Annenkov Y.P. (1889-1974), artist

Categories / Art/Fine Arts/Personalia
ANNENKOV Yury Pavlovich (1889-1974), graphic artist, painter, scene designer, and writer. He lived in St. Petersburg from 1894. He studied in S. M. Seidenberg 's studio, Y. M. Tsionglinsky's workshop in 1909-11, and in Paris in 1911-12. In his paintings and graphic arts, he combined cubist principles with realism. He created a vast gallery of portraits of artists and statesmen, including A. A. Akhmatova, A. A. Blok, M. Gorky, V. E. Meyerhold, F. K. Sologub, K. I. Chukovsky, A. F. Kerensky, V. I. Lenin, L. D. Trotsky, published albums of portraits in 1922 and 1926. He painted for such magazines as Satirikon, Theatre and Art (1913-16), Red Militiaman (1920-21), etc. As a book graphic designer, he illustrated A. A. Blok's poem the Twelve. He also drew sketches of scenes and costumes for Petersburg's theatres such as the False Mirror, the Bat, Troitsky Theatre, the Maly Drama Theatre, the Bolshoy Drama Theatre, the Free Comedy, etc. He implemented his ideas for dynamic decorations in the Bolshoy Drama Theatre's plays Gas and Rebellion of Machines in 1922 and 1924, respectively, acting also as an ideologist and the director of the theatre. He took part in directing the Hymn to Liberated Labour and the Capture of the Winter Palace, mass performances were held in 1920. He was a teacher at the Petrograd State Training Workshops in 1919-20. He was a board member for the House of Arts in 1919-20. He went abroad in 1924 and lived in Paris from 1925. He became popular as a stage designer and director and was awarded an Oscar in 1954. In addition he also wrote prose, including a Tale of Nothing, written in 1934 and re-published in St. Peterbsurg in 2001, Unfinished Epic, written in 1960, as well as A Diary of My Encounters, memoirs largely devoted to St. Petersburg (Petrograd) that were written in 1966 and re-published in Leningrad in 1991.

Reference: Бабенчиков М. В. Ю. П. Анненков // Мастера современной гравюры и графики. М; Л., 1928. С. 167-187; Струтинская Е. "Дыхание века моего" // Театр. 1990. № 8. С. 127-137.

A. V. Krusanov. Akhmatova Anna Andreevna
Annenkov Yury Pavlovich
Blok G.P.
Chukovsky Korney Ivanovich
Gorky Maxim (Alexey Maximovich Peshkov)
Kerensky Alexander Fedorovich
Lenin (real name Ulyanov) Vladimir Ilyich
Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich
Seidenberg Savely Moiseevich
Sologub Fedor (real name Teternikov Fedor Kuzmich)
Trotsky (real name Bronstein) Lev Davidovich
Tsionglinsky Yan Frantsevich
Бабенчиков М. В. Ю. П. Анненков // Мастера современной гравюры и графики. М.; Л., 1928
Струтинская Е. «Дыханье века моего» // Театр, 1990 Satirikon, journal
Arts, The House of, literary society
Tovstonogov Bolshoy Drama Theatre
1920