On this painting, Batyr Kartoev depicted a real tower complex ‘Lyalakh’ located in the Chulkhoi gorge.
There is a legend that the name ‘Lyalakh’ comes from the word ‘neighbor’ or ‘neighborhood’ — ‘loalakho’ or ‘loalakhe’. People say that in the ancient times the lands here were unoccupied. When the settlers moved here with all their belongings, the residents of the nearest villages of Khyani and Kazi surprisingly exclaimed: ‘Our neighbors have come to us! ’. Although official historical research does not confirm this. It is believed that since those times the name ‘Lyalakh’, meaning ‘neighbor’, has been used for the complex.
Architects built 3 battle towers, 22 residential buildings, and 8 collective tomb burials here. The battle towers were especially elegant and tall.
The battle towers of Lyalakh have a square base, each side is about 5.5 meters in length. They reach a height of about 26 meters, while the walls are significantly narrowed and have many overhanging stone balconies, they are called ‘machicolations’ and cover large embrasures (special places for shooting). They had step pyramidal roofs. Usually, such roofs were built from 12 shale slabs and completed with a large cone-shaped stone.
Traditionally, people could get into battle towers immediately from the second floor using special ladders, whereas on the first floors, they stored supplies. The builders created large cone-shaped stone compartments for them.
The artist chose an angle so that the complex is clearly visible. He depicted it as if the viewer is looking up at the towers, and the buildings rise up along with the hills and rocks. At the same time, he conveyed the surrounding terrain with almost photographic accuracy.
The artist always pays great attention to the construction of the composition. He said that he begins his paintings by finding the right layout, so that the objects fit into the chosen canvas and look cohesive: ‘So that everything has its place.’
The artist focuses on carefully conveying the objects, color nuances, and specific details, and also, on reflecting the spirit of the moment itself. He explained that he can work in different genres, but in almost every painting he tries to convey the beauty of his native Ingushetia.
After creating the canvas ‘Lyalakh’, in 2000, Batyr Kartoev became a member of the Artists’ Union of Russia, and since 2006 he has headed a children’s art school of the city of Malgobek.
There is a legend that the name ‘Lyalakh’ comes from the word ‘neighbor’ or ‘neighborhood’ — ‘loalakho’ or ‘loalakhe’. People say that in the ancient times the lands here were unoccupied. When the settlers moved here with all their belongings, the residents of the nearest villages of Khyani and Kazi surprisingly exclaimed: ‘Our neighbors have come to us! ’. Although official historical research does not confirm this. It is believed that since those times the name ‘Lyalakh’, meaning ‘neighbor’, has been used for the complex.
Architects built 3 battle towers, 22 residential buildings, and 8 collective tomb burials here. The battle towers were especially elegant and tall.
The battle towers of Lyalakh have a square base, each side is about 5.5 meters in length. They reach a height of about 26 meters, while the walls are significantly narrowed and have many overhanging stone balconies, they are called ‘machicolations’ and cover large embrasures (special places for shooting). They had step pyramidal roofs. Usually, such roofs were built from 12 shale slabs and completed with a large cone-shaped stone.
Traditionally, people could get into battle towers immediately from the second floor using special ladders, whereas on the first floors, they stored supplies. The builders created large cone-shaped stone compartments for them.
The artist chose an angle so that the complex is clearly visible. He depicted it as if the viewer is looking up at the towers, and the buildings rise up along with the hills and rocks. At the same time, he conveyed the surrounding terrain with almost photographic accuracy.
The artist always pays great attention to the construction of the composition. He said that he begins his paintings by finding the right layout, so that the objects fit into the chosen canvas and look cohesive: ‘So that everything has its place.’
The artist focuses on carefully conveying the objects, color nuances, and specific details, and also, on reflecting the spirit of the moment itself. He explained that he can work in different genres, but in almost every painting he tries to convey the beauty of his native Ingushetia.
After creating the canvas ‘Lyalakh’, in 2000, Batyr Kartoev became a member of the Artists’ Union of Russia, and since 2006 he has headed a children’s art school of the city of Malgobek.
