Artists and the Great Patriotic War

The war was the first and foremost theme for Belarusian art during almost half of a century from the 1940s. It became for an artist the criterion comparable to a historical or mythological theme for a painter in the 19th century. Today, in the 21st century, the war theme is interpreted even more broadly as heroic and patriotic.

During the Great Patriotic War all artists, who either were called up to the front or were fighting in the enemies rear, began as poster and graphic report artists even if they were painters or sculptors. Sculptor Zair Azgur worked as illustrator for the ‘Crash the fascist vermin’ newspaper. Painter Haŭrylenka was drawing posters containing slogans, Ivan Akremchyk was making drafts of posters for ‘Partizanskaya Dubinka’ (‘Partisan Baton’) magazine. Artist-soldiers C. Ramanaŭ, A. Volkaŭ, H. Brzhazoŭsky, M. Masanzon were drawing sketches in partisan camps and in the army in the field.

There can be singled out three generations of artists who dealt with the theme of war in the 20th century. The first generation are those who matured as artists during the war years. The second generation are those of ‘war-time childhood’, who became artists later, in the1960s. The third generation are our contemporaries whose knowledge of war is based on works of art and stories told by their parents. The sense of such ‘chronological division’ is to show that every generation of artists have added to this theme their own attitude, inherent in their time and destinies.

Intensive experiments in the comprehension of war events in the context of peaceful life started at the border-line of the 1950–1960s and continued through the whole decade which accommodated the entire ‘severe style’ period in Belarusian Soviet painting. At that time there emerged a growing attitude towards the war events as to a historical theme, as a great stage in the history of the Soviet people. That was reflected in the conceptions of most works like the genuine masterpieces ‘The Defence of Brest Fortress’ by I. Akhremchyk, ‘Partisan madonna’ by M. Savitsky, ‘About the Great Patriotic’ by May Dantsig, 'Thirst' by A. Kashkurevich and other works full of heroic spirit. Emotions, historical truth reflected in the works by artists of the war period will always have a a special status in the history of the Belarusian art.