About Wartime Art

Pavel Ivanovich Afonin (1920-2011) – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Architecture and an artist.

He joined the front at the age of 21 as a sapper and went through to the end of the war, storming Berlin in May 1945. Pavel was awarded four orders and eighteen medals for his service and the courage he demonstrated in some of the most decisive battles, including the liberation of Leningrad, Warsaw and Tallinn.

He created over 200 sketches and drawings during the years of war.

 

 

 

 

Sergey Fedorovich Babkov (1920-1993) – an acclaimed Russian artist, member of the War Artists Studio named after M.B. Grekov.

 

He fought as an artillerist in the years 1942-1945 and took part in the legendary battles of Kursk and Berlin. Sergey finished war with the title of Senior Lieutenant and received three orders and several medals. He created a series of unique sketches and watercolours of his war-time impressions.

 

Sergey and Pavel became acquainted after the war and continued painting for many years. They helped to build a special archive of personal records of war, which are of unique historical and artistic value for generations to come. The material is sourced from family archives of the surviving relatives of the artists in the USA, Russia and the UK.

 

 

 

Atanov Vladimir Sergeevich (1919-2011)  – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Painting, acclaimed master of watercolour painting. 

 

He joined the front in 1941 and went through the war leading the mortar company, taking part in the battles of Leningrad, on the Mannerheim Line, in Vyborg and Kurlandia. For participation in fighting V.S.Atanov was awarded two orders, including the Order of the Red Star (1943) and ten medals. Vladimir carried a set of watercolours with him through the years of war, making sketches between the fighting. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived.

 

Vladimir and Pavel got to know each other during the entry exams at the Moscow Architectural Institute, then volunteered to go to the front, but fought in different troops. They went through the war and met three times at the front. They claimed that art helped them to stay alive. They finished their studies following the end of the war and maintained their friendship until the last days of their life. We are grateful to Vladimir’s daughter Natalia for sharing information from her family archive.

 

 

 

Elena Oskarovna Marttila (b. 1923) – an accomplished artist and member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. She had just finished Art School of the All Russian Academy of Arts when war broke out in Russia.

 

She lived through the hardest winter of 1941–2 in the besieged Leningrad, working as a nurse and helping to evacuate children, and continued drawing. In April 1942 she was evacuated with her mother and returned to Leningrad as soon as the siege was lifted in 1943. After the war she graduated from the Leningrad Art School, where she continued to teach for many years as well as working as a theatre designer and teaching at a number of art schools. She created a collection of engravings on cardboard based on her sketches made during the war.

 

 

Gavriil Kondratyevich Malysh (1907-1988)– a distinguished watercolour artist. He graduated from Odessa Art Institute before relocating to Leningrad where he worked as a lead artist at the State Leningrad Museum of Agricultural Reconstruction at the start of the war. Gavriil stayed and worked in the besieged Leningrad during the years of war creating agitation and propaganda posters and wallpapers. At the same time he continued exploring watercolour and created a series of “unofficial” landscape paintings of Leningrad and reconstructed memories of the sights of his beloved Ukraine. 

This website provides an insight into the personal histories of the artists and depicts selected drawings created by Russian veterans of the Second World War.

This is the start of a virtual museum of unofficial wartime art and memories of those who took part in the Second World War. Please contact us if you have any information you would like to share about your families and friends, who might have recorded their memories at war. You are also welcome to write to us with any ideas and suggestions about further developing this project.  info@wartimeart.com

 

 

 

Pavel Ivanovich Afonin (1920-2011) – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Architecture and an artist.

He joined the front at the age of 21 as a sapper and went through to the end of the war, storming Berlin in May 1945. Pavel was awarded four orders and eighteen medals for his service and the courage he demonstrated in some of the most decisive battles, including the liberation of Leningrad, Warsaw and Tallinn.

He created over 200 sketches and drawings during the years of war.

 

 

 

 

Sergey Fedorovich Babkov (1920-1993) – an acclaimed Russian artist, member of the War Artists Studio named after M.B. Grekov.

 

He fought as an artillerist in the years 1942-1945 and took part in the legendary battles of Kursk and Berlin. Sergey finished war with the title of Senior Lieutenant and received three orders and several medals. He created a series of unique sketches and watercolours of his war-time impressions.

 

Sergey and Pavel became acquainted after the war and continued painting for many years. They helped to build a special archive of personal records of war, which are of unique historical and artistic value for generations to come. The material is sourced from family archives of the surviving relatives of the artists in the USA, Russia and the UK.

 

 

 

Atanov Vladimir Sergeevich (1919-2011)  – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Painting, acclaimed master of watercolour painting. 

 

He joined the front in 1941 and went through the war leading the mortar company, taking part in the battles of Leningrad, on the Mannerheim Line, in Vyborg and Kurlandia. For participation in fighting V.S.Atanov was awarded two orders, including the Order of the Red Star (1943) and ten medals. Vladimir carried a set of watercolours with him through the years of war, making sketches between the fighting. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived.

 

Vladimir and Pavel got to know each other during the entry exams at the Moscow Architectural Institute, then volunteered to go to the front, but fought in different troops. They went through the war and met three times at the front. They claimed that art helped them to stay alive. They finished their studies following the end of the war and maintained their friendship until the last days of their life. We are grateful to Vladimir’s daughter Natalia for sharing information from her family archive.

 

 

 

Elena Oskarovna Marttila (b. 1923) – an accomplished artist and member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. She had just finished Art School of the All Russian Academy of Arts when war broke out in Russia.

 

She lived through the hardest winter of 1941–2 in the besieged Leningrad, working as a nurse and helping to evacuate children, and continued drawing. In April 1942 she was evacuated with her mother and returned to Leningrad as soon as the siege was lifted in 1943. After the war she graduated from the Leningrad Art School, where she continued to teach for many years as well as working as a theatre designer and teaching at a number of art schools. She created a collection of engravings on cardboard based on her sketches made during the war.

 

 

Gavriil Kondratyevich Malysh (1907-1988)– a distinguished watercolour artist. He graduated from Odessa Art Institute before relocating to Leningrad where he worked as a lead artist at the State Leningrad Museum of Agricultural Reconstruction at the start of the war. Gavriil stayed and worked in the besieged Leningrad during the years of war creating agitation and propaganda posters and wallpapers. At the same time he continued exploring watercolour and created a series of “unofficial” landscape paintings of Leningrad and reconstructed memories of the sights of his beloved Ukraine. 

Unfortunately, there have only been a few accounts of Soviet visual art of the Second World War being exhibited in the United Kingdom and vice versa. This area can be identified as a noticeable gap in the understanding of the art and history of the period as well as the cross-cultural studies of the two countries. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the world’s most tragic military conflict. This time can be seen as an appropriate occasion to shine more light onto that interesting era via the medium of art – in memory of all who fought against fascism across the borders; for a better understanding of our past, each other the future.

This website provides an insight into the personal histories of the artists and depicts selected drawings created by Russian veterans of the Second World War.

This is the start of a virtual museum of unofficial wartime art and memories of those who took part in the Second World War. Please contact us if you have any information you would like to share about your families and friends, who might have recorded their memories at war. You are also welcome to write to us with any ideas and suggestions about further developing this project.  info@wartimeart.com

 

 

 

Pavel Ivanovich Afonin (1920-2011) – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Architecture and an artist.

He joined the front at the age of 21 as a sapper and went through to the end of the war, storming Berlin in May 1945. Pavel was awarded four orders and eighteen medals for his service and the courage he demonstrated in some of the most decisive battles, including the liberation of Leningrad, Warsaw and Tallinn.

He created over 200 sketches and drawings during the years of war.

 

 

 

 

Sergey Fedorovich Babkov (1920-1993) – an acclaimed Russian artist, member of the War Artists Studio named after M.B. Grekov.

 

He fought as an artillerist in the years 1942-1945 and took part in the legendary battles of Kursk and Berlin. Sergey finished war with the title of Senior Lieutenant and received three orders and several medals. He created a series of unique sketches and watercolours of his war-time impressions.

 

Sergey and Pavel became acquainted after the war and continued painting for many years. They helped to build a special archive of personal records of war, which are of unique historical and artistic value for generations to come. The material is sourced from family archives of the surviving relatives of the artists in the USA, Russia and the UK.

 

 

 

Atanov Vladimir Sergeevich (1919-2011)  – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Painting, acclaimed master of watercolour painting. 

 

He joined the front in 1941 and went through the war leading the mortar company, taking part in the battles of Leningrad, on the Mannerheim Line, in Vyborg and Kurlandia. For participation in fighting V.S.Atanov was awarded two orders, including the Order of the Red Star (1943) and ten medals. Vladimir carried a set of watercolours with him through the years of war, making sketches between the fighting. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived.

 

Vladimir and Pavel got to know each other during the entry exams at the Moscow Architectural Institute, then volunteered to go to the front, but fought in different troops. They went through the war and met three times at the front. They claimed that art helped them to stay alive. They finished their studies following the end of the war and maintained their friendship until the last days of their life. We are grateful to Vladimir’s daughter Natalia for sharing information from her family archive.

 

 

 

Elena Oskarovna Marttila (b. 1923) – an accomplished artist and member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. She had just finished Art School of the All Russian Academy of Arts when war broke out in Russia.

 

She lived through the hardest winter of 1941–2 in the besieged Leningrad, working as a nurse and helping to evacuate children, and continued drawing. In April 1942 she was evacuated with her mother and returned to Leningrad as soon as the siege was lifted in 1943. After the war she graduated from the Leningrad Art School, where she continued to teach for many years as well as working as a theatre designer and teaching at a number of art schools. She created a collection of engravings on cardboard based on her sketches made during the war.

 

 

Gavriil Kondratyevich Malysh (1907-1988)– a distinguished watercolour artist. He graduated from Odessa Art Institute before relocating to Leningrad where he worked as a lead artist at the State Leningrad Museum of Agricultural Reconstruction at the start of the war. Gavriil stayed and worked in the besieged Leningrad during the years of war creating agitation and propaganda posters and wallpapers. At the same time he continued exploring watercolour and created a series of “unofficial” landscape paintings of Leningrad and reconstructed memories of the sights of his beloved Ukraine. 

Official artists, who recorded the war, are often predominantly known in their home countries. Many of their works constitute an important part of both state and private collections and are being exhibited nationally. There are also artists, whose works were not commissioned and are rarely displayed to the wider public, both at home and abroad. Their life drawings, watercolours and sketches made as active soldiers at the front, during rare moments of calm between battles, or in the besiged Leningrad represent unique personal encounters of people, places and happenings experienced by the artists on their wartime journeys. These visual records, which were often created spontaneously and at immense speed, radiate the extraordinary sincerity and emotional intensity of the moment. After the war some artists would never turn back to the theme of war in their work, while others chose to dedicate the rest of their life to explore and reanimate memories of wartime to share with others. 

Unfortunately, there have only been a few accounts of Soviet visual art of the Second World War being exhibited in the United Kingdom and vice versa. This area can be identified as a noticeable gap in the understanding of the art and history of the period as well as the cross-cultural studies of the two countries. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the world’s most tragic military conflict. This time can be seen as an appropriate occasion to shine more light onto that interesting era via the medium of art – in memory of all who fought against fascism across the borders; for a better understanding of our past, each other the future.

This website provides an insight into the personal histories of the artists and depicts selected drawings created by Russian veterans of the Second World War.

This is the start of a virtual museum of unofficial wartime art and memories of those who took part in the Second World War. Please contact us if you have any information you would like to share about your families and friends, who might have recorded their memories at war. You are also welcome to write to us with any ideas and suggestions about further developing this project.  info@wartimeart.com

 

 

 

Pavel Ivanovich Afonin (1920-2011) – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Architecture and an artist.

He joined the front at the age of 21 as a sapper and went through to the end of the war, storming Berlin in May 1945. Pavel was awarded four orders and eighteen medals for his service and the courage he demonstrated in some of the most decisive battles, including the liberation of Leningrad, Warsaw and Tallinn.

He created over 200 sketches and drawings during the years of war.

 

 

 

 

Sergey Fedorovich Babkov (1920-1993) – an acclaimed Russian artist, member of the War Artists Studio named after M.B. Grekov.

 

He fought as an artillerist in the years 1942-1945 and took part in the legendary battles of Kursk and Berlin. Sergey finished war with the title of Senior Lieutenant and received three orders and several medals. He created a series of unique sketches and watercolours of his war-time impressions.

 

Sergey and Pavel became acquainted after the war and continued painting for many years. They helped to build a special archive of personal records of war, which are of unique historical and artistic value for generations to come. The material is sourced from family archives of the surviving relatives of the artists in the USA, Russia and the UK.

 

 

 

Atanov Vladimir Sergeevich (1919-2011)  – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Painting, acclaimed master of watercolour painting. 

 

He joined the front in 1941 and went through the war leading the mortar company, taking part in the battles of Leningrad, on the Mannerheim Line, in Vyborg and Kurlandia. For participation in fighting V.S.Atanov was awarded two orders, including the Order of the Red Star (1943) and ten medals. Vladimir carried a set of watercolours with him through the years of war, making sketches between the fighting. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived.

 

Vladimir and Pavel got to know each other during the entry exams at the Moscow Architectural Institute, then volunteered to go to the front, but fought in different troops. They went through the war and met three times at the front. They claimed that art helped them to stay alive. They finished their studies following the end of the war and maintained their friendship until the last days of their life. We are grateful to Vladimir’s daughter Natalia for sharing information from her family archive.

 

 

 

Elena Oskarovna Marttila (b. 1923) – an accomplished artist and member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. She had just finished Art School of the All Russian Academy of Arts when war broke out in Russia.

 

She lived through the hardest winter of 1941–2 in the besieged Leningrad, working as a nurse and helping to evacuate children, and continued drawing. In April 1942 she was evacuated with her mother and returned to Leningrad as soon as the siege was lifted in 1943. After the war she graduated from the Leningrad Art School, where she continued to teach for many years as well as working as a theatre designer and teaching at a number of art schools. She created a collection of engravings on cardboard based on her sketches made during the war.

 

 

Gavriil Kondratyevich Malysh (1907-1988)– a distinguished watercolour artist. He graduated from Odessa Art Institute before relocating to Leningrad where he worked as a lead artist at the State Leningrad Museum of Agricultural Reconstruction at the start of the war. Gavriil stayed and worked in the besieged Leningrad during the years of war creating agitation and propaganda posters and wallpapers. At the same time he continued exploring watercolour and created a series of “unofficial” landscape paintings of Leningrad and reconstructed memories of the sights of his beloved Ukraine. 

Works of art created during the years of the Second World War are of special historical and artistic value. Thousands of posters, drawings, paintings and sculptures were produced in Great Britain and the Soviet Union during the period of 1939-1945. Some of them were born under the patronage of their respective government schemes, others by the initiatives of the artists themselves.

Official artists, who recorded the war, are often predominantly known in their home countries. Many of their works constitute an important part of both state and private collections and are being exhibited nationally. There are also artists, whose works were not commissioned and are rarely displayed to the wider public, both at home and abroad. Their life drawings, watercolours and sketches made as active soldiers at the front, during rare moments of calm between battles, or in the besiged Leningrad represent unique personal encounters of people, places and happenings experienced by the artists on their wartime journeys. These visual records, which were often created spontaneously and at immense speed, radiate the extraordinary sincerity and emotional intensity of the moment. After the war some artists would never turn back to the theme of war in their work, while others chose to dedicate the rest of their life to explore and reanimate memories of wartime to share with others. 

Unfortunately, there have only been a few accounts of Soviet visual art of the Second World War being exhibited in the United Kingdom and vice versa. This area can be identified as a noticeable gap in the understanding of the art and history of the period as well as the cross-cultural studies of the two countries. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the world’s most tragic military conflict. This time can be seen as an appropriate occasion to shine more light onto that interesting era via the medium of art – in memory of all who fought against fascism across the borders; for a better understanding of our past, each other the future.

This website provides an insight into the personal histories of the artists and depicts selected drawings created by Russian veterans of the Second World War.

This is the start of a virtual museum of unofficial wartime art and memories of those who took part in the Second World War. Please contact us if you have any information you would like to share about your families and friends, who might have recorded their memories at war. You are also welcome to write to us with any ideas and suggestions about further developing this project.  info@wartimeart.com

 

 

 

Pavel Ivanovich Afonin (1920-2011) – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Architecture and an artist.

He joined the front at the age of 21 as a sapper and went through to the end of the war, storming Berlin in May 1945. Pavel was awarded four orders and eighteen medals for his service and the courage he demonstrated in some of the most decisive battles, including the liberation of Leningrad, Warsaw and Tallinn.

He created over 200 sketches and drawings during the years of war.

 

 

 

 

Sergey Fedorovich Babkov (1920-1993) – an acclaimed Russian artist, member of the War Artists Studio named after M.B. Grekov.

 

He fought as an artillerist in the years 1942-1945 and took part in the legendary battles of Kursk and Berlin. Sergey finished war with the title of Senior Lieutenant and received three orders and several medals. He created a series of unique sketches and watercolours of his war-time impressions.

 

Sergey and Pavel became acquainted after the war and continued painting for many years. They helped to build a special archive of personal records of war, which are of unique historical and artistic value for generations to come. The material is sourced from family archives of the surviving relatives of the artists in the USA, Russia and the UK.

 

 

 

Atanov Vladimir Sergeevich (1919-2011)  – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Painting, acclaimed master of watercolour painting. 

 

He joined the front in 1941 and went through the war leading the mortar company, taking part in the battles of Leningrad, on the Mannerheim Line, in Vyborg and Kurlandia. For participation in fighting V.S.Atanov was awarded two orders, including the Order of the Red Star (1943) and ten medals. Vladimir carried a set of watercolours with him through the years of war, making sketches between the fighting. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived.

 

Vladimir and Pavel got to know each other during the entry exams at the Moscow Architectural Institute, then volunteered to go to the front, but fought in different troops. They went through the war and met three times at the front. They claimed that art helped them to stay alive. They finished their studies following the end of the war and maintained their friendship until the last days of their life. We are grateful to Vladimir’s daughter Natalia for sharing information from her family archive.

 

 

 

Elena Oskarovna Marttila (b. 1923) – an accomplished artist and member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. She had just finished Art School of the All Russian Academy of Arts when war broke out in Russia.

 

She lived through the hardest winter of 1941–2 in the besieged Leningrad, working as a nurse and helping to evacuate children, and continued drawing. In April 1942 she was evacuated with her mother and returned to Leningrad as soon as the siege was lifted in 1943. After the war she graduated from the Leningrad Art School, where she continued to teach for many years as well as working as a theatre designer and teaching at a number of art schools. She created a collection of engravings on cardboard based on her sketches made during the war.

 

 

Gavriil Kondratyevich Malysh (1907-1988)– a distinguished watercolour artist. He graduated from Odessa Art Institute before relocating to Leningrad where he worked as a lead artist at the State Leningrad Museum of Agricultural Reconstruction at the start of the war. Gavriil stayed and worked in the besieged Leningrad during the years of war creating agitation and propaganda posters and wallpapers. At the same time he continued exploring watercolour and created a series of “unofficial” landscape paintings of Leningrad and reconstructed memories of the sights of his beloved Ukraine. 

The years 1939-1945 became the most tragic in the history of mankind. The Second World War took the lives of over 60 million people and broke the hearts of even more families and friends around the globe. Every day takes us further away from those times and there are fewer surviving participants and witnesses left among us. This makes the war-time records increasingly precious for us and especially for younger generations.

Works of art created during the years of the Second World War are of special historical and artistic value. Thousands of posters, drawings, paintings and sculptures were produced in Great Britain and the Soviet Union during the period of 1939-1945. Some of them were born under the patronage of their respective government schemes, others by the initiatives of the artists themselves.

Official artists, who recorded the war, are often predominantly known in their home countries. Many of their works constitute an important part of both state and private collections and are being exhibited nationally. There are also artists, whose works were not commissioned and are rarely displayed to the wider public, both at home and abroad. Their life drawings, watercolours and sketches made as active soldiers at the front, during rare moments of calm between battles, or in the besiged Leningrad represent unique personal encounters of people, places and happenings experienced by the artists on their wartime journeys. These visual records, which were often created spontaneously and at immense speed, radiate the extraordinary sincerity and emotional intensity of the moment. After the war some artists would never turn back to the theme of war in their work, while others chose to dedicate the rest of their life to explore and reanimate memories of wartime to share with others. 

Unfortunately, there have only been a few accounts of Soviet visual art of the Second World War being exhibited in the United Kingdom and vice versa. This area can be identified as a noticeable gap in the understanding of the art and history of the period as well as the cross-cultural studies of the two countries. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the world’s most tragic military conflict. This time can be seen as an appropriate occasion to shine more light onto that interesting era via the medium of art – in memory of all who fought against fascism across the borders; for a better understanding of our past, each other the future.

This website provides an insight into the personal histories of the artists and depicts selected drawings created by Russian veterans of the Second World War.

This is the start of a virtual museum of unofficial wartime art and memories of those who took part in the Second World War. Please contact us if you have any information you would like to share about your families and friends, who might have recorded their memories at war. You are also welcome to write to us with any ideas and suggestions about further developing this project.  info@wartimeart.com

 

 

 

Pavel Ivanovich Afonin (1920-2011) – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Architecture and an artist.

He joined the front at the age of 21 as a sapper and went through to the end of the war, storming Berlin in May 1945. Pavel was awarded four orders and eighteen medals for his service and the courage he demonstrated in some of the most decisive battles, including the liberation of Leningrad, Warsaw and Tallinn.

He created over 200 sketches and drawings during the years of war.

 

 

 

 

Sergey Fedorovich Babkov (1920-1993) – an acclaimed Russian artist, member of the War Artists Studio named after M.B. Grekov.

 

He fought as an artillerist in the years 1942-1945 and took part in the legendary battles of Kursk and Berlin. Sergey finished war with the title of Senior Lieutenant and received three orders and several medals. He created a series of unique sketches and watercolours of his war-time impressions.

 

Sergey and Pavel became acquainted after the war and continued painting for many years. They helped to build a special archive of personal records of war, which are of unique historical and artistic value for generations to come. The material is sourced from family archives of the surviving relatives of the artists in the USA, Russia and the UK.

 

 

 

Atanov Vladimir Sergeevich (1919-2011)  – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Painting, acclaimed master of watercolour painting. 

 

He joined the front in 1941 and went through the war leading the mortar company, taking part in the battles of Leningrad, on the Mannerheim Line, in Vyborg and Kurlandia. For participation in fighting V.S.Atanov was awarded two orders, including the Order of the Red Star (1943) and ten medals. Vladimir carried a set of watercolours with him through the years of war, making sketches between the fighting. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived.

 

Vladimir and Pavel got to know each other during the entry exams at the Moscow Architectural Institute, then volunteered to go to the front, but fought in different troops. They went through the war and met three times at the front. They claimed that art helped them to stay alive. They finished their studies following the end of the war and maintained their friendship until the last days of their life. We are grateful to Vladimir’s daughter Natalia for sharing information from her family archive.

 

 

 

Elena Oskarovna Marttila (b. 1923) – an accomplished artist and member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. She had just finished Art School of the All Russian Academy of Arts when war broke out in Russia.

 

She lived through the hardest winter of 1941–2 in the besieged Leningrad, working as a nurse and helping to evacuate children, and continued drawing. In April 1942 she was evacuated with her mother and returned to Leningrad as soon as the siege was lifted in 1943. After the war she graduated from the Leningrad Art School, where she continued to teach for many years as well as working as a theatre designer and teaching at a number of art schools. She created a collection of engravings on cardboard based on her sketches made during the war.

 

 

Gavriil Kondratyevich Malysh (1907-1988)– a distinguished watercolour artist. He graduated from Odessa Art Institute before relocating to Leningrad where he worked as a lead artist at the State Leningrad Museum of Agricultural Reconstruction at the start of the war. Gavriil stayed and worked in the besieged Leningrad during the years of war creating agitation and propaganda posters and wallpapers. At the same time he continued exploring watercolour and created a series of “unofficial” landscape paintings of Leningrad and reconstructed memories of the sights of his beloved Ukraine. 

The years 1939-1945 became the most tragic in the history of mankind. The Second World War took the lives of over 60 million people and broke the hearts of even more families and friends around the globe. Every day takes us further away from those times and there are fewer surviving participants and witnesses left among us. This makes the war-time records increasingly precious for us and especially for younger generations.

Works of art created during the years of the Second World War are of special historical and artistic value. Thousands of posters, drawings, paintings and sculptures were produced in Great Britain and the Soviet Union during the period of 1939-1945. Some of them were born under the patronage of their respective government schemes, others by the initiatives of the artists themselves.

Official artists, who recorded the war, are often predominantly known in their home countries. Many of their works constitute an important part of both state and private collections and are being exhibited nationally. There are also artists, whose works were not commissioned and are rarely displayed to the wider public, both at home and abroad. Their life drawings, watercolours and sketches made as active soldiers at the front, during rare moments of calm between battles, or in the besiged Leningrad represent unique personal encounters of people, places and happenings experienced by the artists on their wartime journeys. These visual records, which were often created spontaneously and at immense speed, radiate the extraordinary sincerity and emotional intensity of the moment. After the war some artists would never turn back to the theme of war in their work, while others chose to dedicate the rest of their life to explore and reanimate memories of wartime to share with others. 

Unfortunately, there have only been a few accounts of Soviet visual art of the Second World War being exhibited in the United Kingdom and vice versa. This area can be identified as a noticeable gap in the understanding of the art and history of the period as well as the cross-cultural studies of the two countries. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the world’s most tragic military conflict. This time can be seen as an appropriate occasion to shine more light onto that interesting era via the medium of art – in memory of all who fought against fascism across the borders; for a better understanding of our past, each other the future.

This website provides an insight into the personal histories of the artists and depicts selected drawings created by Russian veterans of the Second World War.

This is the start of a virtual museum of unofficial wartime art and memories of those who took part in the Second World War. Please contact us if you have any information you would like to share about your families and friends, who might have recorded their memories at war. You are also welcome to write to us with any ideas and suggestions about further developing this project.  info@wartimeart.com

 

 

 

Pavel Ivanovich Afonin (1920-2011) – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Architecture and an artist.

He joined the front at the age of 21 as a sapper and went through to the end of the war, storming Berlin in May 1945. Pavel was awarded four orders and eighteen medals for his service and the courage he demonstrated in some of the most decisive battles, including the liberation of Leningrad, Warsaw and Tallinn.

He created over 200 sketches and drawings during the years of war.

 

 

 

 

Sergey Fedorovich Babkov (1920-1993) – an acclaimed Russian artist, member of the War Artists Studio named after M.B. Grekov.

 

He fought as an artillerist in the years 1942-1945 and took part in the legendary battles of Kursk and Berlin. Sergey finished war with the title of Senior Lieutenant and received three orders and several medals. He created a series of unique sketches and watercolours of his war-time impressions.

 

Sergey and Pavel became acquainted after the war and continued painting for many years. They helped to build a special archive of personal records of war, which are of unique historical and artistic value for generations to come. The material is sourced from family archives of the surviving relatives of the artists in the USA, Russia and the UK.

 

 

 

Atanov Vladimir Sergeevich (1919-2011)  – an honoured architect of the Russian Federation, Professor of Painting, acclaimed master of watercolour painting. 

 

He joined the front in 1941 and went through the war leading the mortar company, taking part in the battles of Leningrad, on the Mannerheim Line, in Vyborg and Kurlandia. For participation in fighting V.S.Atanov was awarded two orders, including the Order of the Red Star (1943) and ten medals. Vladimir carried a set of watercolours with him through the years of war, making sketches between the fighting. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived.

 

Vladimir and Pavel got to know each other during the entry exams at the Moscow Architectural Institute, then volunteered to go to the front, but fought in different troops. They went through the war and met three times at the front. They claimed that art helped them to stay alive. They finished their studies following the end of the war and maintained their friendship until the last days of their life. We are grateful to Vladimir’s daughter Natalia for sharing information from her family archive.

 

 

 

Elena Oskarovna Marttila (b. 1923) – an accomplished artist and member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. She had just finished Art School of the All Russian Academy of Arts when war broke out in Russia.

 

She lived through the hardest winter of 1941–2 in the besieged Leningrad, working as a nurse and helping to evacuate children, and continued drawing. In April 1942 she was evacuated with her mother and returned to Leningrad as soon as the siege was lifted in 1943. After the war she graduated from the Leningrad Art School, where she continued to teach for many years as well as working as a theatre designer and teaching at a number of art schools. She created a collection of engravings on cardboard based on her sketches made during the war.

 

 

Gavriil Kondratyevich Malysh (1907-1988)– a distinguished watercolour artist. He graduated from Odessa Art Institute before relocating to Leningrad where he worked as a lead artist at the State Leningrad Museum of Agricultural Reconstruction at the start of the war. Gavriil stayed and worked in the besieged Leningrad during the years of war creating agitation and propaganda posters and wallpapers. At the same time he continued exploring watercolour and created a series of “unofficial” landscape paintings of Leningrad and reconstructed memories of the sights of his beloved Ukraine.