1926-1932, Leningrad

Members-учредители: L. R. Britanishsky, M. F. Verbov, E. S. Gaskevich, M. I. Gelman, I.e. Gernet (Matveeva), E. D. Zagoskin, City of Daggers, T. I. Kupervasser, S. A. Kupriyanova, G. A. Lugsdin, I. L. Lizak, V. Pakulin, A. F. Pakhomov, A. I. Poret, A. I. Rusakov, M. A. Fedorichev, S. A. Chugunov, I. M. Chur.

Members: A. S. Vedernikov, K. P. Demin, V. A. Denisov, . D. Emelyanov, E. S. Zebrowski, A. D. Zaitsev, F. I. Taranov, G. I. Ivanov, . Vladimir Ivanov-Ленинградская, B. I. Inozemtsev, S. G. Capon, B. E. Kaplyanskii, V. Merchants, V. I. Malagis, A. L. His, L. A. Masses, . S. Mogilevsky, G. M. Semenova, V. P. Nikolayev, M. V. Noskov, I. V. Nut, P. A. Osolodkov, E. M. Petrova-Троцкая, A. P. Reverend, G. B. Pyankova, A. N. Samokhvalov, . V. Sinenko, M. M. Sutzkever, L. Y. Timoshenko, G. N. Traugott, . I. Klestova, L. Y. Hartik, I. E. Shangin, M. L. Shechtman, E. F. Eckert.

Exhibitions: 1-я (1927, Leningrad) — 3-я (1929, Leningrad); 1929 (London); 1930 (Kiev)

the Association was founded by graduates of the Leningrad Vhuteina. Its purpose, they proclaimed the improvement of professional skills on the basis of assimilation of traditions of world art and formal experimentation, sought to repel the phenomena of contemporary reality in the forms of easel painting and sculpture, rejected the "literary effect" and the reduction of the painting to agfcredit.

the Idea of creation originated in the student environment Vhuteina in 1924-1925, in April 1926 produced a draft Statute, a final design was completed by the autumn of 1926. At the inaugural meeting was elected Chairman V. Pakulin, Secretary — S. A. Chugunov (subsequently the duties of the Secretary were performed M. F. Verbov and A. F. Pakhomov).

the Charter objectives of the "Circle" denotes the Union of all the young forces of Leningrad and the work on the creation of modern paintings by the collective consideration as topics and painting problems.

Permanent building society had. Meetings were held in the printing-House (Fontanka embankment, 21), art House (Moika, 59), in a student dormitory on Prospekt Volodarskogo (now — Liteiny Prospekt, 15) apartment A. I. Rusakov on the Petrograd side (corner of Grand Avenue).

the Association has conducted three reporting exhibition in the halls of the State Russian Museum: in April, — may 1927, may — June 1928 and may 1929, and the exhibition in the House of education workers (1927), the club of the plant "Red Triangle" (November 1929). In 1929, with the assistance of VOKS (all-Union society for cultural relations with foreign countries) and "the British society for the rapprochement with the Soviet Union" an exhibition of the "Circle" in London. In 1930 the exhibition was organized in the halls of the Kyiv art gallery. The members of the Society also participated in the exhibition "Modern Leningrad artistic groups" (1928-1929), 1-й Citywide exhibition of fine arts (1930), the exhibition "Soviet art of the reconstruction period" (1932), "Artists of the RSFSR XV years" (1932) in Leningrad.

the Exhibition was accompanied by lectures and debates, presentations which were made by N. N. Punin, N. M. Tarabukin, V. Warriors and others. The climax of the creative activitybecame 2-я exhibition, which was visited by A. V. Lunacharsky.

1-й the exhibition were presented works such as: "Reaper" (1926-1927, RM) V. V. Pakulin, "Worker (Portrait in blue)" (1927, RM), "the Young man in a black shirt" (1925, Tretyakov gallery), "Portrait of the artist M. N. Butrova" (1925-1926, TG), "Boy on skates" (1927, TG) A. Pakhomov, "Sebenste" A. N. Samokhvalov (1926, RM), "Port" A. I. Rusakov (1926, Perm city picture gallery); 2-й: "Woman in a red hat" (1927, RM), "Woman with buckets" (1928, RM), "a Crewman (In the pub)" (1928, RM) V. V. Pakulin, "Rising woman" (1928, Pushkin Museum of the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk), "Reaper (Harvest)" (1928, RM) A. Pakhomov, "Spartakovka" (1927, TG), "Conductress" (1928, RM), "Man with scarf (self-Portrait)" (1928, RM) A. N. Samokhvalov; 3-й — "Terror" (1929, state Russian Museum), "Boy" (1929, state Russian Museum), "Children's beach house" (1929, TG) A. Pakhomov, "the woman behind the Desk" T. I. Kupervasser (1928, RM), "Portrait of mother" B. E. Kaplinskaja and other works.

In the activities of enterprises dominated collectivism: the exhibitions was preceded by numerous meetings, discussion views thumbnail reports. This led to funny situations: "the collective method of leadership" forced I. V. Smith to paint the face of his "Girls" (1927, RM), because "it is too specific and contrary to the relentless fight that the Circle leads to manifestations of "daily life"".

In 1928 published one of the declarations of the society: the ""Circle" aims to promote in our country the painting and sculpture as art and profession of a painter and a sculptor as a true profession. This task requires the hard work of every member of society at the machine, solid management of such work from the whole team and finally, the activity of the “Circle” as a public organization. Employee — accounting and analysis of the entire artistic heritage of the past and the use of the formal experience that increasing the visual culture of the artist, contributes to the picturesque-критическому the knowledge of the present. For public — linkage and cooperation with the Soviet General public".

the Declaration and the statutes of the "Circle" was close "the platform" of the Moscow Society of easel artists (OST). The performances of the participants of the "Circle" in the press testified to the desire to establish contact with other associations: "4 art", "Society of artists to them. A. I. Kuindzhi", "Community artists."

however, one of the main plants of the enterprises was the rejection of AHRR. Krugovi accused Agrawal in "legal realism" at the expense of the formal construction of the piece, its plastic expression, color harmony. The ideologues of the AHRR and he rebuked the "Circle of artists" interest in the purely formal experiments. In an effort to prevent accusations of formalism and bourgeois, members of the "Circle" made a decision "on strengthening collective leadership directly in the process of the artist's work on canvas" and the establishment of the company "Bureau control ideology" (BURKE). A number of artists have regarded it as an unacceptable barrier to the implementation of creative tasks. In 1929, on the eve of 3-й of the exhibition, a large group of artists left the society. A. N. Samokhvalov, L. R. Britanishsky, M. V. Noskov, S. A. Chugunov,I. E. Shangin and M. L. Shechtman joined the Association "October", soon M. F. Verbov and E. D. Zagoskin passed in OMAHRR.

Despite these measures, the confrontation with AHRR continued and reached its climax in the 1930s in connection with the publication of the essay G. Veselov "Bourgeois grouping of Leningrad" (art to the masses, 1930, No. 4, p. 12-13), part of which was devoted to "the Circle": "combined, these people solely on formal grounds. And put before a purely formalistic tasks. They already had a “split”... then their Declaration added several Soviet words and submitted “some” moments “proletarian ideology”. And in fact “society” has remained the same as it was... This society under the guise of traditions of world art to drag the country building socialism “tradition” of French art, has nothing to do with socialism... Working exclusively in the field of easel, this “society”, in his opinion, creates “through the painting style of the era”. And the gap between proletarian audience and their "art" explains "the low activity of the broad working masses..."".

"Circle of artists" came into the discussion, posting a response (the Circle of artists — is responsible // Art to the masses, 1930, no. 8, pp. 4-5): "Society "Circle of artists" believes that the statement T. Veselova with fierce accusations at our address, is self-defeating to attempt bare hands to resolve all the complex issues of today's creative painting which requires for its resolution the maximal mastering of the dialectical-материалистическим method of world perception and world Outlook, a method, which is the only way to eliminate the confusion, and the unbearable vulgarisateurs, which exists to this day in understanding the issues of the fine arts...".

Here, with some changes, the newly published Declaration of the society: ""the Circle" aims: I. to Unite and coordinate the work of all artists (painters and sculptors) working on the development of competencies and objectives. II. On the basis of collective leadership. III. Using the pattern as specific scenic expression — means of organizing consciousness. IV. To the creation (painting and sculpture) style of the era. In contrast: the amateurism and careless, individualmente, subjectivism, the prevalent literary effect, retrospectivism and the bourgeoisie".

Followed in the same room were placed a sharply critical article by T. Gaponenko "Vicious Circle" (art to the masses, 1930, no. 8, pp. 5-7): "...the Circle brings together people ideologically more associated with the past than with the present day; of people who are formal searching, a picture like Fig leaf to cover up its bourgeois nakedness, his class, his political misery...".

Under the influence of constant ideological attacks of the vigorous activity of the society stopped. Members participated in the activities of izobrigada, went in the creative business trips to factories, collective farms. The latest collective statement of the society was held in 1932 at the exhibition "Artists of the RSFSR XV years" in Leningrad.

In 2007, the State Russian Museum in Saint-Петербурге was held a large retrospective exhibition "the Association "Circle of artists". 1926-1932".