Gurkin (Choros-Gurkin, Choros-Gurke) Grigory Ivanovich

January 24, 1870 (s Ulala Tomsk Province) - October 11, 1937

painter, graphic artist, writer, political activist

born in a family of Altaic handicraftsman kind of "Choros". Studied in class iconography of the Altai Spiritual Mission (since 1878), in 1880-90 worked as a painter in Ulale, then in Biisk. In 1897 he moved to Petersburg, where he attempted to enter the Higher Art School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at IAH, but to no avail. In 1897-1898 he took private lessons with Ivan Shishkin. In 1899 he was enrolled in VHU as an auditor, engaged in the workshops Shishkin and AA Kiselev. In 1900-1901 and 1903 for health reasons lived in Altay. In 1904, resumed his studies, but because of the revolutionary events of the course is not finished. In 1905 he returned to his homeland.

lived mainly in the village of Anosov on the Katun River, which hosted the workshop. He worked as a landscape, rarely painted portraits, still lifes, sketches and sketches performed ethnographic content. Many traveled to the Altai and Siberia. In 1907/1908 gave the first solo exhibition in Tomsk, which brought the artist fame, until 1915 made a number of exhibitions in the cities of Siberia (1910, Tomsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, 1911, Barnaul, 1915, Tomsk).

In those same years, made his debut as a writer: ethnographic essays published in newspapers "Altai", "Life of Altai", "Siberian life." Served as a poet and prose writer. Since 1908 - Member of the Tomsk Lovers Society of Arts.

In the years of revolution and civil war led by the Duma and the Karakoram mountain-Altai Parish (1917-1919), was engaged in outreach to local governments, advocated a national equality Altai. In 1919 the Government arrested AA Kolchak "for separatism and treason", for a while was Biisk prison. He was released on bail, and then went to Mongolia in 1920 and settled in Tuva.

In 1925 he returned to Soviet Russia. Held solo exhibitions in Novosibirsk (1925) and Moscow (1926). I created posters and celebratory banners, illustrated the first book in the Altaic language (ABC, folk epic). He taught at art school in Ulale (Oyrot-Type).

Since 1926 - Member of Art Society "New Siberia". Took part in the VIII AHRR exhibition in Moscow and Leningrad (1926), Siberian art exhibition of paintings, sculptures and drawings in Moscow (1926), the first art exhibition in the District Achinsk (1928).

In 1937 he was arrested on charges of nationalism, then shot. Rehabilitated in 1956.

in 2007 in Barnaul hosted the exhibition "Shishkin and Gurkin. Teacher and pupil ».

Gurkin - one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century Altai. In early work was influenced by Shishkin, went through a fascination with symbolism. In the second half of the 1900's developed his own style, characterized by its epic sweep, the desire to generalize and inner harmony, strict balanced composition, decorative expressiveness of color. In his best works ( "Lake in Lazhe", "Khan Altai", the two - 1907; "Katun Crown", 1910, "Lake Mountain Spirits", 1912) created a clear image of the classic mountain of Altai.

Gurkin works are in many museum collections, including the State Russian Museum, the Republican museum of local lore them. AV Anokhin in Gorno-Altaisk, State Art Museum of Altai in Barnaul, Tomsk Regional Art Museum, Krasnoyarsk Museum of Art. VISurikova and others.