Nikolay
Grigorievich Burachk

Nikolay G. Burachek - (March 16, 1871, Letichev, Khmelnitsky region - August 12, 1942, Kharkov) - Ukrainian painter, art critic, stage designer, actor. One of the founders of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts.

Features of the artist Nikolai Burachek: having devoted part of his life to the theater, Nikolai Burachek decided to become a professional artist, being an already formed personality with established views. Like his teacher, Jan Stanislavsky, Burachek gravitated to the style of the Impressionists, most successful in the art of landscape and showing himself as a wonderful colorist. He became the first to investigate and systematize the artistic heritage of T.G.Shevchenko. Having started teaching at the Ukrainian Academy of Arts (landscape class), Mykola Burachek continued this work at the Kharkov Art College, and later at the Kharkov Art Institute, raising more than one generation of young Ukrainian artists.

Famous paintings by artist Nikolai Burachek: "Morning on the Dnieper", "Blossoming Apple Tree", "The Dnieper Roars and Groans."

See also: "Ukrainian Art Nouveau: the style of free artists"

The first drawing lessons for the young gymnasium student Burachek were taught by Ivan Vaskov, a drawing teacher at the Kamenetz-Podolsk male gymnasium. In 1888, Nikolai Burachek entered Kiev University, however, after participating in student unrest, he was expelled and exiled to Simbirsk. Two years later, he managed to return to his homeland, and here, in Kamenetz-Podolsky, he was fascinated by theatrical activities. For 17 years he worked in the local troupe of the Russian drama theater, played on stage with Maria Savina and Pavel Orlenev, took part in the design of the performances.

Nikolai Burachek came to the decision to change theatrical role to the profession of an artist at a very mature age - he was almost 35 years old. From 1905 to 1910 he studied at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, where impressionist and landscape master Jan Stanislavsky became his teacher, and later, a fine connoisseur of composition Ferdinand Ruschits. After Krakow there was Paris and work in the workshop. Henri Matisse, as well as training at the Academy Ranson.

In 1912, Nikolai Burachek came to Kiev, where he immediately became involved in the active life of local brush masters and became one of the founders of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts, leading a landscape workshop. The theater past did not let go - Burachek from 1918 began to teach at the Kiev Institute of Theater Arts. In 1925 he moved to Kharkov, where he continued to teach youth - at the Kharkov Art College. Here in Kharkov, Buracheka was fascinated by art history, and in 1930 he published a monograph on the artist’s work Nikolay Samokish. But his most important work was the study and attribution of the artistic heritage of the great Ukrainian poet and philosopher Taras Grigorievich Shevchenko. Burachek summarized his research in his work “The Great People's Artist”, which was published in Kiev in 1939.

He worked a lot on the teaching field, devoted time to literature - he wrote stories and essays, and in 1937 published his memoirs “My Life”. In 1936, Professor Nikolai Burachek was awarded the title Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, in 1941 - Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. The artist died in 1942 in Kharkov.