Born in Roslavl in a poor middle class family. When the city opened railway school, he became his disciple. Upon completion of the course to receive a certificate of completion school graduate had to serve 2 years on one of the Railways and to provide the school accolades about his service. In 1878, Zachary began to work as a technician at the main workshops of the Orel-Vitebsk railway, where, in his own words, "has taken from nature and sketching steam locomotives, wagons, machines and machinery, preparation of working drawings and design parts of some machines." In 1887, he worked in Roslavl school, was in charge of the practice students.
In the same year, Zachary Rokachevsky abruptly changes his life. The young man was an extraordinary drawing ability. His uncle Afanasy Efimovich Rokachevsky graduated from the Academy of fine arts and had the title of academician of painting. It is no wonder that Zechariah, too, would like to become a professional artist. He came to the aid of the Chairman of the Orel-Vitebsk road were also a Trustee of the Roslavl railway College Nicholas A. Gerngross. It Rokachevsky Zachary was sent to study at St. Petersburg Academy of arts.
Over the years of study was twice awarded academic awards received small and large silver medals for drawings and paintings from nature. In addition, he worked under the guidance of the famous teacher P. L. Chistyakova.
In 1895, graduated from the Academy, received the title of class artist class III and moved to Tomsk, where he enrolled in the Department for the construction of the Sredne - Siberian railway. He was engaged in drawing and designing different kinds of railway facilities, but the painting did not stop, several times participated in art exhibitions in Tomsk. In 1897-98. on behalf of the office made several drawings of bridges and significant species in the middle Siberian railway for the Paris exhibition of 1898.
After putting the road into operation Rokachevsky moved to the technical Department of new works, where he was a senior technician, was engaged in designing civil construction and preparation of projects of arrangement of tracks and buildings on railway stations.
Since 1900, Zachary A. was in the service in the Tomsk Institute of technology in the position of teacher of drawing. For services to the Fatherland in 1907 was awarded a gold medal for wearing on the neck "due diligence".
After the revolution, the Decree of people's Commissars in 1918 was promoted to Professor. Retired in 1923 and then moved to permanent residence in Leningrad, where he lived the rest of his life.
Now in Roslavl Museum contains documents, Zacharias, A., a photographic archive, academic drawings, and paintings, painted in watercolor and oil. In the hall countrymen, visitors can see several paintings of the artist, self portrait, Sochi landscape, view near Sredne - Siberian railway and the work of "Gypsy."
(author - N. Kornienko, "Roslavl True", 2004, № 88, p. 3)
