Vladimir Nikolaevich Korbakov

The biography

Vladimir Nikolaevich Korbakov was born on June, 5, 1922 in Russia, in the village Kazarinovo of the Sokolsky region of the Vologda Oblast. He constantly lives and works in Vologda.

He spent his childhood and youth in Vologda. His first acquaintance with art was during his school days: the teenager made friends with the pupil - restorer of iconpainting in the regional museum, and through him - with the master of miniature and restorer. Having finished a seven-year school, in 1940 he entered the studio at the Union of artists and in 1941 he was employed in the workshop of Art Fund.

In 1941 Vladimir Korbakov as a volunteer left for front. In 1942 in fights near Moscow he was seriously wounded and underwent four operations. His right hand was under the threat of amputation, but due to surgeon's diligence it was cured. After a six-month holiday he returned to the front and served as a sailor in the White Sea fleet. For participation in war actions V.Korbakov was given the Order of Glory of III degree and the Order of the Patriotic war, many medals.

In his free time he made wall newspapers, painted panels, many times sent his works to all-army exhibitions of amateur arts. Seeing his passion to art, the command sent him to the Moscow art school for the invalids of the Great Patriotic War where he was trained from 1946 to 1951.

In 1951 he graduated from the school with honours and became the student of the Surikov Moscow state art institute.

In 1958 the artist returned to Vologda, in 1959 he was admitted to the Union of artists; in 1972 he was awarded with the rank of the Honoured artist of RSFSR. Korbakov was one of the founders and the long-term head (from 1964 to 1977) of the Vologda organization of the Union of artists of Russia, he was the initiator and the head of the Cherepovets creative group. It is possible to say, that he became a chronographer of the Cherepovets metallurgical complex, for what was awarded with a rank of the Honorary metallurgist.

Since 1997 - the Honourary citizen of the city of Vologda.

Since 1998 - the national artist of Russia.

Since 2001 - corresponding member of the Russian academy of arts.

2002 - was awarded with the State award «For merits before Fatherland» of the II degree.

2006 - the winner of the State premium in Vologda Oblast in the field of literature and art for 2005 for his pictorial cycle «Pages of history», devoted to the 100-anniversary of the Russian -Japanese war of 1904-1905.

Since 2007 - the full member of the Russian academy of arts.

In 2007 he was awarded with the Gold medal of the Russian academy of arts.

In 2008 he was awarded with the Gold medal of the Union of artists of Russia.

Creative work

Creative work of the national artist of Russia Vladimir Nikolaevich Korbakov - one of the brightest examples of traditions and tendencies of modern development of the fine arts in the Vologda land. It reflected many essential features of stylistics of Russian painting in the end of the XX century. For almost 50 years Korbakov's art has been drawing attention of colleagues - artists, experts, amateurs and collectors of painting. Korbakov's works have been constantly exhibited since 1956 at the big and small art exhibitions of Russia and abroad. Pictures by the artist impress everybody - they are spoken, argued about, written about, the artist is praised and criticized.

V.N.Korbakov - the brightest representative of the fine arts of Vologda Oblast of the XX century. During his early period he adhered to painting of «severe style» of the 1960s. In 1970-1980s the individual creative manner of the artist based on expressive-romantic vision of the world in the technique of textured multi layered painting was developed. In 1990s the master combines plein-air landscape painting, work on thematic, associative and decorative compositions with the development of traditions of classical painting. The main place in V.Korbakov's creative work is occupied by sincere, lirical-romantic or disturbingly - dramatic feeling of problems, destinies and characters of the modern world. He is true to centuries-old traditions of art culture of Russia.

V.Korbakov always was and remains a courageous innovator, a bold and passionate explorer of new ways of the updating of the modern art language. In different years he exhibited characteristic for each epoch tendencies such as impressionism, sharp decorative expressiveness of early Russian avant guarde, socially and psychologically orientated themes and images of the pictures, a new perusal of the world classics.

Korbakov works almost in all genres of painting, willing first of all to express excitement of soul and to show bright, unusual visual impressions. He created a big portrait gallery of Vologda citizens - people of different ages, trades and characters. The artist paints concrete - subject, historical and conditionally - associative pictures and compositions. His still-lives are sharply decorative, festive, dream-like. Always looking at real nature, Korbakov changes it, filling it with personal emotions and richness of pictorial methods.

Throughout his career Vladimir Korbakov turns to landscape painting. He creates series of plein-air studies and finished landscape compositions «my Vologda», «Northern Magnitogorsk», «Along the road of Lomonosov», «Bow to the native ground», «To the ancient cities of Vologda Oblast» in which his natural vision of this or that motive is combined with rough artistic temperament and high professionalism of the pictorial manner. In the landscapes he tries to reflect «spirit of place» - a lovely cosiness of streets and yards of old Vologda, strength and power of the rivers, lakes and roads of the Russian North, severe grandeur of architectural monuments.

Works of the artist are exhibited in the Tretyakov gallery, the State historical museum, in the Central museum of Great Patriotic war on the Poklonnaya Mountain in Moscow, in the Museum of the landscape in Plyos on the Volga and in many cities of Russia (Tver, Petrozavodsk, Tyumen, Syktyvkar). The biggest collection is kept in the Vologda regional picture gallery.

S.M.Korbakova,
Managing director of the museum-creative center «Korbakov's house»