The 1986 ‘By the Ever-Burning Fire’ is a reproduction made by Nikolay Chesnokov of his own original painting with the same name. This subject matter first appeared in his artwork in the mid-1960s.

The artist dedicated this painting to the pioneer builders of Magnitka — a popular name for the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, a large plant located at the foot of the Magnitnaya Mountain in the Urals. Exploration geologists discovered a large deposit of ore in the mountain’s depths, and the Soviet government ordered to establish an ore mining and processing plant in that area.

Magnitka was built in record time through the hard manual labor of thousands of people who came from all over the Soviet Union. The construction never stopped, even in winter: when the days became too short, the construction site was simply illuminated by floodlights to continue the work.

The name of the painting is a reference to the poem “Lyubava” by a famous Magnitogorsk citizen Boris Ruchyov. The words “By the Ever-Burning Fire” are found in the poem’s prologue:

Nikolay Chesnokov was so inspired by these lines that he created a painting celebrating the romantic spirit of that time. The Sixtiers generation glorified the pioneer builders, explorers, and travelers — those who were willing to give up a life of comfort and dive into the unknown. Many of the Sixtiers believed in ‘the world without borders’, friendship and cooperation between nations, and the possibility of the bright future of communist society. They were so motivated by the prospects of a new life that neither sleeping by the fire, nor hard working conditions could frighten them.

Nikolay Chesnokov is one of the most prominent Ural artists of the second half of the 20th century. He was a wonderful teacher and contributed greatly to the upbringing of many generations of new artists. In his work, he was particularly eager to portray the idealistic worldview of his contemporaries.