Alexander
Nikolayevich Volkov

[19(31).8.1886, Fergana, - 17.12.1957, Tashkent].

Soviet painter, people's artist of the Uzbek SSR (1946).

He studied in St. Petersburg (workshops of V. E. Makovsky, 1908-1910, N. K. Roerich and Ivan Bilibin, 1910-12) and at the Kiev art school (1912-16, F. G. Krichevsky), after which he moved to Tashkent.

For Volkov's early works, created under the influence of cubism, characterized by stylized and geometric forms, rich, rich shades of color ("Pomegranate teahouse", 1924, Tretyakov gallery); the works of the late 20-30-ies of different decorative brilliance, close-UPS of people, the national distinctness of the characters ("the Girl with the cotton", 1932, Tretyakov gallery; "a Farmer", 1933, Museum of art of Oriental peoples, Moscow); later, increasingly overcoming styling, wolves refers to the quest for human nature (many self-portraits and other works). Taught (1929-1946) in the Tashkent art College.

Alexander Nikolaevich Volkov was born in Skobelev (now Fergana, Uzbekistan) 19 (31) August 1886 in the family of a military doctor. From early childhood the boy felt a sense of admiration for the world around them, the bright southern nature. Unlike most Russian artists making the journey to the East to meet the beauties of the East, he went West for knowledge.

The artist studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of arts (1908-1910) at the ve Makovsky, and also at the Kiev art school (1912-1916) under Fyodor Krichevsky. After graduating he returned to Tashkent.

Mosaics of St. Sophia of Kiev, Giotto, Vrubel, which the artist considered his spiritual teacher, cubism and futurism - all melted in individual plastic system, based on left - direct perception of life. Gradually from the world of Vrubel and Roerich, from the world of icon painting, Kiev treasures he moved on to the delicate Persian miniatures, and further to the figures and landscapes that reality itself was represented by him in the construction of Turksib, and in the new villages of Ferghana, and on the areas of modern Tashkent.

From folk masters of the East, the artist studied the synthesis of life experiences, energy, figurative language, symbolism and decorative flowers. Of particular importance for him as a painter, had the coloristic richness of Central Asian textiles, embroidery, carpets, ceramics. The wolves traveled all over Central Asia far and wide, exploring the corners of old cities, overcrowding coupled with each other Eastern homes.

In 1927-1930 Volkov was a member of the local Association "Masters of new East", uniting artists of different nationalities.

Russian by birth, born in Turkestan, who was educated in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kiev, Volkov were the link between the stylistic evolution of European traditions of the early twentieth century folk and decorative art of the East, it influenced the formation of national Uzbek school of painting. A unique pictorial language of the artist inherent in his work, color saturation, depth and luminescence of colours, and learning the traditions of folk primitivism in connection with the biblical stories and Sufi motifs of Eastern religions give his work a special quality that makes it an outstanding master of the first half of the twentieth century.

Volkov died in Tashkent on 17 December 1957.