“I am the beauty you need to see, especially since I went through this massacre,” he recorded in his memoirs Oscar Kacharov. Since childhood, he knew his calling to be an artist, but after graduating from the Kiev art school, the war began. 18-year-old boy he volunteered for the front, came to Berlin. After the return of Kacarov became an artist, and very extraordinary. First mastered the school of academic skills, and then went from the templates and created his figurative sculptural model of thinking in painting. On the Day of Victory, “MK” publishes memoirs and works of the artist of different years, which reflected the war.
Oscar Kacharov (1924-2007) stands apart in the domestic arts, and along with that transformation his manners answered the spirit of time and the movement of the art world. However, he always went the hard way.
Kacharov was born in the ancient city and spent his childhood near the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. “Chime, bright sun playing on the domes of churches and the pipes of a brass band, marching military units, the echo on the Dnieper expanses — all these impressions preserved in the memory forever,” he recalled. These lines are included in the book “Oscar Kacharov. Dialogue with time”, which was prepared by his daughter, art historian Marina Klimenko and published a small edition in 2011 (the following quotes-memories from the rare editions).
Kacharov special felt color. Many years after the war, he gradually found his visual language in art, where color has a special musicality. The head of the Academy of arts Zurab Tsereteli notes that “his paintings — bright, often dissonant colors, creating a rhythmical-colored polyphony, sound like the chords of modern music.” A very astute observation.
an Important place in the works of Kacarova is war – memories of her carried her through a lifetime and in many respects the front-line became later in his style and Outlook.
Full power of color
In 1941, Oscar Kacharov ends special secondary art school named after T. G. Shevchenko. June 21 – prom night, and at dawn of the 22nd — the first bombing. War. In 1942 Kacarov volunteer goes to the front with his father. Fate decreed that they went through the war almost next door, but never met. Only at the very end of the war in Poland, son accidentally found my father’s grave.
“Father, I on the front of the saw. He died in 1944. I didn’t know. But felt. Came across his grave in 1945. It was a blow. I wanted to make a picture, but it was something sentimental… and I copied it, wrote again and again. Suddenly I realized that if something knocked you out, then talk about it in full si��the color. I say plastic and color. Sorrow pierced me through and through, I must give the most vivid colors. Because this is my main means of expression. The strong. Otherwise I can’t.
I Wanted to live to see victory, so long the whole future life to write bright, ringing, jubilant colors, the people carrying the joy”.
“Beauty to see, you need”
In the war of Kacarov managed to master multiple specialties. Was and aircraft mechanic and scout. Fought at the 1st Belarusian. Participated in the storming of Berlin. Managed to see a lot of horror and grief, but not hardened Always been able to see the beauty around you, even in a frightening and scary.
(for the editor here before excerpt from the memoirs to insert an illustration with the caption: 1 – “behind enemy lines. December 1941”, 1985, 2– “Soldier’s widow”, 2003)
“I’m actually a staunch pacifist. He volunteered at age 18… in one day with his father. Just managed to graduate from art school. Well able to read a map. Therefore took in exploration. Went to school Stalin scouts!
Once in the observation post has received a slap from the commander. Some report I had to do, and I look up and suddenly see a bright this gap. “Comrade Colonel, — I say — how beautiful!” Well earned slap. Men I was surprised. And to me the beauty of seeing a need, especially since I went through this massacre”.
a Charm
the Artist remained an artist. In my spare moments doing portraits of his friends-co-workers on small slips of paper. Some of them miraculously survived, survived until now and acquired a documentary value. Front-line sketches of Kacharava was first shown in 2010 at the exhibition for the 65th anniversary of Victory Day, which was successfully held in Nepal.
“I was Lucky with the commander — the pilot ACE! Vladimir Kuprey. Somehow we shot down in a dogfight. Burn. He said, “Jump! …The young everywhere in our way”. I said, “Old people always have honor — you jump!” I was 19 and he was 24… ramming speed. Before the earth the flames lost. He managed to straighten the plane and up. Then I got burned… a little. And when the hospital came, he flew, without the arrow. Said I was jinxed. Other in the first battle were killed. Because he didn’t take. Was waiting for when I get back. I’m back. Again flew to the end of the war.
but I’m not crazy — I have a piece of cardboard under your butt was placed so that the bullet did not pass.
He dreamed of becoming an artist, I am an artist. I’m more lucky — I’m an artist, and he is such a talented man, too bold and uncompromising — was unable to fit into civilian life. Says: “Go hang”. Went like to the toilet, we are waiting for, arguing about something… and its no and no. Atthe spacecraft woke up later. And not pumped out”.
“So if took off, above this nothing”
Kacharov did not like to remember the war, tried to avoid the topic in conversation. However, his work has been redefining the experience of front-line youth. His paintings are filled with joy because he saw a lot of grief, pain and fear.
This joy of life expressed through simple geometric shapes and bright colors. Kacarov created his own pictorial concept “system ten colors”. The basis of the system formed seven colors of the rainbow, to which were added black and white and cool yellow. In his experiments he has written more than 40 compositions that contain 10 to 800 modules scale-color combinations.
With his resounding “system ten” he talked a lot about the war – not out loud, and with the help of colors and shapes. One of the most powerful works of Kacarova dedicated to the great Patriotic war – the triptych “the War” (“Victory Day”, “Requiem”, “Alarm”, 1988). It is easy to feel the musicality of the artist’s paintings, especially the “sounding” the Central piece of a triptych “Requiem” mass in memory of the soldiers fallen in battle.
“In 1944 I was chief of intelligence. We stood in the Bryansk forests. Here massed separate artillery divisions, separate regiments. This is called 10th artillery division breakthrough invasion. The Assembly of troops.
Before leaving for the front, the workers rushed to organize an event for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ilya Repin. Repin God. Came to me: “you Can Repin on the report to make?” Say: “That we should all be.” And here Yar. Trees cut shells, tops no. Herded three or four thousand soldiers. Your guys soldiery. “Sergeant, can you longer say. Get some sleep though, take a rest”. After all, soldiers always stay little. The soldier sitting on the machine, part of machine, under the buttocks, part of the under the thigh… no longer raw — asleep at the time. I set the table. Red cloth covered. In the centre a carafe of water. Sitting at the table I three and Commissar.
“Now, Sergeant Kacarov will tell you about the artist Repin, who today marks 100 years since the birth of”.
God knows whence brought any reproduction. I enthusiastically tell. Motion, of course, not by Statute. And suddenly I hear snoring — the soldiers are sleeping. Think: “I’m about Repin while you are sleeping! I’m Sergeant with tinned throat. I’ll Wake you up”.
Three and a half hours, was told only water was able to pour. Political Commissar after my story stands behind this red table and says:
“Comrades, soldiers and sergeants, master sergeants and officers, in the most difficult times of our country November 7, 1941 on red square the great Stalin accompanied the troops from the parade to the front, saying farewell Rthis, remembering the great ancestors of our people: of Minin and Pozharsky, Suvorov and Kutuzov, Pushkin and Gogol, Glinka and Tchaikovsky, Repin and Surikov. Forward! The defeat of German fascism!”
Bang — Bang! Yay! Shooting went.
In this moment I felt like a fool politically illiterate. He somehow couldn’t finish. It is exactly what I felt. No, I really then felt.
After this incident, I applied with a request to take me to the party. But he returned from the war non-partisan. Very upset, worried. Now that makes me laugh and then it was vital. Now I’m not going to shout slogans and make speeches. I understood it all. The energy of youth was passed here in these squares.
the Aim of all was to win. But sat in secret hope: it would be good to stay alive to be a painter. If you survive — Oh, the women I will love! A woman can give that. And hear what you never heard, and see what have never seen, and feel what ever felt before.
But greater joy than momentary happiness from work, no. Coming from the Studio and I think: how I did! In the workshop come with the idea: a new canvas begins. Go — Oh-Oh-Oh! I looked and in the knockout… or off! And if flew off above this nothing.”
