Konstantin Chebotarev (1892–1974), Alexander Platunov (1896–1966). Life in art

The exhibition will feature more than 150 paintings and drawings from the collections of the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan, the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Scientific Library. N. I. Lobachevsky KFU, National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mardzhani Foundation (Moscow), Galeev Gallery (Moscow), private collections (Kazan, Moscow).

Konstantin Chebotarev and Alexandra Platunova - iconic figures of Kazan art of the 1920s, the era of avant-garde experiments; active participants in the artistic life of Moscow at the turn of the 1920s - 1930s. Combining their fates together back in 1914, while studying at the Kazan Art School, they went through life together, having experienced all the vicissitudes and hardships of the history of our country.

Chebotarev K.K. Red Army 1917

They have always been like-minded in art, wherever they live - in Kazan or in Moscow, in whatever artistic group they belong to - “Sunflower” (1918), “The Horseman” (1921 - 1924), TatLEF (1923-1926), “October” (1928–1932). In the first half of the 1920s, they, together with the "red rector" F. P. Gavrilov, organized the activities of Arkhumas (former KHSh), taught at the Tatar Theater College, developed new methods of art education, devoting all their energies to educating a new generation of Kazan artists, theater directors.

Forced to leave Kazan in 1926, when the vanguard forces lost in the struggle against realism, and, having settled in Novo-Gireyevo near Moscow, they did not betray the ideals of their youth, joining the artistic life of Moscow, working a lot in theatrical and decorative arts, in a poster, a book. They participated in the largest graphic exhibitions in Moscow and Leningrad, as well as abroad - in Paris, Lyon, Berlin, etc.

The 1930s - 1950s became a difficult period in the life of artists who did not want to adapt to the changing ideological norms that were enforced everywhere. During these years, K. K. Chebotarev for the most part worked “on the table”, especially doing a lot of painting, embodying everyday life with A. G. Platunova. An important part of the post-war work of K. K. Chebotarev was the work on the series of monotypes “Beloved City - Kazan”, in which he showed us the city as it was in the 1920s.

The grandiose exhibition of 1967, "Mass propaganda art of the first years of the October Revolution," held in Moscow and Leningrad, in the countries of the socialist camp, inscribed the name of artists in the history of Soviet art. Now the paintings of K. K. Chebotarev are exhibited in the permanent exhibition of the Tretyakov Gallery, the paintings of both masters are in the permanent exhibition of the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan, the works of artists are stored in many museums in Russia.

The exhibition at the Khazine National Art Gallery for the first time presents the works of K. K. Chebotarev and A. G. Platunova in the most complete volume, reflecting all periods of their work from the 1910s to the 1960s. This will be a real discovery for art lovers - most of the works are exhibited for the first time in 50 years.

The exhibition will run until January 24, 2017 at the address: Kremlin, 3rd entrance, Khazine NHC.