Konstantin
Alekseevich Vasilyev

Born in German-occupied Maykop. Father was with the partisans. After the liberation of the Kuban family is reunited. Parents began to work at the plant “Krasnyi” lived directly in the shop. In 1949, Vasilyev moved to the Volga region — in the village of Vasilyevo in the estuary of the river Sviyaga. In 1954 for a series of works twelve-year-old Vasiliev is the competition at the art school at Surikov Institute. In 1961, finishes the Kazan art school. Another student, he tries himself in different artistic manners, but his main creative method becomes realism.

In 1963 Vasiliev exhibited at the Moscow Manege with a graphic series of portraits of classical composers. During this period the art teacher in the local school. A lot has been ancient history of the Slavs.

From 1967, he paints mainly on epic and fairy stories (“the Birth of the Danube”, “Geese-swans”, “Sviyazhsk”). The artist's interest in the past, the understanding of the heroism and sacrifice of the ancestors formed the basis of the so-called Russian series: “mermaid”, “Reaper”, “Plach yaroslavny”, “Russian Vityaz”, “Volga n Mikula”, “battle with the serpent”, “Match”, “Sadko and master marine”, “Ilya Muromets and tavern Gaulle”, “Man with an owl”, “Northern legend”.

In 1974, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Victory Vasiliev creates a military cycle, filled with pride and believing in the revival power of the people-heroes: “Invasion”, “Farewell of Slav”, “Homesickness”, “Marshal Zhukov”, “Over Berlin”, “Unter den Linden in the fire.” Behind the outward symbolism of fighters, going to fight to the death, indicate the theme of the triumph of the winners, strong, inexorable will of the Russian army.

Untimely death caught up with K. Vasiliev on the way home from a nearby Zelenodolsk with his second retrospective exhibition.

(September 3, 1942, in Maykop, the Adygei AO — 29 Oct 1976, Vasilevo of Zelenodolsky district of Tatar ASSR) — Russian artist, widely known for his work on the epic, mythological themes.

The artistic heritage Vasilyeva is very multifaceted and diverse and has over 200 paintings and drawings. In addition to the above subjects, it contains portraits, landscapes, realistic compositions, paintings of the battle genre. Deep symbolism of painting in combination with the original colors of paintings through the extensive use of silver-grey and red colors and shades make the painting Vasilyeva recognizable and distinctive.

From 1949, he lived in the village of Vasilevo near Kazan. He studied at the Kazan art school (1957-1961). Worked as a teacher of drawing and painting in high school, as a graphic designer. The artistic heritage Vasilyeva extensively: paintings, drawings, sketches, illustrations, sketches, painting of the Church in Omsk. The works of the early 1960s marked influence of surrealism and abstract expressionism ("String", 1963; "Abstract composition", 1963). In the late 1960s, GT. abandoned the formalistic search, worked in a realistic manner.

Vasiliev turned to folk art: Russian songs, epics, tales, Scandinavian and Irish sagas, to the "Edda poetry." Created works on mythological subjects, heroic themes of Slavic and Scandinavian epics of the great Patriotic war ("Marshal Zhukov", "Invasion", "Parade of the forty-first", "Homesickness", all 1974).

He also worked in the genre of landscape and portrait ("Swans", 1967; "Northern eagle", 1969; "the well", 1973; "Waiting", 1976; "the man with the owl", 1976). The author of graphic series of portraits of composers and musicians: "Shostakovich" (1961), "Beethoven" (1962), "Skryabin" (1962), "Rimsky-Korsakov" (1962), and others; graphic cycle to the Opera by R. Wagner "the ring of the Nibelungs" (1970).

Participant of Republican exhibition "Artists-satirists of Kazan" (Moscow, 1963), shows in Zelenodolsk and Kazan (1968-76). In 1980-90-ies held a number of solo exhibitions Vasilyeva in many cities of Russia and also in Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Spain. Opened a Memorial Museum in the village. Vasil (1996), Art gallery of Kazan (1996) and the Museum of Konstantin Vasilyev in Moscow Lianozovo Park (1998). The prize of Komsomol of Tartary them. Jalil for a series of paintings about the great Patriotic war (in 1988).

Konstantin Vasilyev was tragically killed — was shot down with a friend at a railway crossing passing train. It happened on 29 October 1976. He was buried in the village of Vasilyevo. Constantine was buried in a birch grove in the forest where he loved to visit.