Sergey
Mikhailovich Orlov

A famous sculptor, who worked in the field of monumental sculpture (monuments to Yuri Dolgoruky in Moscow, A. Nikitin in Kalinin), portrait sculpture, and porcelain and earthenware, honored artist of the RSFSR, corresponding member AH the USSR. Born in 1911 in St. Petersburg. Formal art education is not received. In Konakovo fulfilled the sculptural series of "Clowns" and a number of sculptures of fairy-tale theme.

(14.09.1911, St. Petersburg- 18.11.1973, Moscow).

Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of arts, people's artist of the RSFSR. He worked in easel and monumental sculpture. The author of a number of monuments (Dmitry Dolgoruky in Moscow, Afanasy Nikitin in Tver, compositions for the pavilions of the exhibition center and the Moscow metro), sculptural compositions on motives of Russian epics, fairy tales and genre plastics in China and majolica. For the sculpture "Mother", "Alexander Nevsky", "the Tale" (China) was awarded the State prize of the USSR (1946). For the song "Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the robber" (China) was awarded the silver medal at the world exhibition in Brussels (1958).

In the history of Russian art Sergey Orlov came as a sculptor, the master of sculpture of small forms and the author of monumental works that have become classics of Russian culture of the twentieth century – a monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in Moscow and Afanasy Nikitin in Kalinin (now – Tver).

Sergei Mikhailovich Orlov was born on 14 Sep 1911 in St. Petersburg. In 1918, fleeing from hunger, his family moved to Vologda, where he spent his childhood and adolescent years of the future artist. After seven years the young man enters the railway technical school, here in his talent draws the attention of the teacher. In 1925, a young man comes to the private art Studio of Yulia Ferapontova Luzan. Later, in a letter to Orlov she recalled those early years: "When You came to me, it was a blank sheet of paper where was written the same: "to create." I come often in my family, seeing people educated, their manners and conversations, You gradually break into the circle that was necessary for the role, destined to You by fate. I always understood and noted Your talent, power and creative restlessness. It had to be noted after each sketch, landscape or still life, performed easy original. And always You have pointed out in nature that remained unnoticed by others who work for me on Sundays". Communication with the person, has a great internal culture, fine artistic taste, great knowledge of domestic and foreign art, which was F. Y. Luzan, not passed in vain for Sergey Orlov. And through the years, finally settling in Moscow, he retained the love and respect to the first and only to his teacher and to Vologda, where he realized himself as a personality and which has always considered their homeland.

In 1929 S. M. Orlov arrived to Moscow with the intention to learn, but to go to the art Institute he has failed. In spite of that, he decided to stay in the capital. Help came from the staff of the Museum of ceramics, who appreciated the talent of the youth and helped to get a job in this Museum. Shortly into practice, visiting the Dmitrov porcelain factory (former Gardner), he learnt all the intricacies of ceramic production. Creative path has been chosen, then it all depended on him, and the perseverance and efficiency Orlov was not to occupy.

The result of almost half a century of activity of Sergey Mikhailovich – a huge artistic heritage: small plastic easel and monumental sculpture, paintings and graphic works. Evaluating the work of the early period and years of maturity, inadvertently noted the importance in creativity of the artist had a tradition of national culture: folk pottery, Russian porcelain and faience of the late XIX – early XX century, Probably because so loved the eagles to work in these materials, inserting color and binding plot basis. It's worth remembering his first plastic composition: "Forest talk", "Fight", which the author himself called fantasy or fantastic jokes. In the works of the Mature period, these qualities are brilliantly expressed in the sculptural series "Circus". His "clown" combines a sure sense of humor characteristic of folk art, and sophistication of Russian porcelain of the early XX century.

"Eagles – inspired epic singer of Russian epics and folk tales. His works are imbued with great love and folk wisdom... carry a flight of ideas, expressiveness and subtlety of penetration into the enchanting world of fairy tales". These words of the famous sculptor S. T. Konenkov devoted to compositions of porcelain or China: "the little humpbacked Horse", "Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber", "the Tale of the Golden fish" and many others, created by the artist with great virtuosity and skill in different years of his creative life. Not to mention the fact that they were made not in the traditional way of forming, and clung directly from China clay, to S. M. Orlova has not been done. So, to create a unique, made in a single copy of the work. To them belonged the famous "fairy Tale", donated to the American diplomat Averell Harriman in 1944 Molotov without the consent of the author, directly from the exhibition.

The postwar years cannot be called a time favourable to the development of the Russian small plastic. The loss of its utilitarian functions, focus on the statuesque quality lead to the development of so called "Cabinet" sculptures, often repeating samples of monumental sculpture. It was during this period S. M. Orlov, already famous artist (winner of the State prize of the USSR in 1946), realizes itself as skulpturhalle. He is the author of songs for the national exhibition of economic achievements, Moscow University and metro of the capital.

Based on the best traditions of world and national classics, he creates monuments that became not only an integral part of the urban ensemble, its stylistically and emotionally organizing link, but milestones in the history of the development of monumental sculpture in the country. As a result of announced competition for the monument to Yuri Dolgoruky was recognized as the best project Orlova. Work on the monument began in the summer of 1947 and lasted for six years. On 6 June 1953 in a solemn ceremony, the opening of a new monument, immediately became one of the most popular monuments that decorate our capital city. In 1954, the sculptor was elected a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of arts.

In the spring of 1955 Orlov was invited to work on a monument to the Explorer Afanasy Nikitin. The sculptor immediately found a good solution figures, depicting Nikitin in road dress, with uncovered head, going quiet and with a firm step. The monument was completed in unprecedented short period of time – three months – and was another creative success of the sculptor. Located in the city centre, on the high Bank of the Volga, he organizes all the adjacent part of the waterfront and is the dominant feature of the new square.

Laureate of the State prize in 1946, winner of the silver medal of the world exhibition in Brussels (1958), Sergei Orlov in 1968 was awarded the title people's artist of the RSFSR.

The master's works are in the collections of major museums in our country. The memory of it persists in Vologda. In 1990 it hosted a big personal exhibition of the artist. In the collection of the Vologda regional art gallery are graphic and pictorial works, as well as individual samples of its famous porcelain figurines.

Works:

Orlov S. Sculpture in the Art. – No. 4. – 1958.

Literature

Nersesov N. I. Sergei Mikhailovich Orlov. – M., 1956.

Sergei Mikhailovich Orlov. Catalogue of the exhibition. – M., 1983.

S. T. Konenkov Memories, articles, letters: In two books. – M: Fine art, 1985.

Orlov A. S. artist of the Russian people: a tale of Porcelain and Dmitry Dolgoruky. – M., 1998.

Sergei Mikhailovich Orlov. Sculpture, painting, drawing.

Exhibition catalogue from the artist's family collection / Author-composer L. G. Sosnina. – Vologda, 1990.

Source: L. G. Sosnina

Outstanding people: Biographical essays, Ed. the Council "Vologda encyclopedia". -

Vologda, VSPU, publishing house "Rus", 2005. - 568 p. - ISBN 5-87822-271-X