Genrikh Pavlovsky painted Nadia Kurchenko’s Heroic Act in 1973. It was inspired by real events. The artist portrayed a young flight attendant preventing terrorists from entering the cockpit.
In 1970, terrorists seized a passenger plane on domestic flight from Batumi to Krasnodar via Sukhumi. It was the first successful airline hijacking in the Soviet Union. Two armed men, father and son, forced the crew to reroute the flight to Turkey. Flight attendant Nadezhda Kurchenko, who tried to stop them, was shot dead. She was only 19.
Genrikh Pavlovsky reconstructed the dramatic episode on a large size canvas, to underscore the heroine’s strength of character. Nadezhda Kurchenko’s figure is placed in the center of the composition. The girl stands firmly in front of the terrorists who are about to break into the cockpit. The emotions of the young flight attendant – fear, determination, and hope – are masterfully conveyed. Facing the death threat, she spreads her arms to the sides in a resolute gesture.
Nadia’s courageous act evoke strong emotions in people’s hearts. The Izhevsk School for Young Pilots set up a museum dedicated to her memory. A Russian tanker, an asteroid, and streets in a number of cities and towns were named after her. A memorial obelisk to Nadezhda Kurchenko was installed in the mountains at the border between Abkhazia and Krasnodar Territory. The feature movie Prospective Student tells the story of her life. The popular song My Fair Starlet released in 1973 by the Tsvety pop group, was also believed to be a tribute. Although the musicians did not actually dedicate the composition to Nadia, people all over the country associated the lyrics with the girl’s tragic story.
Genrikh Pavlovsky’s works include genre and history paintings, portraits, landscapes and still lifes. He dedicated a lot of his paintings to Soviet workers such as tractor drivers, foremen and locomotive drivers.
In 1919, Pavlovsky lost his left hand and some finger phalanges on the right hand in an accident. Only two fingers remained intact. Nevertheless the artist continued working until his last days. He painted Nadia Kurchenko’s Heroic Act shortly before he died. It was donated to the museum in 2017 by the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Foundation.
In 1970, terrorists seized a passenger plane on domestic flight from Batumi to Krasnodar via Sukhumi. It was the first successful airline hijacking in the Soviet Union. Two armed men, father and son, forced the crew to reroute the flight to Turkey. Flight attendant Nadezhda Kurchenko, who tried to stop them, was shot dead. She was only 19.
Genrikh Pavlovsky reconstructed the dramatic episode on a large size canvas, to underscore the heroine’s strength of character. Nadezhda Kurchenko’s figure is placed in the center of the composition. The girl stands firmly in front of the terrorists who are about to break into the cockpit. The emotions of the young flight attendant – fear, determination, and hope – are masterfully conveyed. Facing the death threat, she spreads her arms to the sides in a resolute gesture.
Nadia’s courageous act evoke strong emotions in people’s hearts. The Izhevsk School for Young Pilots set up a museum dedicated to her memory. A Russian tanker, an asteroid, and streets in a number of cities and towns were named after her. A memorial obelisk to Nadezhda Kurchenko was installed in the mountains at the border between Abkhazia and Krasnodar Territory. The feature movie Prospective Student tells the story of her life. The popular song My Fair Starlet released in 1973 by the Tsvety pop group, was also believed to be a tribute. Although the musicians did not actually dedicate the composition to Nadia, people all over the country associated the lyrics with the girl’s tragic story.
Genrikh Pavlovsky’s works include genre and history paintings, portraits, landscapes and still lifes. He dedicated a lot of his paintings to Soviet workers such as tractor drivers, foremen and locomotive drivers.
In 1919, Pavlovsky lost his left hand and some finger phalanges on the right hand in an accident. Only two fingers remained intact. Nevertheless the artist continued working until his last days. He painted Nadia Kurchenko’s Heroic Act shortly before he died. It was donated to the museum in 2017 by the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Foundation.
