The school-colony “Vigorous life” in Kaluga Oblast developed in the early 20th century from a summer labor camp for children of working-class families from the outskirts of Moscow. 30 years later it evolved into a settlement with its own infrastructure: a hospital, vegetable garden, cattle yard, living quarters and school building. The children were taught there according to Stanislav Shatsky’s system through work, art, and independence. The experience of the teaching staff helped to set up the First Experimental Station, which attracted thousands of teachers from the USSR and the world.
Before the school appeared, in 1908, the young artist Dmitry Arkhangelsky presented his work to the public for the first time at the provincial agricultural exhibition in the town of Simbirsk. The public highly appreciated his work. Soon after, Arkhangelsky was approached by a boy, Arkady Plastov, who wanted to study painting. Arkhangelsky later recalled, “I really liked the colorful figure of my new acquaintance and his figurative folk talk. One could write a whole book about how Plastov and I worked hard together, shared our thoughts, read, argued and became good friends”. The friendship of the artists lasted throughout their lives.
In 1934 the People’s Commissariat for Education sent Arkhangelsky to the “Vigorous Life” school-colony to teach painting and drawing to children. Dmitry Ivanovich wanted to involve as many children as possible in the activities and he organized an art studio at the school, in addition to the curricular classes. Together with the teacher, children painted studies: bouquets of wild and garden flowers, the surrounding countryside, the view of the old estate Belkino. The young artists were frequent guests at the artist Pyotr Konchalovsky’s dacha in Bugry. Arkhangelsky fascinated children speaking to them about such historical topics as the development of the Northern Sea Route, the flights of Valery Chkalov and Mikhail Gromov, the fate of the icebreaker Chelyuskin, the Civil War in Spain.
Arkady Plastov, who became a famous artist, remained faithful to his friendship with his teacher and visited him more than once at the “Vigorous Life”. He organized exhibitions of his works for the students and gave them practical advice. During one of the visits of Arkady Alexandrovich a group photographic portrait was made with the best students of the art studio. In the first row on the left is Dmitry Arkhangelsky, on the right — Arkady Plastov, and between them — a talented boy Vasya Trofimov. The girl on the right is Susanna Kakhana, who painted a vivid portrait of David Ordzhonikidze, who stands on the left. Arkady Plastov himself enjoyed making portraits of the students. His portraits of the boys in the photo — Ivan Dovzhenko, Boris Yudin and Vasya Trofimov — are kept in the collection of the Museum of the History of Obninsk.
Before the school appeared, in 1908, the young artist Dmitry Arkhangelsky presented his work to the public for the first time at the provincial agricultural exhibition in the town of Simbirsk. The public highly appreciated his work. Soon after, Arkhangelsky was approached by a boy, Arkady Plastov, who wanted to study painting. Arkhangelsky later recalled, “I really liked the colorful figure of my new acquaintance and his figurative folk talk. One could write a whole book about how Plastov and I worked hard together, shared our thoughts, read, argued and became good friends”. The friendship of the artists lasted throughout their lives.
In 1934 the People’s Commissariat for Education sent Arkhangelsky to the “Vigorous Life” school-colony to teach painting and drawing to children. Dmitry Ivanovich wanted to involve as many children as possible in the activities and he organized an art studio at the school, in addition to the curricular classes. Together with the teacher, children painted studies: bouquets of wild and garden flowers, the surrounding countryside, the view of the old estate Belkino. The young artists were frequent guests at the artist Pyotr Konchalovsky’s dacha in Bugry. Arkhangelsky fascinated children speaking to them about such historical topics as the development of the Northern Sea Route, the flights of Valery Chkalov and Mikhail Gromov, the fate of the icebreaker Chelyuskin, the Civil War in Spain.
Arkady Plastov, who became a famous artist, remained faithful to his friendship with his teacher and visited him more than once at the “Vigorous Life”. He organized exhibitions of his works for the students and gave them practical advice. During one of the visits of Arkady Alexandrovich a group photographic portrait was made with the best students of the art studio. In the first row on the left is Dmitry Arkhangelsky, on the right — Arkady Plastov, and between them — a talented boy Vasya Trofimov. The girl on the right is Susanna Kakhana, who painted a vivid portrait of David Ordzhonikidze, who stands on the left. Arkady Plastov himself enjoyed making portraits of the students. His portraits of the boys in the photo — Ivan Dovzhenko, Boris Yudin and Vasya Trofimov — are kept in the collection of the Museum of the History of Obninsk.
