Opekushin Alexander

November 16, 1838 (d Svechkino Yaroslavl Province) - March 4, 1923 (s Ribnita Yaroslavl Province)

sculptor, graphic artist arts and crafts.

born in a family of serfs. Original art education was under the leadership of his father, who worked on patternmaker bronze casting plant RY Colquhoun in St. Petersburg. In early 1850 he moved to St. Petersburg, was identified gang modeler and plasterers. After a short time was engaged in the Drawing School of the Society for the Promotion of artists, then, until 1864, worked in the sculpture studio DI Jensen, helped him in the ornamental and decorative works. With the help of Jensen in 1859, received his freedom and the right to visit the sculpture class IAH as volnoprihodyaschego student. In 1862 he was awarded a small silver medal for the relief of "Angel announcing to the shepherds Christmas" and a small gold medal for "sculpting from life." In 1864, a sculptural sketches "Belisarius" and "Cupid and Psyche" was promoted neklassnogo (free), painter.

In the period of apprenticeship was involved in work on the monument "Millennium of Russia" in Novgorod on the draft M. Mikeshin for which fashioned the statue of Peter I and the figure of genius. In 1869, in favor of the academic exhibition busts M. Mikeshin, OI Komissarov, Kostroma and merchant E. Posokhova awarded class artist of 2 nd degree. A year later - the title of class artist 1-th degree for the bust of Madame Weimar and a medallion with the image of the Countess Shuvalov. In 1872, a product of "Peter I» and the portrait of the Crown Prince Nikolai Alexandrovich elected as an academician. In the same year for the bust of Peter I was awarded a large gold medal at the exhibition marking the 200 anniversary of the birth of Peter I, in the halls of the Polytechnical Museum in Moscow.

In early 1870, together with Mikeshin created a monument to Admiral A. Greig in Nikolaev, and performed nine statues associates of Catherine II monument to the Empress in St. Petersburg.

In 1872, the first time took part in the competition for the construction of the monument to Pushkin in Moscow. Project 1875 was passed to the installation and inaugurated in 1880 at Tver Boulevard. This work brought Mikeshin widely known. The sculptor made a series of thumbnail copyright repetitions monument sales and gifts. In addition, created a monument to Pushkin in St. Petersburg (opened in 1884) and Chisinau (1885).

Among other monumental works Opekushin noteworthy monuments natural scientist, academician K. E. Baer in Dorpat (opened in 1885) Mikhail Lermontov in Pyatigorsk (open in 1889), the general-governor of Eastern Siberia NN Muraviev-Amur in Khabarovsk (opened in 1891), Alexander II in the Moscow Kremlin (opened in 1898, has not survived), Alexander III in Moscow (opened in 1912 not preserved).

addition to monumental sculpture, worked in the field of arts and crafts. Collaborated with jewelry by P. Ovchinnikov, for which, together with the architect DN Chichagovs create designs for vases, boxes, fountains, fireplaces.

Retrospective exhibition of works of past masters in 1964 and 1998 in Yaroslavl.

Opekushin - the largest Russian sculptor second half of the XIX century, the representative of academic art. Despite some eclectic artistic language, peculiar to the whole art of this time, works Opekushin different technical skills, balanced compositions, expressive poses, silhouettes and "internal" significance.

His works are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, State Historical Museum, the All-Russia Pushkin Museum, Yaroslavl Art Museum.