Alexander
Alekseevich Butchkuri

Alexander Buchkuri was born in 1870 in the village of Buturlinovka Bobrovsky district of the Voronezh province. His first teacher was the organizer of the Voronezh school lovers painting by Leonid Solovyov. In 1899 Alexander Buchkuri became a volunteer at the Higher art school at the Moscow Academy of fine arts and actively worked in the Studio of Ilya Repin under his leadership. In 1904 Buchkuri received an official title of an artist, and in 1905, for the painting "the Funeral", took part in the Spring exhibition in St. Petersburg, was awarded the prize named after Arkhip Kuindzhi. Buchkuri have created many of the original genre and historical paintings, most of which is stored in Voronezh. From 1919 he taught at the Free art workshops, after their reorganization in the Voronezh art-industrial College. Bucceri has trained such famous artists as Mikhail Likhachev, Arkady Vasilyev, Vasily Belopolsky, Boris Thymine. Died in 1942 in occupied Voronezh.

Voronezh art historian, Director of gallery "the Triad" Vladimir Dobromirov comments on the exhibition: "Features of impressionism inherent in many works Buchkuri: bright, rich colors, loose brushstrokes the immediacy of the transmitted impression. He has sketches, looking at that, not to say that they were written by a representative of the academic school Repino". From the "academics" Buccari took first of all a strict composition of his genre works and psychologism in the image of the characters. Juicy flavor of his work resonates with the masterpieces of the French Impressionists. Almost all of the pictures Buchkuri convey a sense of celebration. At the exhibition you can see his famous "Circus": beauty-rider in a pink tutu is reminiscent of models of Auguste Renoir, and dressy crowd cheers as idle revelers Toulouse-Lautrec. There at the exhibition and quite a dramatic scene: on the picture of the "Output" shows the ancient rural custom is to drive through the village to the Nude woman, changed her husband. This work is interesting for the fact that the image gray catty charioteer the artist depicted himself.

Of the students Buchkuri on the opening day the most widely represented creativity of people's artist of Russia Mikhail Likhachev. Although he was a typical representative of socialist realism, a sense of proportion did not change him. He wrote not only portraits of Communist leaders and advanced farmers, but also a dynamic domestic scenes.

Along with paintings by two great masters of the genre paintings in the Museum displays several works of other students Buchkuri — portraits of Boris Thymine and Constantine Stakhovsky, landscape Vasily Belopolsky and still life Arkadiy Vasilyev. In General, the Vernissage interesting as a collection of exemplary works of the Voronezh academic school of painting, which is not so often shown to the General public.

Maria Fedorishina (Newspaper =Kommersant=)

Name Alexander A. Buchkuri (1870-1942) is one of the most respected and honorable in the history of the artistic life of Voronezh early twentieth century and post-revolutionary years. Voronezh is connected with the whole life Buchkuri: his teenage years and first steps in the art, the flourishing of diverse artistic activity and the untimely tragic death.

Artists of the older generation, educated at the Voronezh Free art workshops or studied in the Voronezh izotehnikum, considered it an honour to call themselves disciples Buchkuri. Those who had a chance to use his advice in various art studios of the city or influenced by the example of his personal creativity and exhibition activities, was proud of his involvement in Buchkuri name and pronounced it with the same reverence.

At the recent exhibition in Voronezh art Museum named after I. N. Kramskoy was also widely represented creativity of this master of painting, and works of the artists of his entourage. This exhibition was very timely as we approach the celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the Voronezh Union of artists. In 1933 Buccari was one of the active participants of the organization "Union of artists of the Central black earth region", to unite the artistic forces of the Voronezh, Orel and Kursk, and Voronezh was included in the Presidium of the "Union".

A talented student of I. E. Repin ("I'm proud of this former student of mine" – wrote about him Repin), Buchkuri emerged as a bright and original chronicler of the Russian village with its peculiar way of life, traditions, ceremonies, customs. He was a singer of Russian village women in numerous portrait works, noting the interesting faces and characters, carried away by the beauty of the Russian national costume. He paid tribute to the artist, the charm of the rural landscape.

Surrounded by beloved works of the genre unusual and original picture looks "At the circus", made in 1936, in the period of his artistic biography, when he has already experienced a long and painful state of confusion and disbelief in their own strength in the 20s and early 30-ies, which frankly, sounded so sincere in his letters: "I myself, as an artist, long since buried". "To tell you the truth, I would have to work. But I have no will to break with the pedagogy and believe in themselves. I don't know what I can do and what you need."

It was alien to the aspirations of his colleagues to the innovative content of the works, and especially in their performance, though he tried to understand them. "Of the farms returned to the artists, ponavez a lot of things. Saw something. There are decent things fresh and most importantly, worked with enthusiasm." But he Alexander, as an artist, not seen in myself the desire to seek and display features of conversion to so familiar to him before peasant life. The theme of the village in the past.

But the artistic and cultural life of Voronezh is strongly called him to active participation. And in the letters Buchkuri sounded different notes. "I'm still do not work thoroughly. Only small thumbnails, I can't even to stick with anything, and need something to do for the whole culture. They are waiting for. Does everybody think I can do something good to make, and I freeze, there is such a hitch". He found the strength to overcome spiritual and creative crisis, experiencing a surge of new creative forces. Renewed sharp eye of the artist looking for a noteworthy story for the picture by order of the House of sanitary education and finds a "Sports parade". And works with passion. "I'm writing the celebration of athletes. This is very interesting for the costumes and colors".

Creativity give him a surviving sketches, drafts and variants of paintings conceived in previous years. Among the old ideas was the theme of the circus. In 1913, the spring exhibition of Association of artists in St. Petersburg among the works presented Buchkuri, is gouache on cardboard called "the Rider and the clown". These are not invented, but taken from the lives of the characters were the Central characters in his paintings, written twenty-three years later.

The basis of the contents of a large genre paintings, not only based on previous preparatory work, but also a fresh personal impressions of the artist. But it is not limited to the reproduction seen in the life episode. In the creation of the picture they attached great creative work. The last serious academic school, Buchkuri skillfully develops the plot, reaching its great expressiveness. He confidently, masterfully builds a song, merging a large number of pieces, aiming for its clarity and compactness.

The painting "At the circus", written in clear, accessible to the perception of realistic manner with a lot of artistic merit, according to the student Buchkuri Konstantin Mikhailovich Stakhovsky, had no success in the team of modern Voronezh artists. Probably he was expected not his usual picturesque "innovations". The painting was not accepted by the art Council and, written agreement, sold at the salon of artists for debt.

Fortunately, it was purchased by the Museum of fine arts. And because it is preserved and not lost, as many of the artist's works in the fire of the city during the Nazi occupation of Voronezh. And now in the collection of his works is the painting "At the circus" is one of the brightest pages in the creative life Buchkuri artist.

Margarita Luneva, art historian, member of Union of artists of Russia. (1.08.2003 | newspaper =Municipality=)