Loved ones are sometimes called Alexey Shalaev great-grandson Repin. And all because he - the pupil of the Penza artist (now deceased) Adolf Severin, which, in turn, learned the secrets of painting with the famous Goryushkin-Sorokopudov, and that he taught the skill of Ilya Efimovich.
The most well-known paintings Shalaev: "the Girl in the blue dress," "Portrait of mother Nazaria", "Patio Penza art school", "Maternity soft light" and others. He exhibited in the state Duma, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Union of Russian writers, many cities of the country and abroad. The artistic style of the Shalaeva compared with Polenov, Savrasovym, archaeology. The artist's paintings evoke the lines of Pushkin: "There Russian spirit, there smell of Russia..."
Shalaev is known for the fact that he paints portraits of famous people, both local and Federal scale. "AiF in Penza" already told that to the 50 anniversary of the mayor Alexei V. made his portrait. To make a work of art, the mayor came every morning to the Studio of artist street Team (near "Rostock") and for an hour posed. This circumstance did not fail to take advantage of the locals - they caught the mayor at the door of the Studio and handed him the letter with a request to build them finally the toilet in the yard.
We made the mistake of telling the last time that the mayor is portrayed in the grey jacket. In the suit of Alexey Shalaev wrote Governor Bochkareva, and the mayor he is pictured in the white shirt.
Vasily Kuzmich artist is not posed, it had to write on the postcard. But still, say those who saw the picture, the Governor has turned out as live. On the background of the temple and the village in the distance, under the yoke of the rainbow...
In the late 80s, at the meetings Moldovan nationalists in Chisinau has prompted calls for a mass deportation of all "aliens of the Slavs". The then Moldovan authorities have embarked on the creation of a mononational state and secede from the Soviet Union. In 1992, the Moldovan civil war. With the Transnistrian side it killed more than 800 people. The first victim was 16-year-old Dmitry Matyushin, killed in Chisinau only for what he said in Russian.
Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic was given huge support from Patriotic forces of the former republics of the Soviet Union. The President of the PMR Igor Smirnov personally asked Alexey Shalaev to bring in Transnistria their work. Three months was the exhibition of the Penza artist. In memory of Alexey Vasilyevich wrote a portrait of the President.
Shalaev has captured on canvas the former Deputy of the State Duma, Baburin and the President of Belarus Lukashenko. Latest Alexei V. little respect, considering that he was "the only leader who tries to unite the Slavic world." On the portrait of Lukashenko (reverse side) signed more than twenty well-known figures of Russian culture, including the Deputy head of the world Russian Cathedral, Chairman of the Union of writers of Russia Valery Ganichev, the famous novelist Valentin Proskurin, people's artist Mikhail Nozhkin and others.
... In the workshop on the national Team, paintings, paintings, paintings. Some time ago the Penza swept the hearing that the municipality was going to sell the house where are located the workshop of the artist. Creative people are very sensitive to such things. We called the editorial office excited fans of the artist and asked for public support. However assistance was not required. The city Committee for property management has assured Shalaeva - and there is a written confirmation that, in 2000, the house will not be sold.
The news pleased us, for an artist of such magnitude should be protected from domestic troubles. He had no time to be distracted - he works a lot. Now mister Shalaev has plans of creating a gallery of portraits of our contemporaries - eminent writers of Russia.
(Arguments and facts. Sophia Bekova)
