Yakov
Mikhailovich Shur

Yakov Shur was born 14 Mar 1902 in Salakas (Lithuania) in a family of hour Affairs of the master. In the same year the family moved to Saint Petersburg. Elementary art education arth has received in the drawing school of the society for the encouragement of arts. In 1920, after graduating from the gymnasium of K. May, Schur enrolled in the Academy of fine arts (VHUTEMAS-VHUTEIN), studied with O. E. Braz, A. I. Savinova, in recent years – K. S. Petrov-Vodkin. After the end of Akademii graduates of 1925, among them Y. M. Shur, decided to join the group, called "Circle of artists". In contrast to the ideological narrative quest AHRA, "Circle of artists" trying to find a new artistic form of the work, in that they were close to the groups "EAST" and "Four arts". The group existed from 1926 to 1932, meetings were held in the mansion of the D. E. Benardaki (Nevsky prospect, 86). For several years, "Circle of artists" brought together about 50 members (among them – Pakulin, Pakhomov, Britanishsky, Verbov, Denisov, Kupervasser, hares, Samokhvalov, cast Iron), has held 3 exhibitions in the Russian Museum and one is in Kiev, conducted seminars and discussions, which were not only artists but also art historians: I. M. Tarabukin, N. N. Puning.

Y. M. Shur participated in all exhibitions of the "Circle of artists", but from the early period of the art there are few works: "the brotherhood" (1925. Zaporizhia art Museum), "Winter landscape" (2nd exhibition of the "Circle", 1928. Private collection. Moscow); two landscapes "the Edge of Vasilievsky Island – starve" (1931. Arkhangelsk regional Museum of fine arts), "Landscape" and "Portrait of Wife" on two sides of a single canvas (Private collection. Saint-Petersburg).

In 1932 all of the creative organization was disbanded instead was created the Union of Soviet Artists with a Department in Leningrad – LOSS, which included J. M. Shur. In addition, since the early 1930s, before the war, Shur worked in the state House of sanitary culture: designed the local Museum, educational exhibitions; he was the chief artist of the Oktyabrsky district of the city: annually managed the design of festive decoration of the district on may 1 and November 7. In 1938 – 39 years Shure began to make a diorama for the Museum. In the prewar years, the lessons of painting were dedicated to only vacation. The main theme of this time is the landscape. Most of the works were written in the North-West Russia and the Baltic States, two series (1936 and 1948) in Ukraine.

When the Great Patriotic war, men 1905-23 year of birth was taken into the army. Those who were over military age, enrolled in the Militia. With rifles, and not every militia tanks were stopped near Luga. Then Schur was assigned to Home defence, took part in the masking of large objects.

After the war the family returned to Leningrad, former apartment on Vasilevsky island was already occupied by other people, all the pictures lost. Shura was offered a room on tuckaway promenade with beautiful views over the little Neva and the Peter and Paul fortress. In the early postwar years, the artist worked 20 hours a day. In the dark – did a diorama on the orders of the Leningrad museums: the Museum of the city, the Defense of Leningrad, Ethnographic, Military-naval, Military-medical, Kirov plant, etc. Light time gave painting. Favorite motive – the view from the window on the Malaya Neva, the Exchange bridge, the Peter and Paul fortress, Cotton island, the Prince Vladimir Cathedral.

In 1948 – 49, the Union of artists became strictly regulated, Shur ceased to exhibit in Losshe as a painter, in 1949, he had to go to the section of applied art. In 1950 Schur suffered a heart attack two years could not work. Since 1953 he resumed painting: sitting by the window, endlessly wrote the little Neva with view on Peter and Paul fortress, the summer went on sketching trips to Ukraine, Belarus, after 1959 in Ust-Narva.

To 85 years Y. M. Shur worked extensively in the arts Council Lasha. In the last years of his life, he finally could only deal with painting. From this period there are about 100 of lyrical landscapes in small format. Last time Shur participated in the exhibition ("50 years Losha) in 1982, there exhibited landscape "Debacle" has acquired a the Museum of the history of the city. Y. M. Schur died 31 may 1993; he was 91. He lived a life in happiness and harmony with himself, and let his name not as well known as the names of his comrades, "Circle of artists", his work found recognition during his lifetime: more than three dozen of his paintings are in museums and private collections in Russia and abroad.

Written from the words of the son of YM Shura semen Yakovlevich of Magarita.

(Article - journal "Russian art")