Anatoly Bukharov is an Honored Artist of the Komi Republic who created themed series of graphic works. His prints were dedicated to the trades of old Vorkuta, the life of reindeer herders on the shore of the Arctic Ocean, and mysterious northern landscapes. In a separate series, Anatoly Bukharov explored the subject of the Great Patriotic War which he had experienced as a teenager. The artist experimented with different techniques, including linocut, charcoal, watercolor, and gouache.
For an image of northern lights, Anatoly Bukharov chose the printmaking technique. As a result, his work not only depicted the subject matter but was also distinguished by a unique aesthetic with musical expressiveness. The glow of lights resembles organ pipes. The image also evokes associations with a stage set. Against this theatrical background, there is a small figure of a reindeer herder in a sled. The flickering lights are depicted using shading. They cover most of the surface, towering over the mountain range and snow-covered tundra.
Northern lights (also known as polar lights) are a rare natural phenomenon that can be seen in some countries, including Norway, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, and Russia. Auroras are a light display in the upper atmosphere caused by the interaction of the magnetosphere with charged particles of the solar wind. Auroras also occur on Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.
Northern lights look like colorful patterns of green, pink, blue, and rarely purple hues. Since ancient times, this phenomenon has captivated people and has been the source of many myths and beliefs. Light pillars moving across the sky were associated with gods, prayers, spirits of the dead, and even the reflection of fish schools from the sea.
Auroras can be observed around both polar regions
of the Earth, so there are not only northern but also southern lights. This
phenomenon occurs less frequently in southern latitudes, usually over Australia
and New Zealand. Auroras can usually be seen from September to March with most
sightings happening between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Northern lights can be observed
in almost any area of the Komi Republic, from Syktyvkar to Vorkuta.
