A solo exhibition by artist Anatol Ilyinov has opened at the Lepel Museum of Local Lore. The artist is well-known in the Vitebsk region as the author of numerous wonderful engravings, drawings, and watercolours.
A solo exhibition by artist Anatol Ilyinov has opened at the Lepel Museum of Local Lore. The artist is well-known in the Vitebsk region as the author of numerous wonderful engravings, drawings, and watercolours. A clear recognition of his true talent is evidenced by the fact that in 1982-1989 he was elected as the executive secretary and chairman of the regional organisation of the Belarusian Union of Artists.
The creative path of Anatol Vladimirovich is closely linked with the Lepel region. After graduating from the Vitebsk Art and Graphics Pedagogical College and completing his military service, he began his career in 1957 in our native region as an art educator at the Lepel boarding school.
In 1960, Anatol Ilyinov enrolled in the Moscow Polygraphic Institute, where he qualified as a graphic artist. However, in 1965, he returned to Lepel, teaching children wisdom, kindness, and the eternal as a secondary school teacher, and worked as an artist for the local branch of the Vitebsk Art Workshops. It was only in 1981 that Anatol Vladimirovich moved to Vitebsk for permanent residence.
However, Anatol Ilyinov has maintained and continues to maintain creative and friendly ties with our region. The current exhibition of his paintings, featuring picturesque watercolours on paper with subtle colour transitions, is a fruitful result of this. They were created by the artist in 2011-2013 and are executed in the landscape and still life genres. Particularly impressive are Anatol Vladimirovich's artworks from the "Lepel Region" series, which bear eloquent titles such as "Old Berezinsky Canal," "Pushkinskaya Street," "The Church," "Sushchan Motif," and "Lepel Expanses." It was equally interesting to become acquainted with the picturesque landscapes "Rudnyanskiye Floods," "Quiet Evening," "Old Trees," "Golden Autumn," "Winter Morning," "Pine Grove," and others. In general, upon seeing just one or two of Anatol Ilyinov's paintings, with their unique and memorable artistic embodiment and the profound meaning embedded in each, one immediately feels an irresistible desire to view the artist's other picturesque watercolours. Incidentally, all of this could be admired even before the exhibition's opening, when local art enthusiasts, gathered at the local history museum for this occasion, dispersed throughout the exhibition hall and derived genuine pleasure from familiarising themselves with the paintings on display.
All attendees warmly welcomed the appearance of the author himself, Anatol Ilyinov, as well as the sincere, warm words of gratitude expressed to him by Viktoria Kirzhanova, the chief custodian of the local history museum's collections. The presentation of a commemorative gift to Anatol Vladimirovich on the occasion of his personal exhibition opening was met with loud, prolonged applause.
Igor Urban, Head of the Department of Ideological Work, Culture and Youth Affairs of the District Executive Committee, highlighted the importance of fine arts as an effective means of educating people, especially the younger generation, and fostering deep civic and patriotic feelings in his speech at the exhibition opening.
Alexander Savchenko spoke about his personal acquaintance with Anatol Ilyinov, his regular creative contact with him, and the positive influence of Anatol Vladimirovich's fine art on his own development as an artist.
Then, Mikhail Danilenko, a resident of Lepel, took the floor, congratulating Anatol Vladimirovich on the opening of his personal exhibition and wishing him health, happiness, and further creative success.
Nikolay GORBACHEV