‘The Valuy Fortress. 16th century’ painting was created by Alexander Ignatiev, the founder of the Valuy Museum of Fine Arts, People’s artist of the Kyrgyz SSR, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts, laureate of the State Prize of the Kyrgyz SSR named after Toktogul.
The future painter was born in the town of Valuyki, Belgorod region. He has been depicting his home and historical monuments from a young age. But most of all, he loved to paint nature. During his professional career, Alexander Ignatiev created over a hundred works that are in the collections of the top museums in Russia. One of his paintings was purchased by the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Ignatiev put a lot of effort to social activities, as well as working with young artists during the long years of his professional career. Since 1955, he was a member of the Board of the Union of Artists of the Kyrgyz SSR and members of the State Expert Commission under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic. On his own initiative, Alexander Ignatiev organized the national Museum of Fine Arts in his home town of Valuyki, which is known as the Valuy Museum of History and Art. Today, there are more than 30 works of the master in holdings of the museum.
Every year Alexander Ignatiev used to come to the town of his childhood. He reflected his thoughts and feelings evoked by staying in his father’s land in various sketches and paintings. To mark the 400th anniversary of his home town, the master wrote a series of historical works, which he presented to the Valuy Museum in 1993.
The cycle of these historical paintings includes ‘The Valuy Fortress. 16th century.’ Valuika fortress was built in 1593 by the decree of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich as a defense against foreign raids on the border of the Russian state with the Wild field. The fortress served as the Southern Outpost of the Fatherland.
Ignatiev depicted a wooden fortress wall with watchtowers in his painting. You can see the silhouettes of the defenders of the fortress in the gun ports who watch a cavalry force of Cossacks crossing the Valuy river to patrol. Dark water reflecting the upper part of the towers, conveys the discontent of residents who remained behind the fortress wall, and, on the contrary, the faces of Cossacks traveling far into the steppe from the foreground of the picture, are full of firmness and responsibility. They sit astride their horses confidently, with weapons are on their backs.
The artistic canvas created by Alexander Ignatiev is symbolic, because 400 years later, Valuyki remains a border territory in the South of Russia and the South-East of the Belgorod region.
The future painter was born in the town of Valuyki, Belgorod region. He has been depicting his home and historical monuments from a young age. But most of all, he loved to paint nature. During his professional career, Alexander Ignatiev created over a hundred works that are in the collections of the top museums in Russia. One of his paintings was purchased by the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Ignatiev put a lot of effort to social activities, as well as working with young artists during the long years of his professional career. Since 1955, he was a member of the Board of the Union of Artists of the Kyrgyz SSR and members of the State Expert Commission under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic. On his own initiative, Alexander Ignatiev organized the national Museum of Fine Arts in his home town of Valuyki, which is known as the Valuy Museum of History and Art. Today, there are more than 30 works of the master in holdings of the museum.
Every year Alexander Ignatiev used to come to the town of his childhood. He reflected his thoughts and feelings evoked by staying in his father’s land in various sketches and paintings. To mark the 400th anniversary of his home town, the master wrote a series of historical works, which he presented to the Valuy Museum in 1993.
The cycle of these historical paintings includes ‘The Valuy Fortress. 16th century.’ Valuika fortress was built in 1593 by the decree of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich as a defense against foreign raids on the border of the Russian state with the Wild field. The fortress served as the Southern Outpost of the Fatherland.
Ignatiev depicted a wooden fortress wall with watchtowers in his painting. You can see the silhouettes of the defenders of the fortress in the gun ports who watch a cavalry force of Cossacks crossing the Valuy river to patrol. Dark water reflecting the upper part of the towers, conveys the discontent of residents who remained behind the fortress wall, and, on the contrary, the faces of Cossacks traveling far into the steppe from the foreground of the picture, are full of firmness and responsibility. They sit astride their horses confidently, with weapons are on their backs.
The artistic canvas created by Alexander Ignatiev is symbolic, because 400 years later, Valuyki remains a border territory in the South of Russia and the South-East of the Belgorod region.
