Nikolay
Vasilyevich Tomsky

Native village Ramusio Novgorod province. Studied at LHPT V. V. Lishev (1923-1927). He lived in Leningrad (1923-1942) and Moscow (1942). He taught at MACHIS (1948-1982) Professor, rector (1964-1970). Full member AH the USSR (1949), member of the Presidium of the USSR art Academy (1958-1968), President of the Academy of arts (1968-1983). The creative workshop of sculpture of the Academy of the USSR in Leningrad (1960-1968). Worked in monumental and easel and memorial sculpture. Author of several well-known monumental works, including a monument to S. M. Kirov in Leningrad (1938), monuments in Moscow – N. V. Gogol (1952), M. V. Lomonosov (1953), Mikhail Kutuzov (1973), sculptural-architectural composition at the tomb of the Unknown soldier near the Kremlin wall (1980); monument to Lenin in Berlin (1970), the bust of I. D. Chernyakhovsky (1947). Created monumental decorative sculptures. Winner of the Stalin prize (1941, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952), people's artist of USSR (1960), Hero of Socialist Labor (1970), Lenin prize (1972), State prize of the USSR (1979) and the State prize of the RSFSR. I. E. Repina (1975). Honorary member of the Canadian Academy of arts. Personal exhibitions: Moscow, Leningrad, Kazan, Helsinki (1969); Berlin, Moscow, Kiev, Gorky (1970); Riga, Vilnius (1971), Moscow, Novgorod (1972-1973); Prague (1975); Moscow (1975-1976, 1980, 1981).

Born in the village Ramusio, now in the Novgorod region. People's artist of USSR (1960), full member AH the USSR (1949; President, 1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1970). Member of the CPSU since 1950. He studied at the Leningrad art-industrial College (1923-27) at V. V. Lishev. Participating in the restoration of monumental and decorative sculpture of Leningrad, T. studied the traditions of the Russian school of sculpture of the 19th century, which formed the basis of his plastic manners. Great place in the early period of creativity So took the work on the image of S. M. Kirov. The best works of the 1930s shows how organic was the principles of socialist realism. Combining individual and the typical, characteristic gesture and finished, carefully modelled forms, So created the images, imbued with heroic pathos [monument to S. M. Kirov in Leningrad (bronze and granite, unveiled in 1938, the USSR State prize, 1941; see Fig.), the statue of "A. Gagarin" (gypsum, 1937), the monument to Vladimir Lenin in Voronezh (bronze, granite, opened in 1940)]. These traits of creativity So evident in the work, praising the heroes of the great Patriotic war of 1941-45. Among the works of this period — numerous portraits [Ivan Chernyakhovsky (marble, 1947 USSR State prize, 1948); M. G. Gareev (basalt, 1947); P. A. Pokryshev and A. S. Smirnov (both marble, 1948) — all in the Tretyakov gallery, I. N. Kozhedub (bronze, 1948; Russian Museum, Leningrad), all — USSR State prize, 1949] and monuments [I. R. Apanasenko in Belgorod (bronze, 1944-49), etc.]. For the monument Apanasenko, a series of large reliefs on historical and revolutionary themes (et; gypsum, 1949), portrait of Sergei Kirov (marble, 1949; Tretyakov gallery), received the State prize of the USSR in 1950. In 1951 he completed a sculptural portrait of Nikolai. Gogol (marble; Tretyakov gallery, the State prize of the USSR, 1952), and in 1952 a monument to the writer for Moscow (bronze, granite). As in the 1930s, So a lot of work on the portrait of V. I. Lenin [monuments in Oryol (1949-61), Vilnius (1952), Vologda (1958), all — bronze, granite, and other cities]. From the 2nd half of the 1950s, T refers to the search of more active and expressive forms in monumental compositions (the monument to Lenin in Berlin, Granit, 1970; Lenin prize, 1972); deepening individual characteristics of the model, the ductility becomes a way of sculpting the portrait (portrait of D. Rivera, bronze, 1956-57, Tretyakov gallery). He teaches at the Moscow art Institute. V. I. Surikov (since 1948; since 1949 Professor, the rector in 1964-70). The Chairman of the Moscow Union of Soviet artists (1951-56). Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR 3rd and 6-9 convocations. Delegate to 24th — 25th congresses of the CPSU. Awarded 2 orders of Lenin, order of red banner of Labor and medals.