Erzya (real name - Nefedov) Stepan

October 27, 1876 (d Baevo Simbirsk Province) - November 24, 1959 (Saransk)

Sculptor .

came from a family of hereditary boatmen. The first drawing skills has led her father - a copyist and designer of church books. In 1880 - 1890 worked in the iconography workshops in Sura and Kazan. In 1897 participated in the design of streets Alatyr to celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin.

in 1901 with a letter of recommendation for admission to the Stroganov Artistic and Industrial College, arrived in Moscow, but because of the "neuchenicheskogo" age was enrolled only in the evening paid courses. In 1902 entered MUZhViZ, worked simultaneously on the beautiful office near N. Kasatkin, A. Arkhipov, Korovin, VA Serov, SV Ivanov, and the department of sculpture at the SM Volnukhin. Full course of study is not finished. Simultaneously, in 1903-1905 was a volunteer medical faculty of Moscow University.

At the beginning of his artistic career took a pseudonym Erzya, which in the Volga region is endoethnonym Mordvinov.

In 1906 at the suggestion of the Italian artist and patron D. Trinelli went to Italy a few months staying with him in Milan. In Italy, found a patron in the person of famous art museums and the inspector Lombardy U. Nubbiya who was involved in promoting the creation Erzya and contributed to his participation in exhibitions. In 1909 he showed marble sculpture "The Last Night of the convicted person to death" at the World Exhibition of Art in Venice. Exhibited in the Milan art salon. In 1910 he moved to France where he signed a lucrative contract with the seller of art DS Marino. This allowed the artist to buy the shop next door to the studio and O. Rodin's villa, where he soon moved the family from Russia.

exhibited his work at the International Exhibition of Art in Nice (1910), Salon d'Automne (1910-1913). In 1911 participated in the World Exhibition in Rome. 1913 held his first personal exhibition. In the same year, having learned of the machinations of his agent, secretly engaged in the manufacture and sale of additional casts its forms, terminated the agreement, having lost the shop, villa, and about 120 works.

the summer of 1913 he returned to Italy, settled in Carrara. He created the statue of John the Baptist for the cathedral in the spice and the sculptural group "Brotherhood" for the House of the Italian workers' association in Milan.

In 1914 he moved to Russia. The first time he lived in St. Petersburg, then - in Moscow, where he organized a small studio. He married his pupil E. Frost. In November 1916 he was called up for military service, served as a nurse-mulyazhistom. In the Army met with the doctor and the artist G. O. Suteeva, who later became a biographer of Erzya.

In 1918, together with his wife went to Ekaterinburg, head of an organized art school. According to the plan of monumental propaganda carried out in Yekaterinburg statue "Freedom" and a monument to Karl Marx. A project of the monument to Vladimir Lenin from the natural rock, multi-figured composition "of the Paris Communards" and "Ural Communists. Actively working in the field of easel sculpture.

In 1921 he moved to Gelendzhik, then lived in Novorossiysk, Batumi and Baku. He performed the monument, a bust of Lenin in Batumi. Participated in the organization of the Batumi branch of the Association of Artists of the revolution (AChR). In 1923 he became a professor at the Higher Art College in Baku. Created ten monumental sculptures for the House of Mine Workers of Azerbaijan. He started working with wood. In 1925 he returned to Moscow. In 1926, joined the Society of Russian sculptors.

autumn of that year with his second wife, the sculptor Yu Kun, went to Paris on a mission from Narcompros and remained abroad. After personal exhibitions in the gallery "Sherpante" and in the Palace of Fine Arts, have won rave reviews in the press, art Erzya again received recognition. In 1927 he accepted an invitation to hold an exhibition in Montevideo, went to Latin America. However, not having received the Uruguayan visa, settled in Argentina - to 1950 he lived in Buenos Aires.

quickly gained popularity, one of the first customers Erzya in Argentina became president I. Iripogen. For its work using mostly very hard type of tropical trees - quebracho (kvebracho) and Algarrobo, which handles using a specially devised his air machine.

been awarded several honorary awards, including the Second (1935) and First (1942) municipal awards Buenos Aires, the national award salon for foreigners (1936) and others. Personal exhibition held annually in the gallery Mueller, in 1942-1945, 1947 and 1950, arranged displays of their work in their own home-studio. Creativity Erzya was devoted to a series of monographs.

In 1947, Stalin wrote a letter requesting permission to return to the Soviet Union and, having received permission in 1950, arrived in Moscow. In 1950, created a portrait of Stalin. In 1954, in the halls MSSH held personal exhibition. In 1955 awarded the Order of Red Banner of Labor.

retrospective of his works were organized in Saransk (1960, 1966) and Moscow (1976, 2001).

Erzya - one of the greatest sculptors of the first half of the twentieth century, received during the life of the nickname "Russian Rodin. In his works organically combine techniques of impressionism, expressionism with the traditions of Mordvin folk art. In the sculptures often play with the texture of different woods, using original methods of processing.

Most of the creative heritage (about 200 works) is in Mordov Republican Museum of Fine Arts. SD Erzya in Saransk. Work of the sculptor is also in the State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery, as well as several private collections.