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1861, Ekaterinoslav lips. — 1919, Novorzhev, Pskov lips.
Elementary art education V. A. Beklemishev received in Kharkov, where he visited the artist's Studio E. Schrader and studied at the Drawing school of M. D. Rayevskaya-Ivanova. In 1878 Beklemishev became a volunteer, and a year later a student of the sculpture Department of the St. Petersburg Academy of arts. Practicing under the guidance of Professor A. R. von Bock and N. A. laveretskogo, the young man has successfully climbed the stairs of the professional schools. In 1883-85. he already has three small and one large silver medal. In 1886 for the academic program "Cain, tormented by his conscience after the murder of his brother" Beklemishev was awarded a small gold medal, in 1887 - at the bas-relief "the entombment" was awarded a large gold medal. After AH Beklemishev received the title of class artist 1-th degree and the right to pensionerstvo overseas. In 1888, visiting Paris, Beklemishev settled in Rome, where he worked until 1891, the Most famous work of the Italian period was the marble bust of "the Christian of the first centuries" (1891). At the same time there are some portrait work Beklemishev, some of which continued the tradition of salon academism of teachers - background bokeh and laveretskogo (two "boys", 1890), and others testified realistic undoubted talent of the sculptor, his ability seriously and thoughtfully to observe nature ("the Portrait of Milutinovi (?)", 1891). This kind of inconsistency of creativity in some degree will persist. Not by chance the defendant in a rut AH be called Beklemishev among the leading masters, and the opposition-minded criticism, in turn, will notice the dignity of his works. After returning home, Beklemishev showed Italian works in the exhibition, 1892, and was awarded the title of academician. Universal attention was attracted by a small bronze statue of the "how fair, How fresh were the roses" (1892), made on motives of prose poems by Ivan Turgenev. Literary narrative with a touch of sentimentalism has been a characteristic trend in the visual arts of those years. Created in the same vein, the work of Beklemishev were repeated in different materials (with marble 1896). In 1894, which in the history of Russian art school has been marked largely progressive reform AH, Beklemishev becomes a Professor and head of sculpture at the Higher art school at the Academy of arts. Together with I. Repin, V. E. Makovsky, A. I. Kuindzhi he is on the Board of professors actively involved in teaching in the years to come is an important part of his life. Warmly remembered by Beklemishev even the most recalcitrant disciples who denied, in search of its own way, the stagnancy of the academic doctrines. According to S. T. Konenkov, "respectable, neat, polite," Beklemishev "was the epitome of the old Academy," but "the interests of art, he was placed above personal relations." "I can't forget - writes Konenkov, as carefully and sensitively treated Beklemishev to my work, when I came out of the walls of the Academy. He attended all of my Moscow exhibition, and when in 1916 I was elected an academician, Beklemishev came from Petrograd to Moscow to personally warmly and sincerely to congratulate me". Many notable reported in his letters to the families of A. S. Golubkina, came in the Higher art school in 1894 For her Beklemishev not only "remarkably kind and good man" but also "a very big artist." And although her "soul protesting" against mysticism famous statues Beklemishev "Saint Barbara-the great Martyr" (1894), Golubkina says: "Only one thing I agree with him that it introduces into sculpture psychology. And before that, almost not see it. Then I looked, looked, listened, listened, wondered without end..." Teaching did not hinder the fruitful creative activity of the sculptor in the field of easel, monumental and memorial sculpture. In 1900 he received a gold medal at the world exhibition in Paris. In the museums of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities has a lot of works by Beklemishev. Among the best first of all we should call the genre composition of "Village of love" (1896), which is favorably welcomed by V. V. Stasov and immediately purchased for the gallery Pavel Tretyakov. In a large number of sculptural portraits created by Beklemishevi, busts of eminent figures of Russian science and culture - physics-N. N. Beketov (1894), artists A. rizzoni (1902) and Vladimir Makovsky (1906), musicians M. N. Belyaeva (1903), V. I. Safonova(1910), etc. Among the numerous portrait statues, expertly executed from nature, a special plastic expressiveness different image sitting in the chair of actor V. N. Davydov (1916). Beklemishev quite often presented their projects in competitions for monumental works. Of them were made monuments to A. Griboedov Russian Embassy in Tehran (1904), Yermak in Novocherkassk (1904), S. P. Botkin in St. Petersburg (1908). In 1897 at the St. Petersburg Conservatory was fitted with a large marble statue of Tchaikovsky, vysokovaty in Italy on the model of Beklemishev. Bronze sheen another important work by a master of the marble bust of A. I. Kuindzhi (1913), was delivered in 1914 on the tombstone of the artist in the Necropolis of artists Alexander Nevsky monastery.
