Meetings with artists. Witold Byalynitsky-Birulya

This remarkable man was born on February 29, 1872 in the Krynki farm (not far from the village of Tekhtin) of the modern Belynichi district in the family of a small tenant. Due to the conflicting nature of their father, they often had to change their place of residence. But it was thanks to this circumstance that young Witold was able to see the world and nature of Belarus and Russia. Much later, being captivated by childhood memories and impressions, he would tirelessly paint the landscapes of his native land, displaying in them the inconspicuous beauty of the picturesque Belarusian forests, copses, gardens and fields.

He recalled those years: “I am a Belarusian. Born in the Krynki estate near Belynych in the Mogilev region. My childhood years were spent there. Father served as a tenant, later - in the Dnieper shipping company. Going on flights along the Dnieper, Pripyat, Sozha, he often took me with him on trips. It was the greatest happiness and joy for me, because it was then, on those trips, that I discovered the incomparable nature of my native Belarus.”

For some time the artist lived in Kyiv with his older brother Alexander and studied in the cadet corps. Here he made friends with local artists, who, having appreciated the capabilities of the young man, introduced him to M. Murashka, the head of the then-famous art school. Leaving the cadet corps, Vitold goes to school, where he receives initial lessons in painting, and then studies at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Friendly relations with teachers, itinerant artists N. Nevrev, S. Korovin, I. Pryanishnikov, assimilation of their rich professional experience had a major influence on the formation of his taste and artistic manner.

At the same time, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya met I. Levitan. Frequent meetings, conversations, work in the workshop of the great painter have become a good school for a novice artist. Under the influence of the talent of his teachers, he begins to understand that his favorite genre is landscape, only then it acquires artistry, touches the mind and soul of a person, when it conveys the truth of life through the color and shadows of colors. Later, researchers of the artist's work noted that a person, his spirit, was always invisibly present in the artist's landscapes.

Since 1897, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya began to show his paintings at exhibitions of the Moscow Association of Art Lovers and the Moscow Society of Artists, at international exhibitions and competitions, where his works are more and more often noted and become noticeable.

Since 1899, the artist's name has appeared in the catalogs of traveling exhibitions. His landscape "Eternal Snows", exhibited at the Caucasian jubilee exhibition in 1901, is awarded a gold medal. In 1904, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya was elected a member of the Society of Traveling Exhibitions (Wanderers), and four years later he was awarded the title of Academician of Painting.

Great success came to the artist in 1911, when his painting The Hour of Silence received an honorary medal in Munich and a bronze medal in Barcelona. This recognition was one of the highest achievements of the master.

In subsequent years, his work is closely connected with the "Seagull" - a summer house, which he built in 1912 near the places where I. Levitan often worked (Tver region). Lake Udomlya and its environs served as an inexhaustible source of motives for further sketches.

In 1936, the artist visited Pushkin's places - Mikhailovskoe and Trigorskoe - and brought back a whole series of paintings from there. Having visited Klin, the homeland of P. Tchaikovsky, he exhibits new landscapes - corners of nature, which the classic of Russian music loved.

The theme of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) entered the work of V. Byalynitsky-Biruli as a big unhealed wound. About this period, he left the paintings "The Red Army in the forests of Karelia", "In the footsteps of the fascist barbarians" (1942) and others.

In 1944, already a well-known master, he received the title of People's Artist of Belarus, and in 1947 he became a People's Artist of Russia and was elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In the spring of the same year, after a long separation from his native places, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya visits Belarus: “... I cannot forget her forests, rivers, lakes, infinitely dear and close to my heart,” said the artist. - When I go out to write, it is hard for me to tear myself away from the greening winter shoots. I see knocked out German tanks on the outskirts of the roads. They remind me that until recently there were bloody battles here... Years bind me. Otherwise, I would have visited Polissya, or Krasnopolye, or near the town of Chausy in the Mogilev region. What are the picturesque places ... ".

Being at home, in 1947 the artist creates about thirty paintings, sketches and sketches: “Belarus. Spring bloomed again”, “Belarus. Apple trees in bloom”, “Old Belarusian village”, “Belarusian birches have turned green” and others.

V. Byalynitsky-Birulya is not accidentally considered an unsurpassed master of the spring landscape. More than two hundred of his canvases are known, which depict the awakening of nature, its renewal. These paintings are lyrical, emotional in nature. By the muted palette of soft colors, the elusive transition and alternation of colors, the works of the painter are unmistakably recognized. He was a subtle connoisseur of nature, well understood its state, noticed the shades and showed this marvelous green color in dynamics, in constant change. V. Byalynitsky-Birulya painted earth, water and sky all his life, using only three or four colors. But this modest palette of the master was quite enough for those who loved the enchanting beauty of landscapes, their quiet light sadness. He fondly recalled his childhood in nature: “Since childhood, my life has been constantly connected with nature. In her and with her for me has always been the meaning of life. I grew up in the village, in nature, among the people.

The great artist died at his dacha "The Seagull" on June 18, 1957 at the age of 85. He was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery. In Belynichi and Mogilev there are two art museums named after academician of painting Vitold Kaetanovich Byalynitsky-Biruli, where dozens of original paintings by the artist are exhibited. Plein-airs are constantly held in the Belynichi region with the participation of artists from Moscow, Kostroma, Minsk, Mogilev, Belynych, after which the funds of art museums are significantly replenished. In the urban settlement of Belynichi and Mogilev, streets are named after the famous painter, our fellow countryman. A memorial sign has been erected on the site of the former Krynki farm (Tehtin street), where the artist was born.

On February 12, 1872, in the village of Krynki, Mogilev province, Vitold Kaetanovich Byalynitsky-Birulya was born into the family of a small tenant. Although he lived most of his life in Moscow, the Belarusian nature, among which he spent his childhood, involuntarily penetrated the canvases. He was called the Belarusian Levitan, whose work was praised by Repin, and the painting was still only a student in the famous Tretyakov collection.

Of his childhood, he wrote: I am a Belarusian ... My father served as a tenant, then in the Dnieper shipping company. Going on flights along the Dnieper, Pripyat, Sozh, he often took me on his business trips. It was the greatest happiness and joy, because just then, on those trips, I discovered the incomparable nature of my native Belarus".

In 1885, he completed a course at the Vladimir Cadet Corps in Kyiv and at the same time began to seriously engage in art, he entered the Kyiv drawing school of N.I. Murashko and then at the age of 17 to the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He studied with Illarion Pryanishnikov, Sergei Korovin, Nikolai Nevrev, Vasily Polenov, who influenced his taste and style. But a good friend of Byalynitsky-Biruli, Isaac Levitan, had an even greater influence on his painting at that time. Ilya Repin wrote then about the young landscape painter: " This artist is lucky. He will find himself".

In 1892, the well-known collector Pavel Tretyakov bought a student painting by Byalynitsky-Biruli "From the outskirts of Pyatigorsk" for his gallery, which rarely happened with the works of young artists. Since 1897, Byalynitsky-Birulya began to regularly participate in exhibitions and competitions. In 1904, he became a member of the Association of the Wanderers (he writes about this event " ... the old people were harsh and relentlessly strict"), and at the age of 37 - an academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Already after 3 years, Byalynitsky-Birulya wrote one of his best works - "Winter dream", for which he received a bronze medal at the International Exhibition in Barcelona. And his painting "Hour of Silence" was awarded a medal of honor at the Munich International Festival and a bronze medal in Barcelona.

In search of his style, he strove for truthfulness and simplicity and constantly improved, achieving freshness and sincerity. The approach to the work of Byalynitsky-Biruli can be traced in his letters: " Days are irreversible and most do not repeat. Yesterday I walked, admired the place and decided to write a sketch here; today I came to the same place (here’s even a twig that I broke in order to clarify where to sit and write), but the “place” disappeared: yesterday there were pearly clouds, against which bare birch trees were drawn, and today the skies are smooth, and even you yourself are some other, not yesterday. We, artists, must cherish every hour spent in nature, on a sketch. The first impression of the place you are going to write is extremely important. This impression must be preserved, kept during the entire work on the study.".

In 1917, Byalynitsky-Birulya bought a plot in the Tver region, in Levitan's favorite places. Later, his dacha "Chaika" appeared there. In Soviet times, Byalynitsky-Birulya continues the traditions of the Russian lyrical landscape of the late 19th century. In the late 1920s and 1930s, he traveled a lot and painted memorable places associated with the life and work of famous figures of Russian culture. Then the landscapes of Yasnaya Polyana appeared - the estates of L.N. Tolstoy, Pushkin places, Mikhailovsky, the surroundings of the estate of P.I. Tchaikovsky in Klin.

House of Pushkin's nanny Arina Rodionovna

For most of his life, the artist lived in Moscow, but he retained the memory of his homeland and childhood trips: “It always seemed to me that I was indebted to Belarus. I was always worried about the thought that I wrote little about it, and therefore now, when I am back in my native land, I try to catch up at least a little”. "I cannot forget her forests, rivers, lakes, infinitely dear and close to my heart"- wrote Byalynitsky-Birulya about Belarus. In 1944 he received the title of People's Artist of the BSSR, and in 1947 - People's Artist of the RSFSR. In the same year, Byalynitsky-Birulya became a member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In the post-war period, he came to Belarus for the first time after a long absence from his homeland. He lived for a long time at Belaya Dacha in Minsk and painted about 30 sketches, paintings and sketches. Belarusian sketches became the basis of large canvases " Belarus. Spring has bloomed again" , " Green May", "Belarus. Beginning of summer".

The artist died at the age of 85 from a long illness at his dacha "The Seagull", and was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

His works are kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Mogilev Art and Memorial Museum of V.K. Byalynitsky-Biruli, as well as in private collections. For example, it is known that during his visit to Mogilev Vladimir Spivakov visited the artist's museum and admitted that he had three of his landscapes in his private collection. The largest collection - 400 sketches and paintings, as well as many of the most significant paintings - are in the National Art Museum in Minsk.

Meetings with artists. Witold Byalynitsky-Birulya - a famous painter of the impressionistic landscape

Description: This article tells the story of the life and work of the famous landscape painter Vitold Byalynitsky-Biruli, offers questions and tasks to consolidate students' knowledge.
Purpose: The material is addressed to parents, teachers, students.
Target: Acquaintance with the world of art, with the work of the artist V. K. Byalynitsky-Biruli.
Tasks: broaden the horizons of students; to promote the development of the ability to feel, understand and create beauty; develop artistic skills.

Vitold Kaetanovich Byalynitsky-Birulya is an artist with a unique talent for subtle lyricism and a bright creative personality.
Vitold Byalynitsky-Birulya was born in 1872 in the estate of Krynki, near Belynych, in the Mogilev region, where his father rented land. The soft unobtrusive beauty of the Belarusian nature with its forests, fields, rivers and lakes could not charm the soul of the future artist with the simplicity of motives, the calm colors of the surrounding nature. Apparently, these first childhood impressions of the beauty of his native land lived in his visual representations and sunk into his heart for the rest of his life. The future artist depicted his first drawings on plain paper, then he made watercolor sketches, which depicted native landscapes. Music and poetry constantly sounded in the artist's parental home. With tenderness, Vitold Kaetanovich recalls his mother, who read Pushkin's fairy tales, sang wonderful songs and romances, and peasant hunters taught him to love and understand nature.
To get an education, V.K. Byalynitsky-Birulya moved to Kyiv, where he studied at the Vladimir Cadet Corps, but did not leave painting and at the same time studied at the drawing school of N. Murashko, a famous teacher and artist. Further - study at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture with such outstanding artists as S. Korovin, V. Polenov.
In 1892, P. M. Tretyakov bought a painting by a young artist “From the environs of Pyatigorsk” for his gallery. Since that time, Vitold Byalynitsky-Birulya began to constantly exhibit his works at exhibitions. His paintings often win awards. So, in 1899, the painting "Spring is Coming" at the annual competition of the Moscow Association of Art Lovers was awarded the first prize.
In 1908, V. K. Byalynitsky-Birulya received the title of academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts. The artist recreates a new direction in landscape painting.
V. Byalynitsky-Birulya was friends with I. I. Levitan, sometimes their works were exhibited at the same exhibition.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the artist traveled around Europe: Sweden, Holland, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, studying the experience of famous Western painters.
in 1901, at the Caucasian jubilee exhibition, a talented painter received a gold medal for the painting "Eternal Snows", for the work "Hour of Silence" in 1911 a gold medal at the International Exhibition in Munich, for the painting "Winter Dream" - a bronze medal in Barcelona.

Winter dream. 1911

Hour of silence. 1947

VK Byalynitsky-Birulya creates a new kind of landscape - memorial. In 1936-1937, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of A. S. Pushkin, he painted a series of paintings dedicated to Pushkin's places.
Noteworthy is the unique cycle of seascapes - "Barents Sea", "Pomorye", etc.
For outstanding creative achievements and great artistic and social activities, V.K. Byalynitsky-Birulya in 1937 was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
In 1943, the artist received the honorary title of People's Artist of the Byelorussian SSR.
In his canvases, the artist conveys the beauty of the picturesque nature of Belarus: “Minsk outskirts. Belaya Dacha”, “Apple trees in bloom”, “Spring blossomed again”, “Belarusian birch trees turned green”.

Apple trees in bloom. 1947

Belarusian birch trees have turned green

In 1947, V. K. Byalynitsky-Birulya received the honorary title of People's Artist of the RSFSR, was elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Arts. Few people were destined during their lifetime to be an academician of two academies - the Imperial and the USSR.
The famous painter lived 85 years.
In 1970, the regional museum named after V. K. Byalynitsky-Biruli was opened in the artist’s homeland in Belynichi, which exhibits 26 works by the famous landscape painter (“The Ice Passed”, “The Forest Turned Green”, “The Last Snow”).

Last snow. 1930

The artistic heritage of the artist is huge: he created about 2,000 works, many of which are in various museums and collections. The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus has the most significant collection - 460 paintings and sketches, which we are proud of and never cease to admire.

After getting acquainted with the artist's work, the children are offered reproductions of paintings on the themes "Spring", "Winter", "Summer", "Autumn".
You can offer to answer the questions: Why are the artist's landscapes called lyrical? What colors and shades did the artist use in his work? Do you like pictures? Why?
Here are some questions for the quiz:
1. When was the master of landscape V. K. Byalynitsky-Birulya born?
2. Where did the artist get his education?
3. How was the childhood of the famous artist?
4. What awards and titles were awarded to Vitold Byalynitsky-Birula?
5. Name some of the artist's works.
6. Where are the paintings of the famous painter kept?

Dear adults and children! Study the spiritual heritage of your people! Strive for beauty!

Biography of the artist, creative way. Gallery of pictures.

Byalynitsky-Birulya Vitold Kaetanovich

Byalynitsky-Birula Witold

(1872 - 1957)

"He was one of those modest, simple followers of Levitan, who just as strongly and devotedly loved Russian nature, although he did not reach the heights of his teacher. Years will pass, and his work will be valued in the same way as the work of the small Dutch is now valued in Europe." (Nashirvanov B.N.)

Studied at the Kyiv Drawing School N.I. Murashko, then at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1889-1897) S.A. Korovina, V.D. Polenova, I.M. Pryanishnikova.

Back in 1892 P.M. Tretyakov bought his painting "From the outskirts of Pyatigorsk" for your gallery. Member Associations of Traveling Art Exhibitions since 1904

The artist received the title of academician of painting in 1908 for the painting "Days of Early Spring". In the work of Byalynitsky-Biruli, a close connection with poetics is visible I.I. Levitan.

After 1917, Byalynitsky-Birulya became one of the main keepers of the traditions of the Russian realistic landscape. He depicted memorable places associated with the life and work of famous figures of Russian culture: in 1928 he executed a series of landscapes of Yasnaya Polyana - the estate L.N. Tolstoy, in 1937 - views of the Pushkin Mountains, in 1942 - landscapes depicting the estate P.I. Tchaikovsky in Klin.

In 1944, Byalynitsky-Birulya created a series of paintings depicting monuments of ancient Russian architecture in the vicinity of Arkhangelsk. The author of many landscapes, in which he sang the nature of his native Belarus.

His harmonious landscape paintings, refined in color, represent the author's lyrical reflections on the eternity of nature. In his work, V.K. Byalynitsky-Birulya continued and developed the traditions of the Russian lyrical landscape of the 19th century.

This remarkable man was born on February 29, 1872 in the Krynki farm (not far from the village of Tekhtin) of the modern Belynichi district in the family of a small tenant. Due to the conflicting nature of their father, they often had to change their place of residence. But it was thanks to this circumstance that young Witold was able to see the world and nature of Belarus and Russia. Much later, being captivated by childhood memories and impressions, he would tirelessly paint the landscapes of his native land, displaying in them the inconspicuous beauty of the picturesque Belarusian forests, copses, gardens and fields.

He recalled those years: “I am a Belarusian. Born in the Krynki estate near Belynych in the Mogilev region. My childhood years were spent there. Father served as a tenant, later - in the Dnieper shipping company. Going on flights along the Dnieper, Pripyat, Sozha, he often took me with him on trips. It was the greatest happiness and joy for me, because it was then, on those trips, that I discovered the incomparable nature of my native Belarus.”

For some time the artist lived in Kyiv with his older brother Alexander and studied in the cadet corps. Here he made friends with local artists, who, having appreciated the possibilities of the young man, introduced him to M. Murashka, the head of the then-famous art school. Leaving the cadet corps, Vitold goes to school, where he receives initial lessons in painting, and then studies at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Friendly relations with teachers, itinerant artists N. Nevrev, S. Korovin, I. Pryanishnikov, the assimilation of their rich professional experience had a major influence on the formation of his taste and artistic manner.

At the same time, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya got acquainted with I. Levitan. Frequent meetings, conversations, work in the workshop of the great painter have become a good school for a novice artist. Under the influence of the talent of his teachers, he begins to understand that his favorite genre is landscape, only then it acquires artistry, touches the mind and soul of a person, when it conveys the truth of life through the color and shadows of colors. Later, researchers of the artist's work noted that a person, his spirit, was always invisibly present in the artist's landscapes.

Since 1897, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya began to show his paintings at exhibitions of the Moscow Association of Art Lovers and the Moscow Society of Artists, at international exhibitions and competitions, where his works are more and more often noted and become noticeable.

Since 1899, the artist's name has appeared in the catalogs of traveling exhibitions. His landscape "Eternal Snows", exhibited at the Caucasian jubilee exhibition in 1901, is awarded a gold medal. In 1904, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya was elected a member of the Society of Traveling Exhibitions (Wanderers), and four years later he was awarded the title of Academician of Painting.

Great success came to the artist in 1911, when his painting The Hour of Silence received an honorary medal in Munich and a bronze medal in Barcelona. This recognition was one of the highest achievements of the master.

In subsequent years, his work is closely connected with the "Seagull" - a summer house, which he built in 1912 near the places where I. Levitan often worked (Tver region). Lake Udomlya and its environs served as an inexhaustible source of motives for further sketches.

In 1936, the artist visited Pushkin's places - Mikhailovskoe and Trigorskoe - and brought back a whole series of paintings from there. Having visited Klin, the homeland of P. Tchaikovsky, he exhibits new landscapes - corners of nature, which the classic of Russian music loved.

The theme of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) entered the work of V. Byalynitsky-Biruli as a big unhealed wound. About this period he left pictures "Red Army in the forests of Karelia", "In the footsteps of the fascist barbarians"(1942) and others.

In 1944, already a well-known master, he received the title of People's Artist of Belarus, and in 1947 he became a People's Artist of Russia and was elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In the spring of the same year, after a long separation from his native places, V. Byalynitsky-Birulya visits Belarus: “... I cannot forget her forests, rivers, lakes, infinitely dear and close to my heart, the artist said. - When I go out to write, it is hard for me to tear myself away from the greening winter shoots. I see knocked out German tanks on the outskirts of the roads. They remind me that until recently there were bloody battles here... Years bind me. Otherwise, I would have visited Polissya, or Krasnopolye, or near the town of Chausy in the Mogilev region. What are the picturesque places…” .

Being at home, in 1947 the artist creates about thirty paintings, sketches and sketches: "Belarus. Spring bloomed again, "Belarus. Apple trees in bloom», "Old Belarusian Village", "Belarusian birches have turned green" and others.

V. Byalynitsky-Birulya is not accidentally considered an unsurpassed master of the spring landscape. More than two hundred of his canvases are known, which depict the awakening of nature, its renewal. These paintings are lyrical, emotional in nature. By the subdued palette of soft colors, the elusive transition and alternation of colors, the works of the painter are unmistakably recognized. He was a subtle connoisseur of nature, well understood its state, noticed the shades and showed this marvelous green color in dynamics, constant change. V. Byalynitsky-Birulya painted earth, water and sky all his life, using only three or four colors. But this modest palette of the master was quite enough for those who loved the enchanting beauty of landscapes, their quiet light sadness. He fondly recalled his childhood in nature: “My life since childhood is constantly connected with nature. In her and with her for me has always been the meaning of life. I grew up in the village, in nature, among the people" .

The great artist died at his dacha "The Seagull" on June 18, 1957 at the age of 85. He was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery. In Belynichi and Mogilev there are two art museums named after academician of painting Vitold Kaetanovich Byalynitsky-Biruli, where dozens of original paintings by the artist are exhibited. Plein-airs are constantly held in the Belynichi region with the participation of artists from Moscow, Kostroma, Minsk, Mogilev, Belynych, after which the funds of art museums are significantly replenished. In the urban settlement of Belynichi and Mogilev, streets are named after the famous painter, our fellow countryman. A memorial sign has been erected on the site of the former Krynki farm (Tehtin street), where the artist was born.

_____________________

When the name of Vitold Kaetanovich Byalynitsky-Biruli is called, captivating images of native nature arise in the mind. Here the snow began to melt - and its white cover was broken by dark spots of exposed land, The ice passed - the leaden, cold waters of the river flow in a wide ribbon. Such a fragile, touching first greenery appeared; and in the motionless spring air go into the transparent distance, becoming purple, thickets of bushes that have not yet turned green.

And nearby there are images inspired by autumn nature. The beauty of the autumn gold of park alleys and forest edges with flaming clusters of mountain ash and branches of crimson leaves is solemn. The bright green of distant winters is combined with heavy, black and blue stripes of fallow. Trees that have lost their leaves loom against the low gray sky. The water, disturbed by sharp gusts of the north wind, was covered with restless ripples.

And then further - pictures of the Russian winter with pink frosty mornings, with copses and groves covered with a fluffy snow cover. And all this is seen through the eyes of an artist who tenderly loves the nature of his country and conveys this love to those who find themselves near the works he created.

Vitold Kaetanovich Byalynitsky-Birulya was born in Belarus in the town of Byalynichi in 1872. He received his first painting lessons in Kyiv, at the well-known drawing school of N. I. Murashko. The professional skills acquired here helped Byalynitsky-Birulya, when he was 17 years old, to enter the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. A beginner at the school, the artist went through a large, serious school of realistic art. Among the teachers with whom he studied were both representatives of the older generation of the Wanderers, and younger realist artists who developed their traditions.

V. K. Byalynitsky-Birulya himself recalls the years of his stay at the school: S. A. Korovin, in the head - N. V. Nevrev, in curly - P. M. Pryanishnikov. I worked with all of them. But the favorite was Pryanishnikov. I studied with this wonderful teacher for two years. Pryanishnikov knew how to correct a school study with one or two strokes. "Stop drawing with charcoal, you need a brush" - he said, and in these words his views on painting were expressed with extreme brightness ... Pryanishnikov had a strong influence on me with his ability to grasp a phenomenon in its vitality. And I owe Korovin an understanding of the study, as the definition of the main relationships within the developed motive.

Light and shadow, sky and earth, private and general, Sergei Korovin helped to tie it all together. Looking back, you understand that Nevrev's authority was rooted in the fact that this artist was, no doubt, a real painter. Occasionally I had a chance to work in the workshop of V. D. Polenov - I painted still lifes with him.

At the annual student exhibitions, open to the public, paintings by Byalynitsky-Birul attracted attention. The catalog of the 16th exhibition in 1893 reproduced his work "Country Road". In 1897 his painting "From the outskirts of Pyatigorsk" acquired for his then already famous gallery P. M. Tretyakov. This was the biggest event in the biography of a young artist who had just embarked on the path of independent work. The acquisition of the painting by the deepest connoisseur and connoisseur of Russian art marked the beginning of the public recognition of the work of Byalynitsky-Birul.

In this early work of the artist, there is that freshness of perception of nature, which will always remain characteristic of him. Written in the traditions cultivated in the Moscow School, this landscape also captivates with the sonority and harmonic harmony of its color. True, it does not yet have that deep lyricism, which then becomes an integral feature of the landscapes created by V.K. Byalynitsky-Birulya.

Since 1897, the artist began to systematically show his paintings at exhibitions of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers and the Moscow Association of Artists. Finally, in 1899, the works of V. K. Byalynitsky-Birul appeared at the Traveling Exhibition. The further creative biography of the painter is inextricably linked with the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions, which united artists representing the progressive democratic wing of Russian artistic culture. For a number of years V. K. Byalynitsky-Birulya has been exhibiting as an exhibitor, since 1905 he has been a member of the Association.

During the years of study of Byalynitsky-Birul with the greatest masters of realism of the 19th century, during the years of his first appearances at exhibitions, the main features of the artist's creative individuality were determined - truthfulness, richness of artistic images, deeply emotional, lyrical perception of nature, high culture of painting. His landscape paintings have a pronounced national character: they are inextricably linked with the line of democratic realism in the Russian landscape school, which goes back to Savrasov. This is a mood landscape. But the "mood" here is not a stamp of subjectivism in the perception of nature. On the contrary, it is inextricably linked with a deeply realistic understanding of nature, of that ever-renewing life with which it is full. As you know, this line of development of the Russian landscape found an exceptionally vivid expression in the creative activity of Levitan. V. K. Byalynitsky-Birulya always remembers Levitan with special warmth and with a feeling of great gratitude, as an artist who played a significant role in his creative self-determination.

The deep philosophical content of Levitan's paintings, the richness of human feelings expressed in them, the great importance of the motif as the poetic basis of the figurative structure of the picture - these are the features of the work of the great Russian landscape painter that had a particularly deep impact on Byalynitsky-Birul.

V. K. Byalynitsky-Bnrulya paints a number of paintings, for which he is awarded prizes at exhibitions. His works are purchased for museums. Shown at the 19th exhibition of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers, the painting “To Spring” brings V.K. Byalynitsky-Birulya the first prize for landscape at the Society’s competition in 1899. "Eternal snows" exhibited at the Caucasian Anniversary Exhibition.

Great success falls to the share of V. K. Byalynitsky-Birul in 1911, when he received a gold medal at the Munich exhibition for the painting “The Hour of Silence”. In the same year, at an exhibition in Barcelona, ​​he received a second gold medal for the painting "Before Spring". In 1904, the Museum of the Academy of Arts bought a painting by V. K. Byalynitsky-Birul "Spring day"(1902). Council of the Tretyakov Gallery, which then included V. A. Serov and I. S. Ostroukhov, acquires the second work of the master for the gallery "At the End of Winter"(1907). Landscape "Silenced Fields"(1911) was purchased for Russian Museum.

In 1908, V.K. Byalynitsky-Birulya received the title of academician of painting. In 1912, the artist paints a famous painting "Spring", later included assembly State Tretyakov Gallery. This is one of those works of the artist, which in its entirety shows the originality of his creative image, the measure of his mastery. The utmost modesty and sincerity of feeling distinguish this landscape, depicting the outskirts of the village with small huts, deserted snowy expanses, and the calm smooth surface of the river. The compositional, rhythmic construction of the landscape is extremely simple and harmonious. With remarkable fidelity, a certain moment in the life of nature is captured: there is still a lot of snow, but the beginning of spring is already felt in everything. Extremely successfully found for the image of a cold, sunless day, a harsh, monochrome, but richly developed color scheme. Here, a lyrical perception of nature and its intense emotional experience are outlined, which, developing, will later become the main features of the works of Vyalynitsky-Birul.

It was precisely these pictures that I. E. Repin had in mind when he wrote to V. K. Byalynitsky ~ Birulya in a letter dated January 14, 1910: “I always look with new great pleasure at your hillside with huts, covered with snow; I love these banks, reflected in the mountain stream with white edges, ”and in the same letter -“ I am so used to refreshing my soul in front of your living trends of truth, simplicity and freedom.

It is worth emphasizing that the last words, indeed, as deeply and correctly as possible define the essence of the perception of nature by V. N. Byalynitsky-Birul, as a realist artist.

A genuine, deep feeling of love for the nature of his country, a true embodiment of its beauty and diversity, immediacy and sincerity of perception protected Byalynitsky-Birul from the influences of decadent, formalist art, which crippled many beginning artists at the beginning of the 20th century.

Vitold Kaetanovich Byalynitsky-Birulya (Belarusian Vitold Kaetanavich Byalynitsky-Birulya; 1872-1957) - Belarusian, Russian and Soviet landscape painter, People's Artist of the BSSR (1944) and the RSFSR (1947), full member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1947). Member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions (since 1904), the Union of Russian Artists, AHRR (since 1922). He developed the traditions of the Russian lyrical landscape of the late 19th century.

He was born on January 31 (February 12), 1872 in the village of Krynki, Belynichsky district, Mogilev province of the Russian Empire, in the family of a small tenant. The Krynki estate was located three kilometers north of the village of Tekhtin and 20 km from Belynichi, Mogilev region. The family often changed their place of residence. His father served in the Dnieper shipping company and often took his son on a voyage along the Dnieper, Pripyat and Sozh. For some time the artist lived in Kyiv with his older brother Alexander. He studied first at the Kiev Cadet Corps, then moved to the Kyiv Drawing School N. Murashko (1885-89), later left for Moscow and entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture for a course with teachers Korovin S. A., Polenov V. D., Pryanishnikov I. M. In Moscow, the artist met I. Levitan, worked in his studio. Under the influence of teachers, he became interested in landscape. In 1892, P. M. Tretyakov acquired for his gallery the canvas “From the environs of Pyatigorsk”.

Since 1897, Byalynitsky-Birulya has shown his paintings at exhibitions of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers and the Moscow Association of Artists, at international exhibitions and competitions. Since 1899, the artist's name has appeared in the catalogs of traveling exhibitions. The landscape "Eternal Snows", exhibited at the Caucasian jubilee exhibition in 1901, is awarded a gold medal. In 1904, Byalynitsky-Birulya was elected a member of the Association of Wanderers, and four years later he was awarded the title of academician of painting. He is also a member of the Union of Russian Artists and the Society of Artists named after AI Kuindzhi. In 1911, the painting "Hour of Silence" received two medals: an honorary - in Munich, a bronze - in Barcelona.

In the same year, he created the painting "Winter Dream" - one of the best paintings by V.K. Byalynitsky-Biruli. For this painting, the artist was also awarded a bronze medal at the International Exhibition in Barcelona. The picture uses a minimum of means of expression. Only a few planes and a small number of lines make up its composition. In the center of the picture is a temple, the outlines of which protrude against the sky. The smear is barely visible. Everything seems to be shrouded in a haze of thickening twilight. Despite the laconism of expressive means, the picture is emotionally saturated, which is achieved by the skillful development of shades of color relationships.

In 1912, the artist purchased a plot of land in the Tver province on the shores of Lake Udomlya, not far from the places where Levitan often worked, and built a house with a workshop here. He called his small estate "The Seagull". Most of the creative and personal life of the master is connected with The Seagull. Lake Udomlya and its surroundings have become an inexhaustible source of motives for his further work. Members of the party and government came to hunt in this estate, left to the artist as a personal property.

In 1917, Byalynitsky-Birulya organized an art school for peasant children. In painting, he continues to develop the traditions of "Russian impressionism", like Grabar, Yuon and Baksheev.

In 1922, Byalynitsky-Birulya became a member of the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia. In Soviet times, he continues to develop the traditions of the Russian lyrical landscape of the late 19th century, becoming one of the creators of the memorial landscape genre. In the 1920s and 1930s, the artist traveled a lot around the country. He is interested in the first experiments in the reconstruction of agriculture at the Gigant state farm and the Seibit commune, the construction of Azovstal, and the transformation of the North. In 1933, 1935 and 1937 he visited the Arctic, to which several series of landscapes are devoted.

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