Nikolai Vasilievich Soldatov was born in the village of Martovka, in Altai Territory. In 1970 he moved to Mezhdurechensk - which he chose just by looking at the map. He worked as an art teacher in a residential school. In 1974 he decided to work as a coal miner, and was employed at the Raspadskaya mine for 35 years.
He frequently participated in city and regional plein-air painting competitions, and loved to paint from nature. In his paintings he depicted the beautiful scenery and magnificent nature of his home region. He had the rare gift of being able to depict subtle effects of light, shadow and tone, from the sparkling snow, with its many gradations of white, to the crystal transparency of mountain rivers and lakes and the bright, saturated colors of summer. In all his pictures we can feel the breath of life. His landscapes stand out for their technical accomplishment and their profoundly poetic atmosphere. When people look at his paintings, they ask themselves — ‘Where is this beautiful place? ’
In The Old Oaks, the artist depicts mighty mature trees growing along the bank of a small river, their unhindered branches stretched out wide. When looking at this picture, we wonder how long these great trees, like mighty warriors grown old and grey, have been standing here exposed to the wind and the sun’s rays. The viewer’s attention is held by the calm, smooth water which the artist depicts in the foreground of the painting. In it, the azure sky and the striking snow-white clouds are reflected as if in a mirror.
The artist has captured superbly the atmosphere of the trees’ eternal presence, silent and regal, unhurried but unconquered by time - that great force that has overcome everything except for these oaks. When we contemplate these ancient trees, captured by the artist’s brush, we feel as if they are charged with a living energy. Filled with a mood of calm and tranquility, this painting awakens in the viewer feelings of love for beauty the natural world.
The oak, that giant among trees, which inspired the artist when he painted this picture, has always been associated with strength, power and longevity. Many peoples have traditionally venerated the oak, and held it as sacred. In the legends of the native people of Mountain Shoria a common theme is that of a tired hunter who lies down for the night under an old tree, which guards him as he sleeps.
Nikolai Soldatov has succeeded admirably in conveying the fantastic and wistful beauty of Siberia’s nature.
He frequently participated in city and regional plein-air painting competitions, and loved to paint from nature. In his paintings he depicted the beautiful scenery and magnificent nature of his home region. He had the rare gift of being able to depict subtle effects of light, shadow and tone, from the sparkling snow, with its many gradations of white, to the crystal transparency of mountain rivers and lakes and the bright, saturated colors of summer. In all his pictures we can feel the breath of life. His landscapes stand out for their technical accomplishment and their profoundly poetic atmosphere. When people look at his paintings, they ask themselves — ‘Where is this beautiful place? ’
In The Old Oaks, the artist depicts mighty mature trees growing along the bank of a small river, their unhindered branches stretched out wide. When looking at this picture, we wonder how long these great trees, like mighty warriors grown old and grey, have been standing here exposed to the wind and the sun’s rays. The viewer’s attention is held by the calm, smooth water which the artist depicts in the foreground of the painting. In it, the azure sky and the striking snow-white clouds are reflected as if in a mirror.
The artist has captured superbly the atmosphere of the trees’ eternal presence, silent and regal, unhurried but unconquered by time - that great force that has overcome everything except for these oaks. When we contemplate these ancient trees, captured by the artist’s brush, we feel as if they are charged with a living energy. Filled with a mood of calm and tranquility, this painting awakens in the viewer feelings of love for beauty the natural world.
The oak, that giant among trees, which inspired the artist when he painted this picture, has always been associated with strength, power and longevity. Many peoples have traditionally venerated the oak, and held it as sacred. In the legends of the native people of Mountain Shoria a common theme is that of a tired hunter who lies down for the night under an old tree, which guards him as he sleeps.
Nikolai Soldatov has succeeded admirably in conveying the fantastic and wistful beauty of Siberia’s nature.
