.

On January 25, 1878, he married Elizaveta Shara, with whom he had two daughters, Elena and Olga. In 1888, his wife died, which was a terrible blow for Surikov - he did not even paint for some time.

Traveled a lot, visited Italy, France, Spain, Crimea and other places. In 1910, he helped open a drawing school in his native Krasnoyarsk.

The most important paintings: “Boyaryna Morozova”, “Morning of the Streltsy Execution”, “Suvorov’s Crossing of the Alps”, “Capture of the Snowy Town”, “Conquest of Siberia by Ermak Timofeevich”, “Menshikov in Berezovo”, “Stepan Razin”, “Visit to the Princess of the Women” Monastery", "Portrait of a Daughter".

Vasily Ivanovich Surikov made a great contribution to the development of the Russian art school. He was born on January 24 (January 12 - according to the old calendar) 1848 in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. Surikov’s parents, father Ivan Vasilyevich Surikov, who served as the provincial registrar, and mother Praskovya Fedorovna, née Torgoshina, belonged to the descendants of the first Cossack families. His paternal ancestors may have come to these lands from the Don almost during the time of Ermak. Cossack origin was a source of special pride for Surikov - this is evidenced by the fact that Vasily Ivanovich directly called himself a Russian Cossack.

We know about the early years of Surikov’s life, childhood, mainly from the work of the poet M. Voloshin. Shortly before the painter's death, in 1913, M. Voloshin, while working on a monograph about Surikov, ordered by I. Grabar, often met and talked with the outstanding artist.

In 1859, the artist’s father dies, his family finds itself in a difficult financial situation. Praskovya Fedorovna was forced to rent out the second floor of her house to tenants, and she herself did not refuse odd jobs. Surikov graduated from the Krasnoyarsk district school in 1861 and entered the service of the provincial administration as a clerical officer. By this time he had already decided that he would become an artist. Great luck and success for Surikov was his acquaintance with N. Grebnev, who became his first mentor and teacher. Grebnev recognized great potential in the teenager, and gently but persistently began to guide him in the right direction.

The governor of Krasnoyarsk P. Zamyatin also took part in the fate of the talented person, who sent a petition to St. Petersburg with a request to enroll Surikov in the Academy. Despite the fact that the application was accepted, the Academy refused to pay Surikov a scholarship. Industrialists from Siberia in those days were distinguished by the breadth of their philanthropic activities; they spared no expense on both cultural and educational work. Among them was gold miner P. Kuznetsov, who undertook to provide Surikov with everything necessary for the period of his studies at the Academy. At the end of 1868, Surikov, with Kuznetsov’s industrial train, set off to conquer the artistic world. The journey to St. Petersburg took two months.

However, Surikov was not accepted into the Academy right away - he had to study a little at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, where he “trained” his hand by drawing plaster casts, only after that he was enrolled in the Academy as a volunteer. Surikov became a full-fledged student of the Academy in August 1870, having completed a three-year training program on his own.

After this came triumphs. Unfortunately and to the indignation of Surikov’s teacher P. Chistyakov, who guaranteed an overseas internship, Surikov did not receive a gold medal after graduating from the Academy. Six months later, Surikov was still offered a trip abroad, but he refused it, taking up the task of painting frescoes in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Belokamennaya.

Thanks to his work in the temple, the artist gained financial independence and a new habitat. Once in Belokamennaya, Surikov immediately felt familiar and moved to Pervoprestolnaya for good. “Menshikov in Berezovo”, “Boyaryna Morozova”, “Morning of the Streltsy Execution” created here brought Vasily Ivanovich well-deserved recognition and a place among the outstanding painters of that era. After the showing of “The Morning of the Streltsy Execution” in 1881, Surikov became an active participant in the Itinerants movement for 26 years, leaving the Association only in 1907, realizing that this movement was hindering the further development of painting.

As for the personal life of Vasily Ivanovich, it is necessary to note his marriage with Elizaveta Augustovna Share, concluded in 1878. They lived ten happy years; Elizaveta Augustovna gave birth to two daughters to Surikov. After a serious illness, she died in 1888; her death became the cause of Surikov’s severe depression. He stopped writing and in 1889 he left with his children for Krasnoyarsk, expecting to stay in the “city of childhood” forever.

Here, in our “small homeland,” depression recedes. Almost by force, Surikov’s brother forces him to begin writing “The Capture of the Snow Town.” Surikov became interested in his work, and in the fall of 1890 he returned to Moscow. The entire period of the 1890s was marked by a new search for content and color - and, of course, new pictorial masterpieces, always exhibited among the “Itinerants”.

In this and the following decade, Vasily Ivanovich traveled a lot and often. He visited Siberia, Crimea, the Oka and the Volga. Visited Spain, Switzerland, Italy, France. At the end of his life, Surikov remained captivated by grandiose ideas. But, unfortunately, “Krasnoyarsk Riot”, “Pugachev”, “Princess Olga” remained unfinished. While on vacation and treatment in Crimea in 1915, Surikov painted his last self-portrait, which serves as a suitable illustration of the characterization given by Voloshin.

The outstanding Russian Itinerant artist died on March 19 (March 6 according to the old calendar) in Moscow. The Vagankovskoe cemetery became the artist’s last refuge.

Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (January 12 (24), 1848, Krasnoyarsk - March 6 (19), 1916, Moscow) - Russian painter, master of large-scale historical paintings.

Biography of Vasily Surikov

Surikov was born on January 12 (24), 1848 in Krasnoyarsk, he belonged to a family of Cossacks who came to Siberia from the Don with Ermak back in the 16th century. Baptized on January 13 in All Saints Church. Grandfather - Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (died in 1854), grandfather's cousin - Alexander Stepanovich Surikov (1794-1854), was the ataman of the Yenisei Cossack Regiment. He had immeasurable strength. Once, during a storm, a Cossack raft broke away from the shore, the ataman rushed into the river, grabbed the towline and, like a hero in the epic, pulled the raft ashore. Atamansky Island on the Yenisei is named in his honor. Grandfather Vasily Ivanovich Torgoshin served as a centurion in Turukhansk.

Father - collegiate registrar Ivan Vasilyevich Surikov. Mother - Praskovya Fedorovna Torgoshina - was born on October 14, 1818 in the Cossack village of Torgoshino near Krasnoyarsk (modern name Torgashino). In 1854, my father was transferred to serve in the excise department in the village of Sukhoi Buzim (currently Sukhobuzimskoye, Sukhobuzimsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory).

Surikov’s daughter Olga was married to the artist Pyotr Petrovich Konchalovsky. His granddaughter Natalya Konchalovskaya was a writer, among her works is the biography of her grandfather “The Priceless Gift.” Her children are the great-grandchildren of Vasily Surikov: Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrei Konchalovsky. Great-granddaughter - Olga Semyonova.

Surikov's creativity

Surikov confirmed his gift as an outstanding historical painter in the paintings of Menshikov in Berezovo (1883) and Boyarynya Morozova (1887; both paintings are in the same place), also a kind of complex and at the same time impressively holistic visual novels - about the Siberian exile of the once powerful Peter the Great a courtier and about the removal of an Old Believer ascetic to the prison. The colorful expressiveness of the details is combined with the virtuosity of the overall direction.

Not inferior to all these three “choral paintings” (as Stasov called these kinds of multi-figure scenes) is The Taking of the Snowy Town (1891, Russian Museum), which is entirely dedicated to modern folk life - the Maslenitsa game, presented as cheerful and at the same time crushingly menacing element.

Subsequent “choral” paintings (Conquest of Siberia by Ermak, 1895; Suvorov’s Crossing of the Alps, 1899; Stepan Razin, 1903–1907; all in the Russian Museum) already represent a certain kind of decline. Epic scenes of Russian expansion in Siberia, the anti-French campaign in the Swiss Alps and, finally, an episode from the life of the beloved hero of folk songs are written masterfully, but without the complex and polyphonic drama that distinguishes the best works of the master.

In an effort to achieve maximum convincingness of the figurative action, in his later works Surikov reduces the number of figures, while simultaneously increasing the expressiveness of the colorful texture (Visit to the Princess of the Convent, 1912, Tretyakov Gallery; Annunciation, 1914, Art Gallery, Krasnoyarsk).

In the latter case, the master completely adheres to the Art Nouveau style in its religious version.

Surikov’s best works always stood out for their remarkable – highly constructive, and not just decorative – color. His late watercolors are impressive with their color expression, especially those created in Spain, where he traveled in 1910 with his son-in-law, the artist P.P. Konchalovsky. Surikov died in Moscow on March 6 (19), 1916.

Artist's works

  • Boyarina Morozova
  • Taking the snow town
  • Suvorov's crossing of the Alps
  • The morning of the Streltsy execution
  • Menshikov in Berezovo


  • Great masquerade in 1772 on the streets of Moscow with the participation of Peter I and Prince Caesar I.F. Romodanovsky
  • Hawthorn with arms crossed on her chest
  • Evening in St. Petersburg
  • View of the monument to Peter I on Senate Square in St. Petersburg
  • Bell tower of Ivan the Great and domes of the Assumption Cathedral
  • Visit of the princess to the convent
  • Church in the village of Dyakovo
  • Patriarch Hermogenes in prayer for the overthrow of the Tushino thief
  • Female portrait

Vasily Surikov is an artist, an outstanding master in Russian fine art of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Surikov’s work is closely connected with the bright periods of Russian history; in his large-scale works, the artist truthfully conveyed the characteristic features of the Russian people, their identity and vital essence.

Vasily Surikov came from a poor Cossack family and was close to his people from early childhood. The paintings of the artist Surikov are very remarkable for their magnificent coloristic interpretation of writing, where there is a clear innovation of the artist in creating colorful canvases, the colorful composition of which is still studied by modern artists today.

Surikov Vasily Ivanovich brief biography and creativity. . The artist was born in the city of Krasnoyarsk into a Cossack family. From early childhood, the artist showed the beginnings of a talent for drawing. At the age of eight, the boy was accepted to study at the Krasnoyarsk parish school, where his ability to draw was discovered by his teacher N.V. Grebnev, who helped the young artist work with paints, separately studying with him, he told and showed many of the subtleties of pictorial literacy and about the great masters of painting art. This was a good springboard for Surikov's future development.

But not everything was smooth in Surikov’s life; at the age of 11, his father died of illness, and the family found itself in a difficult financial situation. Nevertheless, after finishing his studies at the school, he is given a job in the office, in parallel with this, the boy persistently studies drawings, writes watercolors and develops himself as an artist, hoping in the future to definitely enroll to study as an artist. And by chance, the governor liked the watercolors, to whose family Surikov later even gave lessons.

In the governor's family, a frequent guest was the local gold miner P. I. Kuznetsov. Having seen the remarkable talent of the young master, he decided to financially support the young man's desire to go to study at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, where he did not enter immediately, having failed the exam in drawing from plaster, this, of course, was the first failure. Therefore, he decides to enter the drawing school of the Union for the Encouragement of Artists, where he works intensively on himself in drawing and other areas; after three months of study, he again tries to pass the exam at the academy and successfully passes during the years of study from 1869 to 1875.

He successfully catches up with what he dreamed of, deservedly receiving various awards for his work. Studying ancient ancient art, he masterfully creates a drawing of Belshazzar's Feast, where his work is noted in a magazine called World Illustrations.

Finally, it would seem that he deserves a big gold medal with a retirement trip abroad for the painting Apostle Paul, but some leading figures at the academy decided to deny the award. Nevertheless, during his studies at the academy, Vasily Surikov received several silver medals, with a material bonus.

Of course, looking at this situation, the artist did not like the principles of studying at the academy, despite this, the artist worked a lot in 1870, creating the painting View of the monument to Peter 1 on Senate Square.

Having moved to Moscow, he will be entrusted with painting frescoes in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Surikov creates the first large-scale work, The Morning of the Streltsy Execution, in which the artist vividly describes the tragic moments after the Streltsy riot under Peter the Great.

The painting was painted in 1881, the year of joining the Wanderers Association, where Surikov exhibited his works to the general public.

Charged with the desire to paint pictures about Russian history, the artist creates the next masterpieces of the Menshikov in Berezovo and the painting of Boyarin Morozov, which was demonstrated at the 15th exhibition of the Peredvizhniki artists.

In 1887, in 1888, his wife died, having difficulty surviving these times, later he and his daughters went to their homeland in Krasnoyarsk, being there in some despondency, in order to cheer up by remembering the games of their childhood.

He decides to write a more cheerful and cheerful work, the picture The Capture of a Snowy Town; local peasants were involved in the character scene, and the peasants built the snowy town itself right in the yard of his house.

The painting was enthusiastically received by the public and was even sent to an exhibition in France, where it was shown in Paris in 1890, and was awarded a personalized medal.

In 1891, Vasily Surikov again turned to Russian history, planning to paint the painting The Conquest of Siberia by Ermak, working for several years on a historical work, in different places in Russia the artist created sketches and sketches for the painting.

On the canvas, Surikov vividly reflected the characteristic images of the heroes, showing the bold impulse of the Cossacks ready for battle, colorfully depicting the warring parties to death. The painting was painted entirely in 1895.

Another work with a similar historical theme, Vasily Surikov creates the painting Suvorov’s Crossing the Alps, starting to work in Krasnoyarsk, he also travels abroad to Switzerland, where he studies the mountainous terrain and chooses a place to paint sketches, the painting was exhibited in St. Petersburg and Moscow and was bought by himself Tsar.

The next stage is also a historical painting of Stepan Razin with the Cossacks sailing on a large boat. The artist also turns to the life of the royal family and in 1912 creates a painting of the princess’s visit to a convent; the artist expressively describes the princess’s presence in the church among the humble nuns.

The artist Vasily Surikov was very devoted to his status as a free artist, being all about creating his historical paintings, he never wanted to be distracted from his chosen path.

He was often offered a job as a teacher at art schools and at the Academy of Arts, which he always refused; in this field, he even quarreled somewhat with Repin, who also persuaded him to teach at the Academy.

The artist’s character was more towards solitude; he did not like various social gatherings.

It was also rare that anyone could come to his workshop, where the master created historical images. Essentially, he was a somewhat reserved person and he had few friends, however, he was very kind and touching in his family, he was always on good terms. relations with his relatives, he often wrote letters to his mother and brother in Krasnoyarsk.

Towards the end of his busy creative life, Vasily often visits his homeland, paints a number of landscapes, watercolor sketches, and sometimes paints portraits.

By 1915, Surikov felt his health deteriorating and went to Crimea for treatment, but due to a bad heart, he died in 1916 and was buried in Moscow at the Vagankovskoye cemetery.

Surikov’s creativity is highly valued in Russian fine art; his historical works truthfully reflect difficult periods in the life of the Russian people in the history of Russia.

The biography of Vasily Ivanovich Surikov, an artist who painted paintings on themes of Russian history, is well known not only to domestic art critics. His multi-figure canvases combine history, romance and pictorial innovation.

Krasnoyarsk

The boy was born in Krasnoyarsk in the winter of 1848 into a family that came from a Cossack family exploring Siberia. Surikov's father was a provincial employee. The child constantly peered into people’s faces, examining how the face was structured, how the eyes were positioned, sat for hours and copied ancient icons. This is how Surikov’s independent artistic biography began.

At the age of eight, the boy began studying at a parish school. His drawing abilities were noticed by a teacher who began to study with him separately. And the child believed that he could become an artist. When his father died, the family lived poorly. Vasily Surikov, at the age of eleven, was already giving watercolor lessons to the governor’s family. In this house, Surikov was introduced to a gold miner who decided to help the gifted teenager. He was given money and sent to the northern capital. Thus, Surikov’s biography began with an unexpected turn, with his departure to a distant city.

Petersburg

It was not possible to immediately enter the Academy of Arts, since he did not have enough skill, but, after studying for a short time in drawing courses, Surikov nevertheless entered (1869 - 1875). But when his studies ended, the young artist did not receive a big gold medal for his work. But he had the opportunity to move to Moscow and begin work on painting on biblical themes for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which was then under construction. So Surikov’s biography took a new turn.

Moscow

Unexpectedly, Surikov fell in love with Moscow with all his soul. He could walk along it for hours, especially under the walls of the Kremlin, and admire it. During these walks around evening Moscow, he was suddenly struck by the desire to paint a picture on the theme of the Streltsy execution.

At this time, the artist lived very modestly. He did not have his own workshop, and he painted pictures at home. He painted the execution of the Streltsy on Red Square, where the carts were parked. Sagittarius in white shirts with lit candles. And all around them are their relatives: mothers, wives, children.

In the distance, a huge cathedral rises out of the bluish fog. In 1881, the painting was completed and presented to the public. Tretyakov immediately bought this painting. Therefore, the artist was able to proceed to the next work.

Surikov pondered “Boyaryna Morozova” for a long time, and in the meantime he wrote what he considered to be a small work, “Menshikov in Berezovo.” Both his wife and friends posed for the picture. Surikov's biography was included in his canvas. Now we know what his beloved wife looked like, whom he depicted as Menshikov’s daughter, Maria. I immediately saw the brilliant coloring of the painting, and it is truly perfect, and bought it immediately. With this money, Surikov and his family traveled to France and Italy via Germany. So Surikov’s biography took a new turn.

Moscow period

Having returned, Surikov begins work on “Boyaryna Morozova”. Archpriest Avvakum and the noblewoman, his ardent supporter, went against Peter’s innovations, for which they paid.

On pathetic sledges through the snow they are taken away to the fanatical defender of the old faith, who has raised her thin hand and makes the sign of the cross with two fingers. And there are people around who look at it differently. The artist depicted the entire possible range of feelings. It was very difficult for the artist to find the face of the noblewoman, and he also wanted to depict that the sleigh was not standing, but moving. In the end everything worked out. There are people on both sides of the sleigh: on the one hand, defenders of the old faith, on the other, the new. The painting is a great achievement of the artist as a colorist. Tretyakov buys it directly from the Peredvizhniki exhibition for his gallery.

In Krasnoyarsk

After such a large and complex work, the artist goes to his homeland to gain new strength. But this trip worsened his wife's poor health, and she died in 1888. A short biography of Surikov says that this was a severe blow for the artist. During this time, he reads the Bible a lot and meditates.

Krasnoyarsk and Siberia

In the winter of 1890, the artist returned to his hometown again and began work on the painting “The Capture of the Snowy Town.” At Maslenitsa fun, it was customary to build a structure doused with water and covered in ice, and a rider on a horse must break through it. The painter wanted to convey this scope and prowess of the people, their play and general joy.

Delicate shades of snow and sky contrast sharply with the elegant colorful carpet. It is draped over the back of the sleigh. This is how a new theme of the broad soul of the Russian person arises.

The artist visits different Siberian cities and paints sketches everywhere. He collects material for a new painting, makes sketches for a new painting, paints portraits of Khakassians and Kungurs. In sketches for a composition, he gives placements and rotations of figures. A short biography of Surikov speaks of the tireless work of all his spiritual powers.

Moscow

Ermak was not a war of conquest for Russia, but only a defensive one against the raids of the peoples inhabiting Siberia. The result is an epic canvas, surprisingly harmonious and courageous.

All the Cossacks are calm. They are doing the right thing. In other alarming and troubled situations, tribes are depicted who must now go into battle. On the left side of the picture, the figures of the Cossacks and Ermak are illuminated so that they appear in relief, protruding against the general background. The biography of Vasily Surikov confirms that the artist’s ancestors participated in these battles.

The last major historical painting is “Stepan Razin” (1906-1910). The artist thought about her composition for a long time until he completely abandoned the image of the Persian princess.

The artist’s main concern was to convey the thoughts of Razin, who sits in a plow against the backdrop of the vast, endless Volga, listening to the musician. A golden sunset illuminates the evening sky. The faces of the Cossacks are courageous and beautiful. But they are not given the opportunity to understand what their chieftain is thinking about.

An artist of rare talent died in 1916. He embodied his plans in huge compositions with amazing solutions in color and rhythm. This is a short biography of Vasily Surikov.