Mikhail Baldin has devoted his entire life to his native heath of Nizhny Novgorod: he is known as an outstanding historian and ethnographer, as well as the author of lots of publications on the history of the territories near the riverbanks of the Vetluga River, the Povetluzhje. However, he expressed his love for the Povetluzhje with his paintings: the chamber painting ‘A View of the Church’, one of his local history works.
In fact, Baldin has been involved into the visual arts since his youth. In the late 1930s, he studied woodworking at the Semyonov Trade School and took part in the courses of an amateur art studio. Shortly before the Great Patriotic War, he enrolled into the prestigious Gorky School of Arts, but when the War began, it closed: Baldin had only managed to study there for a year. Despite the fact that then he did not continue his professional education, Baldin continued painting for his entire life. This is evidenced by the numerous paintings, drawings, and sketches put on display in the Varnavino Museum of History and Art.
Almost the entire series of Baldin’s paintings was inspired by the Orthodox churches located in Varnavinsky and Krasnobakovsky districts. Many of these churches were either damaged in the fires that often happened in the forest regions of Povetluzhje, or were desecrated and sawn for firewood by the communists in the 20th century, or fell to desolation. However, thanks to the perseverance and talent of Baldin, they came to life both in his paintings and local lore works.
The location of the church, depicted in the painting “A View of the Church”, is unknown: Baldin didn’t mention its title. According to the staff of the Varnavino Museum, it is the Trinity Church of the Turan village of the Varnavinsky province that is painted here. It was a wooden church on a stony foundation, built in the 1760s. There were three altars in the church at once: in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Holy Reverend Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker.
Among other works of Baldin, included in this series, are ‘A View of the Church in Winter’, ‘The Church in the Village of Ilyinskoe in 1773’, and ‘Trinity-Varnavinsky Monastery in the 17th Century’. All these paintings not only are of great local history and historical value, but also show the painter’s wonderful technique: he used some peculiar bright colors, painting with precise and light brushstrokes.
In fact, Baldin has been involved into the visual arts since his youth. In the late 1930s, he studied woodworking at the Semyonov Trade School and took part in the courses of an amateur art studio. Shortly before the Great Patriotic War, he enrolled into the prestigious Gorky School of Arts, but when the War began, it closed: Baldin had only managed to study there for a year. Despite the fact that then he did not continue his professional education, Baldin continued painting for his entire life. This is evidenced by the numerous paintings, drawings, and sketches put on display in the Varnavino Museum of History and Art.
Almost the entire series of Baldin’s paintings was inspired by the Orthodox churches located in Varnavinsky and Krasnobakovsky districts. Many of these churches were either damaged in the fires that often happened in the forest regions of Povetluzhje, or were desecrated and sawn for firewood by the communists in the 20th century, or fell to desolation. However, thanks to the perseverance and talent of Baldin, they came to life both in his paintings and local lore works.
The location of the church, depicted in the painting “A View of the Church”, is unknown: Baldin didn’t mention its title. According to the staff of the Varnavino Museum, it is the Trinity Church of the Turan village of the Varnavinsky province that is painted here. It was a wooden church on a stony foundation, built in the 1760s. There were three altars in the church at once: in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Holy Reverend Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker.
Among other works of Baldin, included in this series, are ‘A View of the Church in Winter’, ‘The Church in the Village of Ilyinskoe in 1773’, and ‘Trinity-Varnavinsky Monastery in the 17th Century’. All these paintings not only are of great local history and historical value, but also show the painter’s wonderful technique: he used some peculiar bright colors, painting with precise and light brushstrokes.
