Vesnin Alexander

May 16, 1883 (Yurievets Kostroma Province) - November 7, 1959 (Moscow)

architect, graphic artist, designer, painter

from a merchant family, brother architects VA and LA Vesnin. Graduated from the Moscow Academy of practical (1901), then studied at the Institute of Civil Engineers (1901-1912). At the same time engaged in painting and drawing at the School of KF Juon and IO Dudina (since 1907), as well as in the studio Ya.F. Tsionglinskogo (from 1909). In 1912-1914 he worked in the studio VE Tatlin; friends with LS Popova, NA Udaltsova and other representatives of the artistic avant-garde.

lived in Moscow. As an architect, worked mainly in collaboration with his brother: was involved in building a house Sirotkina in Nizhny Novgorod (1913-1915), which complied with the ceiling painting project a facade of the Main Post Office at Butcher Street (1911, draft LI Novikova, O. R. Munz), restructuring of the bank on the street Kuznetsk Bridge (1913, draft VI Eramishantseva). Together with VA Vesnin participated in the construction of apartment house in Butcher Street (1912, draft BM Velikovsky, AN Milyukova), St. Petersburg apartment building insurance company in Street Sretenka (1915, draft Izmirova AG), a mansion in Little Znamenskoye Lane (1913, draft AG Izmirova), racing stables on the street (1914, draft A. G . Izmirova).

After the October Revolution he worked on propaganda design of streets and squares of Moscow and Petrograd (1918). In the early 1920's made friends with LEFom (Left Front of art) was a member of INKhuK. Since 1922 he taught at the Moscow Higher Art - Vhuteine.

was engaged in painting and graphics. The exhibit at the first exhibition of paintings of the trade union of artists (1918), shows "non-figurative art and Suprematism" (1919), "5 x 5 = 25", association "World of Art" (both - 1921) in Moscow , XIV International Exhibition of Art in Venice (1924), the International Exhibition of art and decorative arts in Paris (1925) and others.

Since 1919 he worked as a theatrical designer. Has worked at the Maly Theater ( "Auditor" Nikolai Gogol, 1919, "The Marriage of Figaro" by Beaumarchais P.-O., 1920, "Pathways to Glory" by E. Scribe, 1922), in Moscow Theater for Children ( "The Pearl Adalmina Z. Topeliusa, 1921), at the Chamber Theater (" The Annunciation "by P. Claudel, 1920;" Romeo and Juliet "by W. Shakespeare, 1921;" Fedra "M . Racine, 1922; "The Man Who Was Thursday" G.-K. Chesterton, 1923). However, LS Popova and Meyerhold participated in the development of theatrical staging a parade of troops to the III Congress of the Communist International (the action is not implemented). Exhibitions, theatrical works in the exhibition "Theater and decorative art in Moscow. 1918 - 1923 gg. "(1923)," Ten years of the Maly Theater "(1927)," Moscow theater decade of October "(1928).

participated in the design of a number of public and residential buildings in Moscow (department store on Red Presnya, 1927 Palace of Culture ZIL, 1930-1934; House Society Political Prisoners, 1931-1934) and Zaporozhye (DnieproGES, 1927-1932 ). In collaboration with the brothers participated in competitions for the construction of the Library of them. Lenin (1928) and the Palace of Soviets (1931) in Moscow.

In 1925-1931 served as chairman of the Association of Modern Architects (OCA) in 1925 - managing editor of the magazine "Modern Architecture". In 1939 awarded the title of member of the Academy of Architecture of the USSR. In the mid 1930's - 1940's, after the death of his brother Leonid, in an atmosphere of strong criticism of constructivism, were forced to cut its creative activity.

buried at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Alexander Vesnin - an outstanding architect and artist of the first third of the twentieth century, one of the leaders of constructivism. In early works (1910) tended to neoclassicism. In the late 1910's - early 1920's under the influence of Tatlin carried away kubofuturizmom and constructivism. For the architectural works of the brothers Vesnin characterized by rationalism, clear functional structuring, alien decorative frills, the desire for innovative technological solutions - the use of new techniques and materials.

experimenter showed himself in the field of scenography. Theater artist's work distinguishes emotions, exquisite entertainment, dynamic compositions, the harmonic proportionality of Architecture and spatial forms.

Vesnina works are in many museum and private collections, among them - the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Museum of Architecture. Shchusev and others.