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Matvey
Borisovich Kogan-Shats

Russia • 1911−1989

Was born in Mogilev-Podolsk (now Vinnitsa oblast). He graduated in 1939 KHI in A. Shovkunenko. The author of the poetic landscape. Lived and worked in Kiev. Member of the Union of artists of the USSR.

This Is Matthew B. Kogan-Schatz. The wife sent in a letter from the army, on the reverse side date — September 15, 1942 — inscription: "Remember, I love you." Kogan-Schatz Lieutenant. There are still military picture — political Department of a group of officers on the background of the double profile of Lenin and Stalin, without which impossible to imagine that time. Officers sitting at the table. On the table cloth, pitcher, inkstand — all the decorum, only a half-full glass and a plate of candy violates bureaucratic harmony. Profiles of leaders in a huge oval frame — the present Church is Baroque, with gold and orange blossoms surrounded by reproductions of battle paintings. Kogan-Schatz in the second row, his mouth compressed, his head neatly inscribed between the chins of leaders and how would their backs for stability. All in brand new tunics with epaulets, no awards. The most outstanding award Matthew Schatz gave fellow artists after so many years after the war: Kogan-Schatz — twice Jew of the Soviet Union.

He was born in 1903 in Mogilev-Podolsk, in the family of provincial actors who move from place to place. Actually, he was just Kogan, as recorded in the passport, but the actors were supposed to have hyphenated names. For Billboard. Then the family moved to Odessa, where he settled permanently. Besides Matthew, there were three brothers, but a painter he became one. Soon began an apprenticeship at the theater set designer, the art Institute came easily. There happened another metamorphosis. Student ID he was given a reason for the name Ilya, and change Ilya to Matthew for some reason he didn't want to. Many artists remember him as Ilya. The guy was sprightly. Played in the café Fanconi in professional Billiards. It was a serious matter, to the layman there was nothing to do.

Odessa art school has long been famous, there was one study — Fraerman, Volokidin. But in the 34th year, the Institute was moved to Kiev, which was his Institute, but Kiev is now the capital, and it was necessary to strengthen the staff. Director was an old Bolshevik, Benkovic, he was responsible for the purity of the ranks, and the soul of the Institute remained Fedor Krichevsky, a non-partisan. It had its own celebrities, Shovkunenko, for example. And from Moscow came luminaries: Johansson visited. Diploma work at the Kogan-Schatz took the Lancer, it was already a classic.

Immediately after graduation, Kogan-Schatz was in the army. First the red army. Then, on the orders of Marshal Timoshenko to all conscripts with higher education assigned the rank of officer, and Kogan-Schatz was the Lieutenant of the quartermaster service. And he served as a painter at the headquarters of the 20th army of General Remezov. In the forty-first barely managed to jump out of the eagle, fifteen minutes before the arrival of the Germans.

Before the army Kogan-Schatz married a student of Kiev University Gita Volpone Sloic. She was the daughter of a fist, but not hardened: he was sent to the Donbass to atone for the construction of socialism. Property, of course, confiscated the farm, and was it only two horses and two carts: he kept the taxi driver in a village near Uman. Geeta Volfova entered the factory of Rosa Luxemburg working actively participated in the Stakhanovite movement. The brochure was written about the professional intricacies of his craft, shared experiences. After technical school he became a student. The wedding was played in exemplary dining in the streets Leontovich (now there's a casino "Budapest"). The young husband was still studying. Then he managed to get a room in a house on Lenin street, 78. In a deep basement with a long hallway, the sides of the 12 families. They and after the war lived there. During the war Geeta Volfova became a nurse, worked in frontline hospital, and in the 44th transferred to the husband: he served in the political Department of the army in the city of Orenburg, where, under his leadership was the famous later poet Fatianov. As recalled Kogan-Schatz, not the most diligent slave: shirt always unbuttoned, the belt to one side.

After his discharge in ' 45, they returned to the wrecked basement. 47-year Kogan-Schatz joined the Union of artists. Joined and immediately got into "business". Started a campaign for ideological purity in the arts (resolution on Akhmatova and Zoshchenko). In Ukraine, began to identify their decadent and detractors. Found poet Vladimir Sosura. By his name the whole hotbed of bourgeois decomposition were called Cocorosie. On Sasuru there was real dirt, he visited Petlyura army. Clearly, with such a biography, he could not truly love the Soviet power, looking for a way to distort perspective. Ideologues reacted to the matter, if Akhmatova's decadence personified as aesthetes of a furious fine lady ("nuns and prostitutes" as defined Zhdanov), and the Ukrainian found his hidden form. Its essence is the legend of the sweetly-leaf Ukraine, plump Paisano, picturesque peasants, affluent Paradise lost. Now it is clear that there was a subtext, even poluosoznannye, not only the war and post-war troubles, but the terrible famine of the thirties was still too close, the government could not feel it as guilt, as his crime, which we need to hide deeper. In the campaign it was obvious. The main indictment, of the strength of the evidence, was this: "Why do not the achievements? Where power lines are, where the dam where the factory pipe? Where the portraits of leaders?"

All my life — before and after — Kogan-Schatz wrote the Ukrainian landscapes without traces of industrial and agricultural activities. He was the most exposed place among sourovtsev. Saussure took refuge in a psychiatric hospital, and passions raged. However, for the Kogan-Schatz was in it and something positive: when in the fifties the government began aiming to cosmopolitan, he already had the reputation of sasurova, and change it until they started.

Artists worked for the state, it fed, clothed and looked after them. The interests of the state represented the arts Council. The first arts Council was headed by Popenko-Cohanim, nicknamed among the artists of Pop. It was a proven entity, a designer of monuments. Discussion in hood. the Council were ideological in nature. For example, a typical dialogue:

Commission. Your canvas is purely pessimistic. The black crows some. What is it? People do not understand.

Artist. The pitch black because well plowed. Look, weed is nowhere. The grain at the desired depth, and therefore the ravens can't reach it. And the birds can be seen, the field is alive. Give me a pond, I you swans draw.

Commission. No need of irony. We see it for ourselves. Where is the tractor? Even if the electric pole. People will be watching. Where cars, technology? In what country you live? Don't forget.

Artist. Yes, you look like ploughed. So unless the plow will plow? I specifically consulted. This is a machine plowing. And posts no, because the village is far away. There, of course. The mood of the work seen, that is.

Commission. And what is not high-voltage line to put in the background?

Artist (surrender). You can, of course. But I wanted to...

Commission. So, please, do not argue, and append. And white more to significantly. And Raven get categorically. They do not need us.

There was a case when Kogan-Schatz confused. Accidentally, of course. Changed my copy (according to the rules it should be on the left) and exemplar (right), which was supposed to compare. And Pop said, pointing in the direction of work Matthew B.: "You see how is done. You'll see. That's a real color. Here depth. What do you bring us? and moved the finger to the original, — khal-Tu-ru. Go and do as you need."

There were cases filled with real drama. Somehow Matthew B. has received an order for the urgent production of a huge portrait of the leader (whether Stalin, or Molotov) to demonstrate. Worked together with two students of the art Institute (both became well-known artists), managed with difficulty, but the canvas didn't want to dry. And when they began to dry the lamp, burnt the Holy face. It was a very serious case, the defect was difficult to fix. No one told, though the two were members of the Komsomol, only Kogan-Schatz nonpartisan. He is the main "cosgroves" to do the same.

But in General, Kogan-Shats sin to complain. He painted only landscapes, canvases calm and balanced, to which in later times did not find fault, accepted without conflict and bought in official institutions — Ministry of culture, the Art Fund. They look good in formal interiors. Was quite a mysterious case. To some anniversary exhibition Matthew B. wrote the Shevchenko public garden, a rarity for him, to the urban landscapes he was indifferent. Before the exhibition, a viewing party officials. He came Vladimir Vasilevich Shcherbitsky. In such cases, in addition to suites, contains only the first Secretary of the Union, accompanies and provides an explanation. Vladimir started looking and came across Kogan-Schatz. Stood and stared (the legend says — ten minutes). Then, relatively quickly, almost without stopping, I walked around the exhibition and returned to Kogan-Shats. And stood there a long time. Said nothing and left. Such is the mysterious story. What would it mean? Probably a good thing. A wise man said, "If not "count", would give a well-deserved".

In the mid-fifties, Matvey Borisovich had a chance to remember the Odessa youth. In the Senezh (there were known to the Union House of creativity) at the same time with him (as he said in one race) worked Fedor Shurpin, the author of landmark paintings, "Morning of our Motherland". Is Stalin in a white tunic and with Mac on the arm, followed by the vast expanses (collective farms and simply nature), and even further a number of pipes of factories and plants. Older people makes no sense to describe in detail, more famous paintings in those years was not. Reproductions of tens of millions. Fedor Shurpin famous, rich, per his signature on the work the money paid. Drank strong drinks and loved Billiards. In the billiard room they Matvey Borisovich met. Not only that, Kogan-Schatz played great, but also the manner has kept Odessa to catch pigeons. Beat casually, almost without aiming, and the ball flew like an accident. Surpin was ready all day to play, and the money he numerous, but Matthew B. by that time was already a man of very moderate.

After 1954, he got a flat, strong desire does not arise. This story has its own intrigue: the fate of the apartment hung in the balance, and Kogan-Schatz wrote a letter to the Deputy tyczyn. Before that they were not familiar, but Paul G. understood and intervened. In General, the Ukrainian cultural elite attitudes Matvey Borisovich was light — Bajan, Rylstim, Malyshko. The answer was simple, he was in his rare sense of Ukrainian nature, or as they say patriots since Dovzhenko, earth. Although, of course, there were other artists, no less in scale, and maybe more. Himself Matthew B. always considered myself a strong middle class and more claimed.

By mid-life Kogan-Schatz very stout, the photo looks sixtieth careless with a cigarette, tie to one side. He gave the impression of a man satisfied with life. Family-oriented. Monogamous. Not jealous of anyone. To power treated without emotion. The colleague who was troubled (now in seventies), said good-naturedly: "sun language well-Poo and shut up". Loved Dumas, read Soviet detectives. The border does not rest. It is strange that with a rare obsession with nature, he was almost indifferent to poetry. He lacked the power of his own vision, he didn't need to strengthen it, to look for inspiring equivalents. Everything you need was in front of him.

The happy months he spent in Sednev — Ukrainian Barbizon. The morning went on nature. Called with him, of loneliness, which during operation cherish many artists are looking for, on the contrary — I Want to write a good essay, — get behind me. He had his own findings, and he was looking for someone to teach, someone to share. Wrote easily, with the go, a single session could make a big canvas, the house was only to correct. There is memories about him. Break the Sabbath. Kogan-Schatz wipes his brush on his pants, and sits down to eat. Invites everyone. Break colored hands a loaf of bread, pulls out a watermelon shatters on his knee and treats. Odessa habit he never lost. Jacket, pants he was colorful unimaginable.

He had a special relationship to nature. He never tried to humanize her, give her your mood or, conversely, to make it the subject of meditative experiences, transfer of energy from the outside in its own state. He tried enthusiastically to convey their emotions, strengthen them, to disperse a DAB, to boost the color and make it scream. And at the same time, he was not abstract and cold rational analyst, aloof refined individualist, seeking in nature, one of infinite reflection of self. Nature itself, it is variable, it has no steady state, but her energy and expressiveness of the moment. Today one, tomorrow — another. Because he finished the work in one session, the same river can not enter twice. He especially loved to paint the snow, the endless shades of white, a million colors, which gives rise to frost sun frost. Or flowering branch, field, river. And, of course, he didn't invent anything, with nothing identified, not looking for romantic or revolutionary allusions. Storm, even soon -- that was alien to him. He tried to get special ease state that he constantly felt, which he lived, wanted to have time to share that light, not enhancing, not distorting in favor of their own mood, only that there is that of God.

It was believed that as an artist he had not been affected and no influence on him. But there was a constant environment, friends, the artists, the similar state of mind, — Sergey Grigoriev, Litvinenko. They often worked together, and each was something that I forced you to cherish this fellowship. It was a process, there were no big discoveries, only constant work feeling, the sense of authenticity and following the course step by step. Education and culture he was a Russian landscape painter, seems to be enough, and after all, it was crowded. He felt the pressure, and he was looking for a way to breakthrough. No need to download the nature of our problems and experiences, it is enough if she will thrill us. It is not easy to understand, but you can recognize himself, in the course of the experience. All my life I watched Levitan and only now saw Grabar. Mykola Glushchenko, who spent many years in France, he told him: "Ilya (he called him a second name), you don't know. And you do not know."

At the end of life when he was terminally ill, and lonely (his wife died early), he clearly manifested the shrill tone of empathy, a new previously not touched the note, which is present between the last stisim sound and silence.

(From the article: Selim Yalkut "Family tradition")

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