ERMILOV Vasily Dmitrievich

February 25, 1894 (Kharkov) — January 7, 1968 (Kharkov)

Painter, graphic artist, architect, scene-designer, master of decorative and applied arts

Vasily Ermilov was born to a family of a tailor. He studied at the parish school. He studied at Kharkov School of art and craft under the guidance of L. I. Trakal (1905–1909), graduated from the School with the title of apprentice of decorative painting. In 1910 he entered Kharkov Art School, but left the studies because of conservative teaching system. For some time he attended the studio of E. A. Shteinberg and A. N. Grot in Kharkov. At the same time he was engaged in interior painting; took part in painting of the facade of Kharkov Art School.

In 1911 Ermilov moved to Moscow; in 1912 he entered Moscow School of painting, sculpture and architecture (MUZhVZ), but did not finish the course. He attended the studios of I. I. Mashkov and P. V. Konchalovsky. Ermilov met V. V. Mayakovsky, V. V. Kamensky, V. V. Khlebnikov and other representatives of Moscow avant-garde.

In 1914 Ermilov returned to Kharkov. In 1915 he was called up for military service. At the same year he deserted from his regiment, and he was arrested and exiled to Central Asia. Ermilov participated in military campaign in Persia, where he was contused. Later he was awarded the St. George medal of the 4th degree. In 1918 Ermilov was demobilized, and then he returned to Kharkov.

Ermilov was a member of the futuristic group Semerka (or the Group of Seven, 1918). He was under the influence of V. E. Tatlin. Since January of 1920, Ermilov headed art section at the All-Ukrainian bureau of the Russian Telegraph Agency (UkROSTA). Since February he headed painting section at the Factory of industrial art, which later was reorganized in the State Industrial Art Workshops with active participation of Ermilov.

In early 1920s Ermilov was engaged in agitation design of the streets and squares of Kharkov to revolutionary holidays, to the meeting of delegates of the Second Congress Comintern (the Communist International). Ermilov worked on the design of the agitation train Red Ukraine. He was also engaged in poster art, created the panel Locomotives and factories at standstill, waiting for coal of Donbass at the Railway station square in Kharkov (1921). The artist also created sketches for the Windows of UkROSTA.
In mid 1920s Ermilov experimented with different materials and textures: he created concave reliefs from sheet metal in combination with different types of wood. Ermilov was engaged in industrial design (sketches of packing, matchboxes, and trademarks), book and magazine design. He created a series of type memorial plates, dedicated to V. I. Lenin. Ermilov together with A. Gladkov and M. L. Mane-Katz took part in publication of the album Seven Plus Three, designed the magazines Kolosya (“Ears”, 1918), Puti Tvorchestva (“Ways of Creation”, 1918), Avant-garde (1920s–1930s), Culture and Propaganda (1933), and wall newspaper Kanatka (“Aerial Cableway”, 1928). He also designed covers for the books Ladomir by Velimir Khlebnikov (1920), Vasyl Yermilov by V. L. Polishchuk (1931), Tsushimaby A. S. Novikov-Priboy (1933) and others.