The Museum of Fine Arts of Turkmenistan held an exhibition in commemoration of the Shock Movement School of Arts of the East that would have celebrated its centenary this year.
The exhibition features documentary records and paintings by art students of the School.Although the Shock Movement School of Arts of the East existed for only six years (1920-1926), it is undisputed that painting in Turkmenistan officially originated from it.
Two enthusiasts Alexander Vladychuk and Ilya (Ruvim) Mazel, who found themselves in Turkmenistan at that difficult time by force of circumstances, co-founded the School.The two pacific and amiable men who studied painting had to put on military uniforms and join the 1st Army of the Turkestan Front when World War I broke out.
Officers Vladychuk and Mazel had received European artistic training and art education, which was characterized by new trends in art in that period.Therefore, avant-garde was welcomed and encouraged during their studies.
This was the main reason why the School was closed down afterwards.The Shock Movement School of Arts of the East, which was in existence for a short period of time, laid the foundation and greatly contributed to the development of Turkmen painting and nurtured the first generation of Turkmen artists.
Speaking of the School, special mention must be made of its three most talented students.Back in the past, we told our readers about the lives and careers of Olga Mizgireva, Sergey Beglyarov and Byashim Nurali.
Commemorating the School’s centenary, it is only appropriate that we speak of them again.When teenaged girl Olga Mizgireva, who had a natural bent for drawing, learned about the opening of the School of Arts in Ashgabat, she moved to the capital, without any hesitation, from the settlement of Karakala (presently Magtymguly), where she lived with her parents.
She was really delighted and admired everything at the School: a friendly and welcoming atmosphere among students, professionalism and expertise of teachers, and especially, a school principal.Alexander Vladychuk was truly an extraordinary man in all respects.
He was a talented artist, sportsman, inventor and film director.When the Turkmenfilm Studio opened in 1930, he made the first Turkmen documentary film entitled “Reutovka”, then the first feature film “White Gold”, and the first popular science film “Water Wealth of Turkmenia”.
In 1935, a group of enthusiasts cycled from Ashgabat to Moscow on wheelcycles (a type of the bicycle invented by Alexander Vladychuk).This all was yet to come later.
But at that moment, the young student from Karakala irrevocably fell in love with Alexander Vladychuk and became his wife later.Ilya Mazel was born in the city of Vitebsk, the birthplace of world renowned avant-garde artists Kazimir Malevich and Marc Chagall.
Not only did these three artists come from the same city, they belonged to the same generation.Although obviously influenced by the avant-garde, Mazel worked in many different styles, including the ornamental style.
Works by Olga Fominichna are far from Socialist Realism.Rather ornamental, they exude such a zest for life and good mood that viewers, who are unaware, may think of the artist as their contemporary.
The artist’s paintings “The Heat”, “Four Wives”, “Turkmen Girls”, and “The Art of Carpet Making” reveal the beauty of women in the East, their elegance and tenderness.Together with two ceramic vessels painted in the national style, the works are permanently exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Some viewers look slightly confused when they see that the paintings were created in 1926-1927.The fact that Mizgireva was born in 1908, and that the works were painted when she was only 18 or 19, generates even greater interest in the artist herself and her paintings.
Olga Fominichna never shared what had made her turn from paints to seeds.Probably, it was caused by the end of their relationship with Vladychuk.Not only did she break up with him, she also finished her artistic career and moved back to Karakala.
A new life began for her, full of discoveries.She completely devoted herself to her new absorbing job as a plant breeder.Since she lacked the special knowledge, Olga Fominichna earned a degree in Agronomy from Agricultural Institute in Ashgabat by completing a distance-learning course.
In 1944, she was appointed director of an experimental breeding station and was in charge of it for 37 years.For her contribution to plant breeding of Turkmenistan, Mizgireva was awarded five gold and two silver medals of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy of the USSR (VDNKh), two Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, two Orders of the Badge of Honor, and earned the title “Honored Agronomist of Turkmenistan”.
But her major contribution was Mandrake (Mandragora).She managed to discover this legendary plant in the Kopetdag foothills.Since then, this famed plant, Mandragora Turkmenica, has been listed in Global Plant Inventories.