Lazar Markovich Lissitzky new man. Book artist El Lissitzky

Lissitzky can equally be regarded as an artist of the Soviet avant-garde of the 1920s, one of the founders of Jewish modernism in 1916–1919, and a classic representative of the international European avant-garde of the 1920s.

He studied at the 1st city school in Smolensk. In 1909, after an unsuccessful attempt to enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, he left for Germany, where he studied at the Faculty of Architecture at the Higher Polytechnic Institute in Darmstadt (1909–1914), one of the leading centers of German modernism. During the summer holidays he comes to Smolensk and Vitebsk, where his parents lived, gets acquainted with Yu.M.Pen.

L.M. Lissitzky. Proun #4. 1923. 60.1 × 43.5. GTG

L.M. Lissitzky. Proun #2. 1923. 60.4×44. GTG

L.M. Lissitzky. Bully. Sheet from the folder “Figures from the opera by A.E. Kruchenykh “Victory over the Sun””. 1920–1921 Paper, gouache, ink, graphite and colored pencils. 49.4×37.9. GTG

L.M. Lissitzky. Cover of the pamphlet "Committee on Combating Unemployment". Vitebsk. 1919. Color lithograph

In 1911 he visited one of the oldest synagogues in Europe in Worms. In 1912, in Paris, he met O. A. Zadkine. For the first time he shows his works at the exhibition of the Artistic Association in St. Petersburg. In 1913 he wandered around Italy. He graduated from the institute in 1914 and, in connection with the outbreak of the First World War, went to Russia through Switzerland, Italy and the Balkans.

Since a diploma from a Russian institute was required to work in Russia, he entered the architectural faculty of the Riga Polytechnic Institute in 1915, which was evacuated to Moscow during these years. Works as an assistant in the architectural bureau of B.M. Velikovsky and R.I. Klein, helping in the architectural design of the Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

Lissitzky is rapidly entering artistic life: he participates in a variety of exhibitions and events, such as the creation of the Circle of Jewish National Aesthetics; he is one of the activists of the Jewish Society for the Encouragement of Artists, secretary of the organizing committee for the exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Jewish artists in Moscow in March-April 1917 at the Lemercier Gallery. He was invited to show his works at the exhibition of the Society of Artists "Jack of Diamonds", where he first neighbors with K.S. Malevich, at the exhibitions "World of Art" in 1916 (Moscow) and in 1917 (Petrograd, Moscow).

But, perhaps, the main thing at this time is books - a completely new phenomenon in the Jewish graphics of these years, for the design of which Lissitzky masterfully uses the traditions of Jewish popular prints, ancient miniatures, and calligraphy. In the spring of 1917, bibliophiles enthusiastically greeted the release of M. M. Broderzon’s “Prague Legend” (“Sihat Khulin”), twenty out of one hundred and ten copies the artist himself painted and laid like old scrolls-ribbons in wooden cases. The Prague Legend was followed by The Goat (Had Gadya) by Moshe Kulbak (1919) and The Mischievous Boy (Ingl-Zingl-Khvat) by Mani Leib (1919). In 1916, he designed in the spirit of cubo-futurism "The sun is running out" by K.A. Bolshakov. In addition to books, Lissitzky illustrates various periodicals.

A special chapter in the artist's biography is a trip to the synagogues of the Western Territory (he makes sketches from the murals of the Mogilev synagogue). In February 1919 Lissitzky discussed with I.B. Rybak in Pushcha-Voditsa near Kyiv the forthcoming first exhibition of the Kultur-League. It seemed that his artistic program was predetermined for years. But in May 1919 he received an invitation from M.Z. Chagall to come to Vitebsk and teach classes at an art school. Chagall hopes that Lissitzky will continue to develop the foundations of Jewish modernism within the walls of VNHU. But Lissitzky is already interested in other problems. In the workshop of architecture led by him, they begin to work in terms of Suprematism. Lissitzky with I.G. Chashnik in Moscow persuades Malevich to come to Vitebsk. On November 8, at the 1st state exhibition of paintings by Moscow and local artists, Vitebsk residents saw for the first time a Suprematist painting by Malevich.

During these months, Lissitzky is actively working on abstract compositions, which he will soon call prouns. The cover of the pamphlet "Committee on Combating Unemployment" reproduces one of the master's first prouns. In December, Lissitzky with Malevich and students make a curtain in the city theater, decorate the podium and three buildings. In January 1920, Lissitzky and Malevich created the Posnovis group (Followers of the New Art), which from February 14 will become Unovis. At the same time, Lissitzky does not break ties with the Kultur-League. In February-March, he shows Jewish graphics of 1917-1919 in Kyiv, becomes one of the organizers of the multilateral work of Unovis. Under the influence of Lissitzky, a serious interest in architectural projects arose in Unovis (N.M. Suetin, Chashnik, L.M. Khidekel). One of the most unusual projects of this period is the lithographic poster Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge (1920).

Lissitzky made the cover and layout of the almanac "Unovis No. 1" (1920). It was at this time that he chose the pseudonym "El" for his works. In June 1920, prouns were exhibited in Moscow at an exhibition for the First All-Russian Conference of Teachers and Students. In the summer he travels with Malevich to Orenburg, where they meet I.A. Kudryashov.

In 1921, work continued on the lithographs of Prouna. Lissitzky is finishing the first folder of eleven lithographs (fifty copies). In the spring of 1921, he gave a lecture on "Architecture and monumental painting" at the Vkhutemas, the prouns were shown at the one-day exhibition of Unovis in Vitebsk (March 28), in June - at the exhibition for the III Congress of the Comintern at the Continental Hotel in Moscow.

On September 23, Lissitzky makes a report on "Prouny" in Inkhuk, and in December he shows them at the second Unovis exhibition in Inkhuk. In 1922, the Prouns were included in the First Russian Art Exhibition at the Van Diemen Gallery in Berlin (in 1923 - in the SMA).

In 1922 Lissitzky was in Berlin. Together with I. G. Ehrenburg, he edits the magazine "Thing". It turns out, conceived back in Vitebsk, "Suprematist tale about two squares." Designs various publications in German and Russian-language publishing houses. Supports attempts to create an international style in the 1920s. Participates in the International Congress of avant-garde artists in Düsseldorf. September 13 in Weimar participates in the Congress of Constructivists and Dadaists.

In 1923 he met in Berlin with V.V. Mayakovsky and designed his collection "For the Voice". This edition will become a classic example of modern printing. In Hannover, the second folder of Proun lithographs is published - “1st Kestnermappe”. According to the sketches of 1920–1921, the “figurine” folder “Victory over the Sun” was published.

The Great Berlin Art Exhibition exhibits Proun Space, perhaps the first installation in 20th-century art.

In February 1924, due to illness (pulmonary tuberculosis), he was forced to leave for Switzerland. Despite his illness, he continues to work actively - writes articles, prepares an anthology of contemporary art "Kunstisms" (1925) with Hans Arp. Makes one of the most original photographic works “Self-portrait. Designer "(1924). Begins to develop the idea of ​​a horizontal skyscraper for Moscow. Maintains contacts with ASNOVA.

June 13, 1925 sails on a ship to Leningrad, where he meets with Malevich, Suetin, Chashnik.

In the West, Lissitzky's works are shown at many exhibitions in different countries. In 1926, the Goltz Gallery in Munich hosted the Lissitzky-Mondrian-Man Rey exhibition. In 1926, he was an exhibitor at the 4 Arts exhibition in Moscow (since October 31), where he shows Tribune for the Square (1920), a project of the Cabinet of Abstract Art for the museum in Hannover and a photo portrait of Hans Arp.

In January 1927, S.Kh. Kuppers arrived in the USSR, with whom Lissitzky entered into marriage. Designs Mayakovsky's poem "Good". One of the organizers of the All-Union Printing Exhibition, where he proposes new principles for the exhibition space. This work had a great resonance. He teaches at Vkhutemas. In 1928, he supervised the design of the Soviet pavilion at the International Press Exhibition in Cologne.

He continues to design books (I.L. Selvinsky. "Notes of a Poet". M., 1928) and exhibitions ("Film and Photo". Stuttgart. 1929; Küppers-Lisitskaya took part in the work). During a short stay in Austria, he makes a project for the book-film Four Arithmetic Operations (1928).

In Moscow, he joins the Oktyabr group. V.E. Meyerhold invites Lissitzky to arrange a play based on the play by S.M. Tretyakov “I want a child”. One of the unusual projects is a poster for a Russian exhibition in Zurich at the Museum of Applied Arts (1929). In Vkhutemas, he works with students on furniture and interior projects.

In the early 1930s, he continued to work on the design of various exhibitions (International Hygiene Exhibition, 1930, Dresden). In the 1930s, he made photo albums and designed a number of issues of the magazine "USSR at a Construction Site".

Lissitzky's works are kept in many museums around the world and in Russia - in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, RGALI, MoMA, the Guggenheim Museum and others.

Literature:

• El Lissitzky. Maler, Architect, Typograf, Fotograf. Errinerungen, Briefe, Schriften. Übergeben von Sophie Lissitzky-Küppers. Dresden, 1967;
• El Lissitzky. Koln, Galerie Gmurzynska, 1976;
• El Lissitzky. Proun und Wolkenbügel. Schriften, Briefe, Documente. Sophie Lissitzky-Küppers und Jen Lissitzky (Hg.). Dresden, 1977;
• Kai Uwe Hernken. El Lissitzky. Revolution and Avantgarde. Koln, 1990;
• El Lissitzky. Jenseits der Abstraktion. Ausst-Kat. hg. M.Tupytsin. Hannover, 1999;
• Lazar Markovich Lissitzky. 1890–1941 Exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the birth. M.-Eindhoven, 1990. [Catalogue] Eindhoven, 1990;
• El Lissitzky. 1890–1941 To the exhibition in the halls of the State Tretyakov Gallery. Moscow. 1991. [Catalog] M., 1991.;

LISITSKY, LAZAR MARKOVICH(1890–1941), also El Lissitzky, Russian painter, architect and art theorist. Born in the village of Pochinok (Smolensk province) on November 10 (22), 1890 in the family of an artisan entrepreneur. His first mentor in art was the Vitebsk painter Yu.M.Pen. After graduating from a real school in Smolensk (1909), he entered the Higher Polytechnic School in Darmstadt, graduating in 1914 with a diploma in engineering and architecture. Returning to Russia after the outbreak of the First World War, in 1915-1916 he worked in the architectural bureau of B.M. Velikovsky and R.I. Klein in Moscow. He joined the Jewish Renaissance movement, participating in the activities of the Circle of Jewish National Aesthetics in Moscow and the Kulturliga in Kyiv (1917–1919). Combining historicism in the spirit of the "World of Art" and elements of cubo-futurism with the ornamental traditions of medieval Torah scrolls, Lissitzky illustrated fairy tales and legends ( Prague legend M. Broderson, goat etc.), published by Kulturliga in Yiddish.

In 1919 he moved to Vitebsk, where he directed the architectural workshop and the workshop of printed graphics at the People's Art School, headed by Chagall. With the arrival in Vitebsk of K.S.Malevich (in the same year) he became a passionate supporter of Suprematism. In 1920 he adopted the artistic name "El Lissitzky". In the Suprematist style, he created the design of city holidays, propaganda posters ( Beat the whites with a red wedge, 1919); his famous series Tale about 2 squares(1920; published as a book in Berlin in 1922) symbolically depicts the world renewal, the heralds of which are the black and red squares that arrived from space. In the same years, he painted a large cycle of pictorial and graphic "prouns", abstract projects, which, according to the author, were "transfer stations from painting to architecture" (first published in Moscow in 1921). Lissitzky's experiments in Vitebsk culminated in "figurines" for a new production Victory over the sun, a futuristic opera by A.E. Kruchenykh and M.V. Matyushin (published in Berlin in 1923), conceived by him as a performance with electromechanical puppets.

During his life in Germany and Switzerland (1921-1925), Lissitzky's ideas received a great international response. Lissitzky established creative contacts with the Berlin Dadaists, figures of the Bauhaus and the Dutch group "De Stijl", published together with I.G. Ehrenburg the magazine "Thing" (1923). In the book Mayakovsky. For voice(1923), the master implemented the principles of a new visual-spatial, solved mainly by purely typographic means of book design. Returning to Moscow (1925), he taught at the Vkhutemas (Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops), designed a play by S.M. Tretyakov for V.E. Meyerhold I want a baby(1930), developed a number of innovative architectural designs; summarized his theories about the life-transforming meaning of modern architecture in the book Russia. Architecture for world revolution, published in Berlin in German (1930).

Rigid objectivism in relation to the Soviet social utopia (for all its sincere enthusiasm for the latter) appeared in the best of the exhibition complexes designed by Lissitzky (the Soviet pavilion at the international exhibition "Press" in Cologne, 1928; etc.); The “new world” here looks like a realm of mannequins, a kind of mechanical “figures”, perceived in a detached and ironic way. Squeezed in the grip of increasingly strict censorship, Lissitzky's work loses its former philosophical and ironic expression in the 1930s, although the master retains important positions in official artistic life (in 1932-1940 he was one of the leading designers of the magazine "USSR in Construction" , and since 1935 - the main artist of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition).

The first Soviet designer and artist El Lissitzky entered the history of Russian art as a co-founder of Suprematism, book illustrator and photographer. He participated in the publication of such magazines as Metz, Brum, Veshch, taught at the Moscow Vkhutemas and Vkhutein, was an active member of the Dutch art group De Stil, which united prominent representatives of avant-garde and neoplasticism. Against the backdrop of the artistic achievements of Lazar Markovich (El is a pseudonym that the artist took after he became an adherent of Suprematism), his unrealized projects in the field of architecture and urban planning theory become unique. These projects are of particular value today, when urbanization and a properly developed city policy are the key to the successful development of the city.

The architectural activity of Lissitzky concentrated around urban planning problems and the correct zoning of the urban environment. A certified architect (Lissitzky is a graduate of the Higher Technical School in Darmstadt), Lazar Markovich from the very beginning of his career took the path of a radical reform of the existing laws of architecture. In his diary, he wrote: “We were brought up by the age of inventions. ... We have become conscripts of the era of a new beginning of human history ... ". It was architecture that was to become the means by which Lissitzky was going to bring humanity to a new stage of existence. How? Definitely, without the help of engineers, builders, complex drawings and mathematical laws. Lissitzky's answer is simple: with the help of art.

Having become interested in Suprematism quite early, Lissitzky remained true to its principles all his life: he was the author of propaganda posters (“Beat the whites with a red wedge!”) And the decorator of theatrical performances made in the style of Suprematism, and even published a book for children “Suprematist tale about two squares”, in which the central place is occupied not by text, but by geometric shapes - squares, rectangles and circles painted in the main colors of the spectrum. The artist considered Suprematism as a socially significant component of public life. Experimenting with Suprematist compositions, Lissitzky sought to translate the principles of Suprematism from artistic language into practical language.

Soon, the architect managed to create a universal Suprematist unit, which formed the basis of his urban utopia project. This basis was "proun" - a project for the approval of the new. The author defined proun as "transfer station from painting to architecture". Depicting the proun on paper, stretching, rotating and distorting the figure, Lissitzky never considered it as a geometric figure on the plane. For him, proun has become a new model, a revolutionary form in urban planning.

Subsequently, on the basis of prouns, Lissitzky developed a project for a whole utopian city: “We set ourselves the task of a city - a single creative cause, a center of collective effort, a radio mast that sends an explosion of creative efforts into the world: we will overcome the fettering foundation of the earth in it and rise above it ... this dynamic architecture will create a new theater of life…”.

Perhaps, if you peer into one of Lissitzky's geometric compositions, you will be able to see this city floating in the sky, where houses do not grow in height, but, horizontally, in length. Horizontal skyscrapers stand on three abutments-frameworks: one of them went deep underground and served as a subway stop, and trams stopped at the others.

The revolutionary ideas of Lissitzky were not destined to come true. The project of horizontal skyscrapers was rejected as too abstract and not taking into account the modern architectural problems of Moscow. Today, the memory of Lissitzky the architect is immortalized in only one building built according to his design - the printing house of the Ogonyok magazine.

LISITSKY LAZAR MARKOVICH (pseudonym El Lisits-kiy, since 1920) - Russian graphic artist, designer, architect, architectural theorist.

Studied under Yu.M. Pen in Vitebsk (mid-1900s) and at the architecture faculty of the Higher Technical School in Darmstadt (1909-1914), in the Riga li-technical institute, eva-kui-ro-van-nom in Mo-sk-vu (1915-1916). After 1917, he was one of the or-ga-ni-for-to-ditch exhibitions of professional Jewish art; ra-bo-tal in the Artistic section of the Moscow so-ve-ta de-pu-ta-tov and in Haut-de-le IZO Nar-com-pro-sa (1918). According to his es-ki-zu is-half-not-but the first banner of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (1918). In the early graphic works of Lissitzky (1910s), the influence of Russian modernity is still noticeable; il-lu-st-ra-tion and designing a number of books in Yiddish in 1917-1923 (“Prague Le-gen-da” M. Bro-der-zo-na, 1917 , etc.) so-che-ta-yut sti-li-sti-ku of the Russian ku-bo-fu-tu-riz-ma with the reception of the folk lub-ka.

Since May 1919, Lissitzky has worked in Vi-teb-sk, ru-ko-vo-dil of the architectural master and master of print graphic art in Narodny art school, headed by M.Z. Sha-ga-scrap. After arriving in Vitebsk, K.S. Ma-le-vi-cha became the adherent of the su-pre-ma-tiz-ma. An active member of the association Uno-vis (“Ut-ver-di-te-li no-go art-kus-st-va”), voz-nik-she- go in Vi-tebsk in 1919. Create-da-val pan-no and pla-ka-you, co-che-tav-shie su-pre-ma-tic im-object-object-ness and agitation-right-len-ness (“Kli -nom kra-s-ny bey be-lykh, 1919), in 1920, issued a mil (together with others) Al-ma-nah Uno-vis No. 1 and asked-ti-ro-val “fi-gu-ri-ny” to the ku-bo-fu-tu-ri-stic opera “In-be-yes over the Sun” (text by A.E. Kru-che-nykh and V.V. Bread-no-ko-va, mu-zy-ka M.V. Ma-tyu-shi-na), for-du-mav this one hundred-new-ku (not osu-sche-st-in- le-na) as "electro-tro-me-ha-no-che-show" with is-pol-ne-te-la-mi-ma-rio-no-ka-mi. In Vi-teb-sk, Lissitzky invented and developed his own version of three-dimensional su-pre-ma-tic com-po-zi-tsy - “pro-unov” (“pro-ek -tov ut-ver-wait-ing but-in-go”), calling them “pe-re-sa-doch-ny-mi station-mi from live-in-pi-si to ar -hi-tech-to-re"; according to the thought of av-to-ra, they are syn-te-zi-ro-va-li me-to-dy su-pre-ma-tiz-ma and con-st-ruk-ti-viz-ma. In the years 1919-1920, he-pi-sal-shoe-whether-che-st-vo-v-pis-nyh "pro-uns", some of them were-la re-re-ve -de-on into a graphic form and from-da-on in the form of li-to-gra-fi (1921 and 1923).

At the end of 1920, Lissitzky moved to Moscow; teaching-st-in-shaft in ra-bo-te In-sti-tu-ta hu-do-s-st-ven-noy kul-tu-ry (In-huk). In the autumn of 1921 there was a co-man-di-ro-van in Berlin; played a big role in us-ta-nov-le-nii ties between me-zh-du in str-vo-lu-qi-on-ny Russian van-gar-diz-mom and European but-va-to-ra-mi - especially-ben-no-sti ber-lin-ski-mi mas-te-ra-mi yes-yes-from-ma, group-sing "De Stijl" and Bau- how-zom. Teaching-st-in-shaft in the general-ev-ro-pei-sky movement-same-ni-con-st-ruk-ti-viz-ma, real-li-zo-you-vaya your representations le-tion about someone-mu-no-ka-tiv-noy ro-whether di-zay-na as in-ter-na-tsio-nal-no-go language, understand-no-go outside of forms layer-weight-no-go general. In 1922, from yes-val (together with I.G. Ehrenburg) the magazine “Thing. object. Gegenstand" (in Russian, French and German); ak-tiv-but co-work-ni-chal in the publishing house of the magazines "Broom" (Berlin, 1922), "De Stijl" (Amsterdam, 1922), "G "(together with L. Mies van der Rohe, Berlin, 1922-1923), "Merz" (together with K. Schwitters, Berlin, 1923-1924), "ABC" (together with M. Sta-m, Switzerland, 1925). In Ber-li-not from-da-na of his book “Su-pre-ma-ti-che-sky tale about two square-ra-ta in six-by-stroy” (for children; 1922 ); also “For go-lo-sa” by V.V. May-kov-sko-go (1923), where Lissitzky for the first time applied me-not-us methods of vi-zu-al-no-spatial con-st-rui-ro-va-nia books. In 1923, he worked in Holland, chi-tal dok-la-dy about Russian art; in 1924, you-sta-vil in Ve-not a project of re-re-moving "Lenin's tri-bu-na" (pe-re-ra-bot-ka project " Three-boo-na for the square, 1920, resurrecting to the uto-peak ideas of Uno-vi-sa). In 1924, within the framework of the Bolshoy Ber-lin-c-artistic exhibition of the con-st-rui-ro-val “hall of pro-uns” - the first con-st-ruk-ti- vi-st-sky in-torture in-the-embodiment of the forms of the camp-howl of the car-ti-ny in the re-al-nom pro-country-st-ve. A few me-sya-tsev le-chil-sya from tu-ber-ku-le-za in Switzerland (1924-1925), where he joined the pro-ek-ti -ro-va-niyu “go-ri-zon-tal-no-go-no-bo-skre-ba”, created a design-design for the company “Pe-li -kan".

Returning to Moscow (in June-not 1925), Lissitzky joined the As-sociation of new ar-chi-tech-to-ditch (ASNOVA); a number of architectural projects belongs to him (tech-style-no-go com-bi-na-ta, do-ma-com-mu-na, yacht club-ba, com -plex-sa of the publishing house "Prav-da", etc.). He created a mock-up stage set-ta-nov-ki for the play “Ho-chu re-byon-ka” by S.M. Third-ya-ko-va (1930, directed by V.E. Mei-er-hold, Theater named after Mei-er-khol-da; -on the). Wrote articles and trak-ta-you, pro-pa-gan-di-ruyu-shchi new vi-zu-al-nuyu kul-tu-ru. Ra-bo-tal in the field of photo-to-gra-fi, using the methods of mon-ta-zha and photo-to-grams; co-z-da-val port-re-you (K. Schvit-ter-sa, H. Ar-pa, etc.), used photo-gra-fia as an element -man-ta book-no-th design-le-tion, pla-ka-tov, di-zai-ner-pro-ek-tov. Pre-po-da-val in Vhu-te-ma-se - Vhu-tei-ne (1921 and since 1925; professor).

Ra-bo-ta Lissitzky on the design-le-ni-em All-with-use-no-li-graphic exhibition in Mo-sk-ve (1927), spro-ek-ti-ro -van-nym and os-sche-st-in-lyon-ny with shi-ro-kim is-pol-zo-va-ni-em of technical and engineering dos-ti-the-same-niy, oz-on- me-no-va-la in the USSR sa-my pro-fessions di-zai-ne-ra you-sta-wok. From the news of his development of the development of the Soviet pa-vil-o-news at the international folk exhibitions - pe-cha-ti (“Press ”) in Cologne (1928), gi-gie-ny in Drez-de-ne (1930), push-ni-ny in Leip-chi-ge (1930), trade-gov-li in Bel-gra- de (1940-1941; did not take place). In 1935, he was appointed chief artist of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, worked on the project of the Main Pa-Vil-o-na. In the 1930s, he continued to work in the field of book-no-go and magazine-no-go design (al-bo-we "15 years of the USSR" , "15 years of the Red Army", "The USSR is building socialism", etc.); in 1932-1941 artist of the magazine "USSR in construction". After the on-cha-la of the Great Patriotic War, he created a number of an-ti-fa-shi-st-sky pla-ka-tov.

Illustrations:

L.M. Fox cue. Il-lu-st-ra-tion to the Jewish folk tale “Ko-zoch-ka”. Is there a color graphic. 1919. BRE archive.

Compositions:

Die Kunstismen - Les Ismes de l'art - The Isms of art. Z., 1925 (with H. Arp). Basel, 1990;

Russland: Die Rekonstruktion der Architektur in der Sowjetunion. W., 1930.

(1890-1941) worked in several fields of art. He was an architect, artist, book graphic artist, designer, theater decorator, photomontage master, and exhibition designer. In each of these areas, he made his contribution, entered the practice and history of the development of art in the first half of the 20th century. Lissitzky graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Higher Technical School in Darmstadt (1909-1914) and the Riga Polytechnic (1915-1918). The universality of Lissitzky as an artist and his desire to work in several areas of art is not just a feature of his talent, but to a large extent the need of that era, when the features of modern aesthetic culture were formed in the interaction of various types of art. Lissitzky was one of those who stood at the origins of the new architecture and, with his creative and theoretical works, had a significant influence on the formal and aesthetic searches of innovative architects.

Lazar Markovich (Mordukhovich) Lissitzky was born into the family of a craftsman-entrepreneur Mordukh Zalmanovich Lissitzky and a housewife Sarah Leibovna Lissitzky on November 10 (22), 1890 in the village. Repair of the Smolensk province. He graduated from a real school in Smolensk (1909). He studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Higher Polytechnic School in Darmstadt and at the Riga Polytechnic Institute, which was evacuated to Moscow during the First World War (1915-1916). He worked in the architectural bureau of Velikovsky and Klein.

Since 1916, he participated in the work of the Jewish Society for the Encouragement of Arts, including in collective exhibitions of the society in 1917 and 1918 in Moscow and in 1920 in Kyiv. Then, in 1917, he began illustrating books published in Yiddish, including modern Jewish authors and works for children. Using traditional Jewish folk symbols, he created a brand for the Kyiv publishing house "Yidisher folks-farlag" (Jewish folk publishing house), with which he signed a contract on April 22, 1919 to illustrate 11 books for children. In the same period (1916), Lissitzky took part in ethnographic trips to a number of cities and towns of the Belarusian Dnieper region and Lithuania in order to identify and fix Jewish antiquity monuments; The result of this trip was the reproductions of the murals of the Mogilev synagogue at the Shkolishche published by him in 1923 in Berlin and the accompanying article in Yiddish “Memories of the Mogilev synagogue”, the Milgroim magazine is the only theoretical work of the artist dedicated to Jewish decorative art.

In 1918, in Kyiv, Lissitzky became one of the founders of the Kultur-League (Yiddish: League of Culture), an avant-garde artistic and literary association that aimed to create a new Jewish national art. In 1919, at the invitation of Marc Chagall, he moved to Vitebsk, where he taught at the People's Art School (1919-1920).

In 1917-19, Lissitzky devoted himself to illustrating works of modern Jewish literature and especially children's poetry in Yiddish, becoming one of the founders of the avant-garde style in Jewish book illustration. In contrast to Chagall, who gravitated toward traditional Jewish art, since 1920, under the influence of Malevich, Lissitzky turned to Suprematism. It was in this vein that later book illustrations of the early 1920s were made, for example, for the books Shifs-Kart (1922), poems by Mani Leib (1918-1922), Rabbi (1922) and others. Lissitzky's last active work in Jewish book graphics (1922-1923) belongs to the Berlin period of Lissitzky. After returning to the Soviet Union, Lissitzky no longer turned to book graphics, including Jewish ones.

Since 1920, he performed under the artistic name "El Lissitzky". He taught at the Moscow Vkhutemas (1921) and Vkhutein (since 1926); in 1920 joined Inkhuk.

The formation of new architecture in the first years after the October Revolution took place in close cooperation between architects and figures of the "left" fine arts. During these years, a complex process of crystallization of the new style took place, which proceeded most intensively at the junction of fine arts and architecture.

Being an architect by education, Lissitzky was one of the first to understand the significance of the artistic search for "leftist" painting for the development of modern architecture. Working at the intersection of architecture and fine arts, he did a lot to transfer to the new architecture those formal and aesthetic discoveries that helped shape modern artistic culture. One of the active figures of the Vitebsk UNOVIS headed by K. Malevich, Lissitzky and in 1919-1921 creates his PROUNs (projects for the approval of the new) - axonometric images of geometric bodies of various shapes in equilibrium, either resting on a solid foundation, or, as it were, floating in outer space .

In 1921-1925 he lived in Germany and Switzerland; joined the Dutch group "Style".

In his formal aesthetic searches of those years, Lissitzky consciously relied on architecture, considering PROUNs as "transfer stations on the way from painting to architecture." PROUNs were one of the links in the process of passing the baton from leftist painting to new architecture. These were peculiar models of new architecture, architectonic experiments in the field of shaping, the search for new geometric and spatial representations, some compositional "blanks" of future volumetric and spatial constructions. It is no coincidence that he gives some of his PROUNs such names as “city”, “bridge”, etc. Later, Lissitzky used some of his PROUNs in the development of specific architectural projects (water station, horizontal skyscrapers, residential building, exhibition interiors, etc. .).

In the early years of Soviet power, Lissitzky also acted as a theorist, substantiating his understanding of the process of interaction between the leftist trends in fine arts and architecture. However, the role of Lissitzky in this process of interaction was not limited to his creative and theoretical works. He takes an active part in such complex creative associations as UNOVIS, INHUK and Vkhutemas. He was associated with the Bauhaus, with members of the Dutch group De Stijl, with French artists and architects.

Lissitzky did a lot to promote the achievements of Soviet architecture abroad. In 1921-1925 he lived in Germany and was treated for tuberculosis in Switzerland. During these years, he establishes close relations with many progressive Western artists, delivers reports and articles on the problems of architecture and art, takes an active part in the creation of new magazines (Thing in Berlin, ABC in Zurich).

Lissitzky's close attention to the artistic problems of shaping led him to rapprochement with the rationalists and to join ASNOVA. He was one of the editors and main authors of Izvestia ASNOVA (1926), which was planned to be turned into a periodical. However, the creative credo and theoretical views of Lissitzky do not give grounds to consider him an orthodox rationalist. Although in a number of his works he criticizes the desire inherent in constructivism (and functionalism) to emphasize the functional and constructive expediency of a new architectural form, nevertheless, much in Lissitzky's views brought him closer to constructivism. It can be said that in the creative credo of Lissitzky, many features of rationalism and constructivism, these main innovative trends in Soviet architecture of the 1920s, largely complemented each other in terms of shaping, turned out to be largely combined. It is no coincidence that Lissitzky had close creative contact with both the rationalist theorist N. Ladovsky and the constructivist theorist M. Ginzburg. Rapprochement with the constructivists was facilitated by the work of Lissitzky as a professor of the woodworking and metalworking faculty of the Vkhutemas, where under his leadership modern built-in furniture, transforming furniture, sectional furniture and individual elements of standard furniture were developed, many of which were intended for economically planned living cells.

A significant place in the work of Lissitzky in the early years of Soviet power was occupied by works related to propaganda art - the poster "Beat the Whites with a Red Wedge" (1919), "Lenin's Tribune" (1920-1924), etc. In 1923 he completed sketches for an unrealized staging of the opera "Victory over the Sun".

A certain contribution was made by Lissitzky to the development of the urban planning problem of vertical zoning of the city's development. The work of Soviet architects in this area differed significantly in those years from the projects of foreign architects. The buildings raised on supports were proposed to be built not over pedestrian paths, but over transport routes. Of the three main elements of vertical zoning - the pedestrian, transport and buildings - preference was given to the pedestrian, whose position in the spatial and planning structure of the city was considered inappropriate to change. The main reserves of vertical zoning were seen in the use of space for building over highways. In the project of “horizontal skyscrapers” developed by Lissitzky for Moscow (1923-1925), it was proposed to erect (directly above the carriageway of the city) eight buildings of the same type for central institutions in the form of horizontally elongated two- three-story buildings raised above the ground on three vertical supports, in which elevators and stairs are located, with one support connecting the building directly to the metro station.

Lissitzky takes an active part in architectural competitions: the House of Textiles in Moscow (1925), residential complexes in Ivanovo-Voznesensk (1926), the House of Industry in Moscow (1930), the Pravda plant. He designs a water station and a stadium in Moscow (1925), a village club (1934), takes an active part in the planning and design of the Park of Culture and Leisure named after. Gorky in Moscow, creates a project (not implemented) for the main pavilion of the Agricultural Exhibition in Moscow (1938), etc.

In 1930-1932, according to the project of El Lissitzky, a printing house for the Ogonyok magazine was built (house number 17 on 1st Samotechny Lane). Lissitzky's printing house is distinguished by an amazing combination of huge square and small round windows. The building in plan looks like a sketch of Lissitzky's "horizontal skyscraper".

Closely connected with the development of modern interiors is Lissitzky's work in the field of exhibition design, in which he introduced a number of fundamental innovations: design for the Soviet pavilion at the exhibition of decorative arts in Paris (1925), the All-Union Printing Exhibition in Moscow (1927), Soviet pavilions at the international press exhibition in Cologne (1928), at the international fur exhibition in Leipzig (1930) and at the international exhibition "Hygiene" in Dresden (1930).

The theoretical and architectural works of Lissitzky cannot be considered separately from other aspects of his creative activity. It was the complexity of Lissitzky's artistic work that allowed him to play a significant role in the complex and controversial period of the early 1920s, when new architecture and design were born in the process of interaction between various arts.

Lissitzky made a significant contribution to the development of new methods of graphic design of books (the book "Mayakovsky for Voice" - ed. 1923, etc.), in the field of posters and photomontage. One of the best images of this area is a poster for the "Russian Exhibition" in Zurich (1929), where a cyclopean image of two heads, merged into a single whole, rises above generalized architectural structures. Lissitzky made several propaganda posters in the spirit of Suprematism, for example, “Beat the whites with a red wedge!”; designed convertible and built-in furniture in 1928-1929. He created new principles of exhibition exposition, perceiving it as an integral organism. An excellent example of this is the All-Union Printing Exhibition in Moscow (1927).

The fate of Lissitzky as a theorist turned out to be such that most of his works were published abroad in German (in the 1920s in articles in the journals Merz, ABC, G, etc., in the journal published in 1930 in Vienna, the book "Russia. Reconstruction of architecture in the Soviet Union") or remained unpublished in due time (some works were published in 1967 in the book "El Lissitzky" published in Dresden). Collected together, Lissitzky's theoretical statements give an idea of ​​him as one of the original representatives of Soviet architecture of the period of its formation.

Source: "Masters of Soviet Architecture on Architecture", Volume II, "Art", Moscow, 1975. Compilation and notes: S.O. Khan-Magomedov