Valentin
Andreevich Mikhalev

With the works of V. A. Mikhalev can be found in Moscow: the State Tretyakov gallery, the State Central theater Museum im. A. A. Bakhrushin, the State literary Museum, the Central Museum of the great Patriotic war of 1941-1945 on Poklonnaya hill, in St. Petersburg, his works are exhibited in the State Russian Museum. In Arkhangelsk more than 30 works Mikhalev: the Museum of fine arts, Regional Museum, House-Museum storyteller and artist from the white sea region S. G. Pisakhov. At home * in ancient Vologda Posad Kostroma, Verkhovazhskaya historical Museum displays 10 sculptural works of the sculptor, his drawings, has an archive of bibliographic materials. Generally, the works of the sculptor is represented in over forty museums in our country and abroad.

Near Verkhovazhskaya historical Museum in the village of Somazina (b. Ryabkovo) preserved the house in which April 15, 1926, was born Valentin A. Mikhalev. The house is the driveway, which was held in Moscow Lomonosov young. We can say, symbolically, the life and career Mikhaleva proceeded this way: he was born in Vologda, for many years he lived in Arkhangelsk, the last years of his life associated with Moscow.

In 1929, Valentin with his parents and younger brother gets to Arkhangelsk, where he spent his childhood and school years. Father – A. A. Mikhalev worked in the Arkhangelsk shipping company, was a ship electrician, a sailor long voyage. Parents to take restless boy, introduced him to drawing and painting than it with enthusiasm and do it. Valentin first began to attend art club in Arkhangelsk Palace of pioneers (teacher, artist V. A. Czech) and urban art (teacher artist M. S. Zdanovich). Later tried working as an apprentice artist at Archangel city circus.

In 1941, on the eve of the great Patriotic war, Valentine Mikhalev sent his watercolors and drawings to the Admissions office for admission to the Leningrad art College.

However, the continuation of art education had to be postponed for many years. During the war, Valentine Mikhalev worked in the Arctic shipping company. Sailed as a cabin boy, a sailor on Board the icebreaker "Georgy Sedov" participated in the trapping fields in the White sea, and wintered in Dixon, sailed on icebreakers in the polar latitudes of the Arctic ocean. He had experienced all the hardships of the war years: attacks by enemy aircraft, rescue comrades, shipwrecked, hard, exhausting physical labor, hunger, wild cold, etc. Military, the Arctic was, as ever, full of danger and risk. At the end of the war, a group of sailors of the Northern Sea shipping company Valentin worked in the port cities of Poland and Germany on the acceptance of ships for repatriation. Without doubt, these harsh years was reflected in many, many of his works, starting with a youthful porcelain of the song "Jung, the son of the ship." And even then, in the short-lived free minutes military time, Valentine was engaged in painting (mainly portraits of his fellow sailors), apparently anticipating prednachertano his fate of the artist.

After the war, in 1945, Valentin Mihalev he entered the Leningrad art school of Saint-Petersburg, sculpture faculty which he graduated from in 1951. His teachers in art school were well-known sculptors – L. M. Kholina, V. I. Ingal, V. Y. Bogolyubov, artists – N.M. Pugachev. L. A. Messer and L. I. Lizak, immediately noting his outstanding ability Mikhalev, the originality of his talent, great dedication and efficiency. In the years of training he passed artistic practice at the Leningrad porcelain factory im. M. V. Lomonosov, where he created a number of sculptures, then transferred to the porcelain, some of these student works were purchased by the factory for mass production, and the song "the cat and the cook" were in the permanent exhibition of the State Russian Museum in Leningrad. His thesis composition "Pushkin and the nurse," also made in China, was acquired by the State literary Museum in Moscow.

After graduating from art school in Leningrad. Mihalev with a young family returned to Arkhangelsk, where in 1952 he joined the Arkhangelsk branch of the Union of artists of the Russian Federation. In 1954 Mikhalev was a member of the Union of artists of the USSR.

With his first creative steps Mikhalev has declared himself as the artist of the "big themes" and find its way into art, as a true northerner, he first appealed to their "roots" – the Russian North, to the images of their countrymen, the first of which was the great Mikhail Lomonosov. Started Valentine Mikhalev his "Lomonosov" theme while still a student of the portrait-bas-relief, and one of his first major sculptures – "Young Lomonosov", where the young man is depicted in full growth. The song "Young Lomonosov" Mikhalev took part in the contest in 1953, was awarded the second prize. One of the famous Lomonosov's portraits made by him in 1962, in the red tree (quebracho). Subsequently, the sculptor again and again returned to the image of the University.

Great creative success * was the portrait of Georgy Sedov, made of white marble (1955). He experienced all hardships of the severe Arctic. Mikhalev in portrait Sedov embodied the idea of the confrontation of courage and will in the struggle with the Arctic nature. This work drew the attention of art lovers. The newspaper "Soviet culture," wrote: "Lovely portrait of Georgy Sedov was created by the sculptor V. Mikhalev. This is a great, real art. The portrait breathes romance of the Northern campaigns, I hear a noise and splash of ice cold Northern waters... It is a living, struggling people, with a hot and hard of heart, rebellious, strong-willed, persistent, great traveler and romantic".

In 1957, after a successful * participation in the exhibition of young Soviet artists dedicated to the VI world festival of youth and students in Moscow, Union of artists gave him a three-month creative trip to China. So, as fate powerfully and for years broke into his creative life Chinese theme, unique and inscrutable China, the ancient and enchanting imagination.

However, forever Valentine Mikhalev remains true to the "Northern" theme in his work, no wonder critics called him the "Singer of the North".

Valentin Mihalev lived a long and rich creative life. It is always a lot and enthusiastically worked; been in the creative journeys in the Russian North, Nenets Autonomous district, traveled extensively throughout the country; successfully performed in all the major art exhibitions: all-Union, Republican, zonal, international and foreign; elected member of the Board of the Union of artists of the USSR and the RSFSR, was awarded numerous diplomas, diplomas of the Union of artists of the USSR and RSFSR, the Ministry of culture of the USSR, awarded the order "badge of Honor" (1967); he was awarded the honorary title of Honored artist of the Russian Federation (1965); he was elected Chairman of the Arkhangelsk Union of artists of the Russian Federation (1966); for many years he was elected to the zonal exhibition committees; was awarded the Silver medal of the Russian Academy of arts for the cycle of works "Images of China" (1991).

Numerous foreign creative business trips always gave great incentive to the artist. Explore the world of fine art, culture, traditions, nature of different countries gave the opportunity to expand artistic horizons. Valentin Mihalev has traveled almost all of Europe, a: visited Czechoslovakia, Poland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, France, Finland on numerous occasions been in a long-term creative business trips in Italy and China; with the Flight of the world took a cruise in the Scandinavian countries and countries of Northern Europe and the Baltic sea; visited the United States.

Valentin Mihalev is known primarily as a portraitist, a master of psychological portrait. People – the main thing in his work. He created a whole portrait gallery of northerners – the people famous and the most simple, plain, but interesting to the artist with its vivid originality. Fundamentally important for the sculptor was in direct contact with the model, almost all of his portraits "field", that is clung with a "live" nature, the artist communicated with the heroes of his portraits.

Well known for his portraits: "Utah student." "Portrait of Professor surgeon G. A. Orlov," "the Storyteller Stepan Pisakhov", "President New Lands Tyko Inverted", "Bard Marfa Kryukova", "portrait of a herder N.E. Styopa Ledkov". "A portrait of the founder and artistic Director of the North folk choir A. J. Kolotilovka". "The captain of the seiner "Gudgeon" A. Malygin," "Portrait of the writer N. Teleshova," "Portrait of people's artist of the USSR A. K. Tarasova," "Portrait of the writer and essayist Savva Morozov Timofeyevich (grandson)", "Geologist A. Shiloh," "the Poet Alexey Markov". "Pathfinder, the captain of the boat "Deli", Pomor D. Butorin", "Sokolnice Ulyana Babkina" and many, many others.

Mikhalev has applied in his works and to the historical portraits, he created: "the Founder of the Russian fleet Peter I", "portrait of a polar painter A. Borisov", "portrait of the Arctic Explorer Vladimir Rusanov", "Schmidt". "The writer Lu Xun Chinese artist Qi Baishi", etc.

There are in his works many subtle lyrical portraits – soulful female images: "Cyrus", "Portrait of daughter", "the Musicologist of the Beijing Conservatory of Lee Ying," "Girl from Shanghai", etc.

Well Valentina Mikhaleva made in a variety of sculptural materials – wood, granite, marble, hammered copper, bronze, such as "Into space (Yuri Gagarin)", "Under the sky of the tundra", "the far North". "Fishermen of the Arctic", "Murmansk port", "Echo of war" ("From the Soviet information Bureau"), etc.

Valentin Mihalev is also the author of several monumental projects in Arkhangelsk on the Northern Dvina erected a Monument to soldiers-northerners died during the great Patriotic war of 1941-1945 (1969; co-author Yu. l. Chernov); in the Arkhangelsk them created a number of monuments and memorials to military graves, gravestone writer G. Cuttino etc. In Kotlas, Severodvinsk erected a monument flotilla 1918-1920; in the Vologda oblast (village Bludnov) sculptor erected a monument at the burial site of poet Alexander Yashin, etc.

In 1972, V. A. Mikhalev and his family moved permanently to Moscow and became a member of the Moscow organization of the Union of artists of the Russian Federation. But, living in Moscow, Mikhailov continues to work on the "Northern" images, often to create new works are preceded by a visit to Vologda, Petrozavodsk. Murmansk, Naryan-Mar, Dixon...

Sculptor more and more fascinated by the subject of the heroes of the Arctic, courageous people who devoted their lives to combat with the eternal icy silence. A brilliant portraitist, Mikhalev is able to highlight the main features of the portrait, the essence of human nature, fearlessly entering into the struggle with the elements of nature, who always defeated. Among his portrait is, indeed, "people from the legend": the first conquerors of the North pole, explorers, polar captains and pilots, as well as those who made the first heroic flight across the North pole to America. And valuable is that he managed to sculpt from nature that they came to pose in his Studio that he was able to capture them for the future, because these people belong to history of the XX century. This "knight of the Golden Star No. 1, major-General of aviation A. V. liapidevskii," and "Colonel-General of aviation, hero of the Soviet Union G. F. Baidukov," and "Honored Navigator of the USSR, flag-Navigator polar aviation V. I. Akkuratov," and "major General of aviation, hero of the Soviet Union I. P. Mazuruk," and "Doctor of geographical Sciences, laureate of the State prize of the USSR, hero of the Soviet Union E. I. Tolstikov," and "the captain of the icebreaker "Georgy Sedov" E. G. Ramke", the commander of this icebreaker during the war, when it served as a cabin boy Valentine Mikhalev, and many, many other worthy, famous, famous people – conquerors of the Arctic.

There are in the "Arctic" series of works of Valentina Mikhaleva and generalized allegorical images-symbols: "Arctic", "polar night", "Arctic ocean", "Requiem (in memory of Georgy Sedov)" and other compositions in which the sculptor strives to show plastically the mighty forces of nature at the same time mysterious, sullen, mysterious and, in its own way, beautiful.

As a result of hard work, in 1982, Moscow hosted the personal exhibition of the artist in "the Arctic" theme, which received a great response. At the ceremonial opening of the exhibitions, first at the Polytechnic Museum (exhibition "Our Arctic"), and the Museum of Marine fleet of the USSR (exhibition "Arctic"), present a model, which has stood at the opening alongside his sculptural portraits. It was touching and unforgettable.

In Central press there were many high reviews, here's one:

"... Sad and happy come in, the sculptor, in your workshop..."

Why indeed recall Pushkin's words comes easy, weightless melancholy, you should start looking at, to get to know people in a series of portraits, about which the sculptor – Valentin Mihalev? Is it because all these people – masters of doom my childhood, my youth, and is it true that heroes are too old?

But no, they are all the same – they are from the old Country Legends, but the years go by, and the years take their toll. Liapidevskii, Vodopyanov, Mazuruk, Cherevichny, Ivan Papanin, Baidukov...

...People of the legends, the artist sculpts them from nature. Their faces bear the stamp of a particular moral standard... Papanin very well said: "Russia has long been fascinated by the Arctic." No wonder the entire series of portraits of the mastermind so that it symbolically opens the way of the great Pomor Michael Lomonosov: "...Russian Columbus in the ice hurry and despises rock." And not for nothing included in this series of portraits of Georgy Sedov – the ascetic and the winner of the wild Arctic...

...See here how alive the timeless psychological portrait of a filling, a portrait-human character, and through it the moral way, the spiritual atmosphere of the era...

Here it is, the glory of history, which marched country – people among us today living... And because away her sadness, but cheerful, savvy sculptor, I enter into your workshop!"

(Newspaper "Soviet culture" from June 29, 1982 from the article by V. Olshevsky "From the legend (In the workshop of the sculptor!)").

But that said the sculptor himself Mikhalev on his portrait "Arctic" gallery: "I Want to live my portraits longer than one minute the viewer's perception. Not taking care of yourself: the eternal question posed by the poet before his creation: "You are, exacting artist?" who of us has the right to answer it in the affirmative? But if I was lucky enough in my youth to witness the glorious deeds of all those people who are in the current the years have been through my workshop, I want to be known in our days that they were in the art...".

About the work of the sculptor Mikhalev wrote many critics and art critics, while appreciating his works.

Worth it rating of the artist, owned by E. F. Belashova – known Soviet sculptor, people's artist of USSR, laureate of the State prize of the USSR, Professor, head of the Union of artists of the USSR, who called Valentina Mikhaleva A. "...a real Russian talent..." (inscription to the catalogue of the personal exhibition, 1967).

And the oldest, the celebrated sculptor, academician L. E. Kerbel wrote V. A. Mikhalev: "...the Sculptor of the Northern latitudes, with pleasure for something that did not disappoint my hopes, when I first believed in you as an artist. It was long ago, and now you Maestro and thanks for that. Your Lev Kerbel. 10.02.1978".

As already noted, Mikhalev worked for many years on the "Chinese" theme that is firmly established in his work in the late 1950s, after the first trip of the sculptor in China. My impressions about this country, its art, ancient history, enriched the artist and during the second, remarkable for his trip in 1985. V. A. Mikhalev was for many years a member of the Central Board of the Soviet-Chinese (and then Russian-Chinese) friendship. He talked a lot with Chinese cultural figures: artists, art historians, artists, writers, theatrical figures.

Romantic perception of the artist helped him to capture the features of modern China, to convey the admiration for the great workers keeping their old traditions and monuments that have survived "from time immemorial" – as he called the series of bas-reliefs, made in the grog on topics of deep Chinese antiquity. Work * "Chinese" theme has received wide fame and recognition: "the Keeper of the temple Canton", "Street musician from Hangzhou". "The Writer Lu Xun", "The Artist Qi Baishi". "The oldest sculptor of Nanjing Liu Japan". "The guardian of the temple of five Hundred Buddhas", "the Actors of the Chinese National Opera", etc.

With the works of "Chinese" cycle, the sculptor has performed in several solo and group exhibitions: the exhibition "China – Korea" (with D. K. Sveshnikov; Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk, Moscow – Leningrad, 1959), exhibition of Moscow artists of the "Soviet artists of China" (in collaboration with well-known artists D. Marinova, O. designed to Vereisky, etc.) in the House of friendship with peoples of foreign countries (Moscow, 1984); personal exhibition at the Central arts Institute of China (Beijing, 1985); personal exhibition "China" at the Cultural center of the Agency "Novosti" (Moscow, 1987); solo exhibition "Chinese motives" in the House of friendship with peoples of foreign countries (in collaboration with Chinese artist Shao Wake; Moscow, 1987). And finally, as a result of nearly forty years of work of an artist * "Chinese" theme in 1989 in Moscow in the Central House of the artist held his major solo exhibition "Images of China". Soon a large part of this cycle of works exhibited in the Tretyakov gallery the exhibition of applicants for the State award of Russia to them. I. E. Repin, the nominee of which were V. A. Mikhalev. The exhibition "Images of China" brought the author great success, a lot of it written well-known art historians such as N. Voronov, V. Olshevsky. Yuri Nekhoroshev, etc.

Appreciated the cycle "Chinese" works of Valentina Mikhaleva and posthumously in the article-obituary "farewell to the master" members of the Russian Academy of arts (L. E. Kerbel, Yu. G. Orekhov, M. M. Mechev): "...Moscow and Beijing were large vivid exhibition of works by Mikhalev. About these exhibitions a lot of writing. That the sculptor saw the most important task of his Chinese cycle in the creation of plastic poems, which also includes the modern and traditional melodies, rhythms, epic and lyrical, the images have a vital particular and prompted by the associations inspired by the millennial culture of the country. How can you not remember the words of our great writer about "the amazing responsiveness of Russian talent to the delight and care, and days of other lands, peoples and countries." Noble hard work * for many years over the "Chinese" theme can serve as an example of creative commitment and dedication to other artists. Some of the work "Images of China" was included in the collection of the State Russian Museum and the Tretyakov gallery was awarded the Silver medal of the Academy of Arts..."

Valentin Mihalev is well known as an excellent draftsman. It is always a lot of enthusiasm and drew from nature. He left a large collection of drawings (ink, pen, pencil, marker): portraits, still lifes, landscapes and genre motifs of travel sketches.

Valentin Mihalev has always been "contributing" artist. For many years his articles appeared frequently in the Newspapers "Culture", "Izvestia". "Trud". "Literary Russia". "True North", in magazines "Art", "Artist", "Creativity", in the anthology "Panorama of arts" etc.

In the last years of his life, the artist began to write literary memoirs, journalistic articles, and notes. In these articles – reflections of a rich creative experience, creative pursuits, and interesting trips, about the people who left a bright trace in the life of the artist. In 1991 Mikhalev made the long trip to USA. And this is his journey, he managed to write vividly and lively.

So he created a collection of articles and memories "Spolokhi", the issue which most never had a chance, did his countrymen after his death.

13 may 1998 V. A. Mikhalev died, he was buried in Moscow on Troekurov cemetery. On the headstone installed his portrait made by the sculptor in bronze in the last years of his life.

On the untimely death of the sculptor * the Academy of Arts of the Russian Federation responded to the article, "farewell to the master", where a high assessment of the entire creative heritage Mikhalev, his works dedicated to the North, his portraiture skills, the cycle of works on the "Chinese" theme. Completes the text of the article is a very important message to all of us the heirs of his creativity: "...Valentina A. Mikhalev did not... his Legacy is worthy of high respect and should not abyss. With the names of famous masters of the Russian realistic art rooted in the past history of our century. Their works are not only a sign of the era, but also school attainment in twentieth-century Person. Keep this art for the upcoming the honourable task of the Ministry of culture, Union of artists of Russia and many public organizations and patrons. The time has come to solve the problem of preserving the artistic heritage of the masters of Russia dramatically, quickly, and intelligently. It is our sacred duty". (Vice-President of the Academy of arts of Russia, member of the Academy of arts of Russia, people's artist of Russia, laureate of Lenin and State prizes of the USSR, Professor, sculptor L. E. Kerbel, Vice-President of the Academy of arts of Russia, people's artist of Russia, laureate of Lenin and State prizes, the sculptor Yu. G. Orekhov; corresponding Member of the Academy of arts of Russia, honored artist of Russia, laureate of the State prize of Russia to them. I. E. Repin, M. M. Mechev schedule).

A kind of Testament to future artists was sculptor V. A. Mikhalev from the introduction to his collection of articles "Flashes": "I am deeply convinced that in the coming Millennium (and it is already on the threshold) in art preserves the Beauty, dignity, and respect for the Person that the artist will not cease to admire the nature of our little planet Earth, to see it as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, blessed by God...".

When creating the page used the materials of the booklet "Road of Lomonosov"

The author – L. V. Solotsinsky