It is celebrated the 90th anniversary since the birth date of a Belarussian sculptor Anatoliy Aleksandrovich Anikejchik (1932–1989) on July 11th. His works are an important milestone in the history of the Belarussian monumental and indoor sculpture.
Anatoliy Anikejchik was born in Borisov in a family of servants: his father was a doctor and mother was a teacher. In his thirteens, he was keen at sculpturing, participated in all children exhibition of the city and then in Minsk. His talent opened up the doors of the Belarusian State-owned Dramatic and Art Institute (now Belarussian State-owned Art Academy), where he studied from famous Belarussian sculptors: A. Bembel and A. Glebov. A. Anikejchik’s diploma paper “Montazhniki” testified to a great author’s potential what was noted by an exam panel.
Having finished the institute, a young sculptor broke into a creative activity at a time. His first works: portraits of V. Mayakovskiy, P. Chajkovskiy, M. Bogdanovich, M. Frunze, L. van Bethoven; and a composition “The Year of 1905” illustrated how an artist was striving to create highness characters, express a spiritual strength and a human beauty. Along with samples of an indoor sculpturing Anatoliy Aleksandrovich was working on monumental works.
A special place in the works of A. Anikejchik was paid to the subject of the Great patriotic War. In his works, he, as a master, has truly prevented himself from characters of heroic time and was able to bring the clarity of idea and shape of his works to the future generation. Among his famous works are “Spring of the Victory,” “Memory,” portraits of the war hero, monuments of M. Gastello and his flight crew near Radoshkovichi, A. Matrosov in Pskov, memorial signs at the central square and Nezavisimosti square in Minsk.
A sculptor was working jointly with architectures Yu. Gradov and L. Levin on creating a memorial at the memorial complex “Proryv”, which was established in 1974 in Uchash region of Vitebsk district to the honor of a break through over the enemy’s blockade by guerrilla troops during Polotsk to Lepel combat. A sculptural complex “Damnation of Nazi”, established in the memory of citizens of Dokshits district of the Vitebsk region, destroyed along with villages of by Nazi invaders.
The theme of Kupala was illustrated in the A. Anikejchik’s works in a limited amount. A master worked up a number of monuments to the poet, which are very different in plot, mood, scale and composition. A grave-stone to Yanka Kupala was established in 1971 at the Military graveyard in Minsk by A. Anikejchik jointly with A. Zaspitskiy. A. Anikejchik was also the author of a memorial to the poet, which was opened in the city of Monroe near New York in 1973. The sculptor also created other works dedicated to a Belarussian songwriter: a portrait sculpture for the literature museum, a sculptural composition “Poet’s spring” in the village of Levki of Orshanskiy region.
A monumental complex in Minsk became at the top of the Kupala theme in the works of A. Anikejchik, which he was working up jointly with sculptors L. Gumilevskiy and A. Zaspitskiy, architectures Yu. Gradov and L. Levin. This memorial, which became a sightseeing of Belarussian capital, includes a memorial to Ya. Kupala and a fountain "The Wreath" with figures of girls who are throwing Kupala’s flower crowns into water.
A. Anikejchik was working on sculptural portraits of many writers and poets in different years: a memorial to M. Lynkov in the village of Liozno of the Vitebsk region, a sculptural composition “Night dreams about motherland. M. Bogdanovich” and other. A passion to literature was seen in a number of works, dedicated to A. Pushkin: portraits, sculptures “Pushkin and Vankovich,” “A. Pushkin and A. Mitskevich,” “The World of Mihajlovskiy.”
The works of A. Anikejchik are differs from the others by its epic, highness of characters, expression of a spiritual strength and a human beauty. Being the people’s artist of the BSSR (1972), a prize winner of the Belarussian Lenin Communist Youth League (1967), a winner of a state prize of the BSSR (1974), he considered that an artist’s goal was, “To create the works which mobilize people’s high thoughts, feelings and a will to build a new world.” Anatoliy Aleksandrovich Anikejchik was working at full capacity throughout his life with a talent, which was gifted to him by the destiny, having left after him a large heritage. His works are located at National Arts Museum, in the Collections of the Belarusian Artists’ Union, in the Museum of Modern Fine Arts in Minsk, in the Museum Collections of foreign countries.
Information on the life and activity of a famous sculptor also can be found in online encyclopedia “Belarus in persons and Events”, and in publications about him in an electronic catalogue of the National Library of Belarus.
By the Bibliography Research Department.
