Sculpture with a human face

The National Art Museum hosts an exhibition dedicated to the 115th anniversary of the birth of People’s Artist of the BSSR Alexei Glebov

The exhibition of one of the most prominent domestic sculptors of the last century Alexei Glebov at the National Art Museum was timed to coincide with the anniversary date. Despite the rather chamber format of the presentation, it turned out to be something like a textbook review of the history of Belarusian (or, more broadly, Soviet) sculpture of the 20th century, where war heroes were put face to face with swimmers, gymnasts, folk poet Yanka Kupala and pioneer printer Francysk Skaryna. The exhibition space was supplemented by portraits of Glebov himself, created by his colleagues in the creative workshop, as well as documents, a video film and a radio programme about the sculptor with recordings of his voice from the funds of the Belteleradiocompany.

Alexei Glebov belta

He didn’t manage to do much, but he dreamed of many things

The Alexei Glebov. Glorifying Man exhibition is the first event in a new position for the newly appointed General Director of the National Art Museum, Anna Kononova. Opening the exposition, Anna Kononova admitted, “It is a great honour and joy for me to accept this post, to get in touch with the main place of power of art in our country. Of course, I am overwhelmed by the solemnity of the moment, and this state is connected, among other things, with the scale of the personality of Alexei Glebov, People’s Artist of the BSSR, laureate of the State Prize. His personality is as integral and monolithic as the sculpture itself, and great as the monumental tasks he solves.” “It is difficult for me to single out one specific work, this exhibition is more about the versatility of the sculptor’s personality. Just look how expressiveness in his works is combined with the softness of forms, respect for the elaboration of details,” Anna Kononova explains. 
The First Deputy Chairperson of the Belarusian Union of Artists, art critic Natalya Sharangovich, in turn, believes that the audience has yet to discover Glebov, despite all his many obvious achievements and awards, “Of the four masters (Zair Azgur, Andrei Bembel, Sergei Selikhanov, Alexei Glebov), who worked together, including on the high reliefs of the Victory Monument, we know the least about Glebov. He always seemed to be a little aloof... This is due to the fact that Alexei Glebov did not have time to leave behind numerous monumental objects, unlike the rest of the listed classics. He did not have much time, although he dreamed of many things: about the monument to Francysk Skaryna, Lev Dovator... We inherited mainly his easel works, in which he raised important topics. However, working, for example, even with the theme of war, he continued to be a romantic…”

Aleksandr Kushner

The imagery and plasticity of works is something valuable that today’s youth should learn from Glebov, Natalya Vasilievna is convinced, “His plasticity is absolutely free — and this freedom is manifested not only in the sculptural portraits of Glebov, but also in his multi-figured compositions. He did not concentrate on small details, but rather thought about the image as a whole. If this is a man at war, then he is fiery, moving, ardent... And in this imagery Glebov was insanely talented. It’s just impossible not to notice.”

Accountant Returns from Work. 1957

To be continued

In addition, according to the recollections of relatives, Alexei Glebov was a very sociable person, an excellent storyteller. Perhaps that is why he was best at sculpting from nature — where it was necessary to convey a lively look, plasticity of the muscles of the face. The People’s Poet of Belarus Yanka Kupala and the famous Kupala resident, People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Vladomirsky turned out to be unconventional. In 1967, Glebov created a model of the monument to Francysk Skaryna for Polotsk — the sculptor himself considered this work one of his most significant, gave it his last strength and all his talent... Glebov, alas, did not live to see the opening of the monument. The bronze sculpture was already cast by his students — sculptors Igor Glebov and Andrei Zaspitsky.   It is difficult to talk about Alexei Glebov without mentioning his students. For more than 10 years, Glebov taught at the Belarusian Theatre and Art Institute and sincerely considered pedagogy one of the main parts of his life. Perhaps he remembered well how much effort the most famous teacher and sculptor Mikhail Kerzin put into him. In 1926, Glebov entered the painting department of the Vitebsk Art College. Professor Kerzin’s class was truly stellar: Zair Azgur, Andrey Bembel and many other talented artists studied there, but it was Glebov who became Kerzin’s favourite student. Subsequently, Alexei Glebov admitted more than once that all the best he had as a sculptor came from Kerzin. He owed his success to him and his school.
Today, the new Glebovites continue the work of the master — within the walls of the Minsk State Art College, named after Alexei Glebov. Students were among the first to be invited to the exhibition at the National Art Museum. By the way, very soon future sculptors, painters, designers and masters of arts and crafts will move to a new old house — a building on Khmelnitskogo Street, demolished in 2008, and now rebuilt and ready to receive students soon.




The Alexei Glebov. Glorifying Man exhibition will run until August 13th

Aleksandr Kushner

By Yuliana Leonovich