The creative association of artists Kukryniksy, who became famous in the 30-40s of the XX century for his satirical works, is today almost unknown to new generations. Artists played an important role in the culture and politics of the Soviet Union.
VKHUTEMAS - meeting point
Higher art and technical workshops, created in 1920 and known around the world as VKHUTEMAS, produced a large number of designers and artists who significantly influenced not only Soviet culture, but also left their mark on world art.
In particular, the artists Kukryniksy began their journey from here, who came here in different ways and from different places, but with one purpose - to learn how to create beauty. Mikhail Kupriyanov and Porfiry Krylov met in 1922, working on issues of the wall newspaper VHUTEMAS “Arapotdel”. They signed their work by the reduction of Kukry and Krykup. Later they were joined by rookie student Nikolai Sokolov, who had long signed his work as Nyx. So the famous group Kukryniksy appeared. Students were united not only by a love of art, but also by a common worldview. Their element was laughter, they subtly noticed the humorous features in the surrounding reality, and this became their starting point in cooperation.
Commonwealth of like-minded people
Kukryniksy artists are a unique phenomenon in world culture. Simultaneous work on the works required them to be closely connected and close in their views. They were united by a creative platform - they sought to notice the funny and express it in the drawings. A large role in the formation of the community was played by V. Mayakovsky, he embodied their thoughts and moods. His Growth Windows of Satire has become a true university for cartoonists. The poet also drew attention to an interesting team and invited them to arrange a production of "Bedbug", later they will create a series of sketches for this work. In this work, the features of their artistic method crystallized; they drew courage, accuracy and topicality from Mayakovsky.
The biography of the team is associated with the creation of a unique phenomenon in the visual arts, it is called "positive satire." The second person who played a crucial role in the formation of the Kukryniksy was Gorky. He not only helped them find a job, but also led them on the right ideological path. It was he who encouraged their interest in politics and helped to understand the party line. The main thing in their work was truly satirical works - mocking and caustic. For several decades, from the mid-20s to the end of the 90s, the artists were close friends, and this allowed them to create together.
The artistic method of Kukryniksy
Artists Kukryniksy were able to create a unique method of working on a work. Creative groups existed before them, but there were no such groups in which all creative individuals were erased in the name of the collective “I” of the artist. They worked in such a way that the potential of each creator was most embodied in the final work. As a result of close unity, a recognizable satirical style of artists arose, which was most fully realized in posters and caricatures, but also distinguishable in paintings. They worked on the work in turn, the drawing went in a circle, each brought his own touches into it, and the result was a collective product.
Kukryniksy always adhered to two principles: nationality and partisanship. They understood art as a service to the Motherland, and they carried the heroic mood of the era of the 1920s through their entire creative life.
Milestones
The Kukryniksy began their joint work as cartoonists in the famous wall newspaper "Arapotdel", which sharply ridiculed cosmopolitans and formalists, enforcing the party line. Since 1924, they begin to engage in illustrations for literary works. They illustrated young writers and even developed a genre such as visual criticism. Maxim Gorky drew attention to unusual illustrators and advised them to draw more broadly themes for art from life, and not just from literature. At the end of the 1920s, cartoons of Kukryniks were published in all literary magazines; they became close to many writers. They exposed literary vices: boredom, zaum, formalism. And today, many of their cartoons have not lost their relevance.
Since 1925, the group has been actively collaborating with the Soviet media, publishing caustic cartoons of social vices there. Gradually, their fame grew, and each reader, opening a newspaper, first looked for these drawings. During this period, their technique is perfected, especially they succeed in ink drawings, and the cartoon, caustic presentation attracts with its harshness, which is atypical for the Soviet press. Their series, such as "Transport" in the newspaper "Pravda", brought them serious fame. They become the mouthpiece of the era.
In the prewar years, the Kukryniksy find themselves in a new genre - a political poster. During the war years, he becomes a real weapon against the enemy. Kukryniksy, whose posters helped the people of the Soviet Union in the most difficult times, became a powerful ideological tool of power. Their poster "Ruthlessly smash and destroy the enemy!" appeared on the streets of the country in June 1941. They served the motherland and went through the entire war with soldiers in the form of posters and leaflets. They also worked on the TASS Windows project, which in the form of a poster covered news and supported the morale of the nation. After the war, they received accreditation for the Nuremberg trials and from there conducted their sarcastic reporting. Kukryniksy became real classics of the Soviet caricature, they were known throughout the world, received many professional awards.
The third direction in which the Kukryniksy worked was painting. They painted genre paintings, portraits, canvases on historical topics, laying the foundations of a new direction in art - socialist realism. During the period of the country's recovery, the Kukryniksy people work a lot in the press, do book graphics, and paint. In the 60s they create a large number of illustrations for Russian classics. In addition, each artist creates independently. In the 80-90s, due to age, artists work less, but their creative union did not break up until the end of life.
Significant work Kukryniksy
The artists Kukryniksy were very productive, many wonderful works came out from under their pencil and brush. The most notable were: a series of satirical portraits “The Face of the Enemy”, combining the expressive capabilities of the poster and easel painting, the triptych “Old Masters”, illustrations for the collection of works by Gogol and the works of Gorky, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ilf and Petrov, as well as numerous posters of the war years. The latter include the “Museum of the beaten”, “Plan of encirclement and capture of Moscow”, “Debt by payment is beautiful”, as well as the paintings “Tanya”, “German Flight from Novgorod”, “The End”.
Exhibitions and heritage of Kukryniksy
In 1932, the first Kukryniksy exhibition was organized by Maxim Gorky. Here was presented political and domestic caricature, painting, book graphics. In 1952, a significant exhibition was held at the Academy of Arts of the USSR, at which the work of Kukryniksy was widely and fully represented, as well as the autonomous work of artists from the association. In 2008, a retrospective exhibition of Kukryniksy took place.
Cartoonists, whose heritage is closely connected with the history of the Soviet state, have repeatedly received the highest state awards and prizes. Their work is stored in the largest museums in Russia.
The creative path of Mikhail Kupriyanov
Mikhail Kupriyanov was born in the small town of Tetyushi on the Volga. Since childhood, he loved to draw, studied in Tashkent at the Central art workshops, where he was sent on a youth ticket. For special academic success, he was sent to study in Moscow at VKHUTEMAS, where he became a member of Kukryniksy.
Kupriyanov’s independent creative life was successful, he realized himself as a painter. He loved the landscape genre. Today, his series of paintings with views of Leningrad, the Caspian Sea and the Moscow Region are known.
He graduated from his life in 1991.
Artist Porfiry Krylov
The second member of the Kukryniksy community - Porfiry Krylov was born in Tula. From childhood, he showed artistic abilities, studied in art studios, then entered VKhUTEMAS. In addition to activities in Kukryniksy, he worked a lot as a painter, painted portraits, landscapes, still lifes. His works are in the collections of many museums in the world. In Tula, opened his house-museum.
Porfiry Nikitich died in 1990.
Creative biography of Nikolai Sokolov
Moskvich Nikolai Sokolov studied at the Proletkult art studio, after which he entered VKhUTEMAS and became the third participant in Kukryniksy. Sokolov took place as a talented painter. His favorite genre was the lyrical landscape. His works Lermontov Places, Abramtsevo, Evening on the Volga and others are kept in the best museums in Russia.
Nikolay Sokolov died in 2000.