Taras Shevchenko - Kateryna

Taras Shenchenko (1814-1861) - Katerina (1842)
Russa USSR Stamp issued 1979

Shevchenko is known as the founding father of Ukrainian modern literature and language, more that his talent as an artist.  He was born into serfdom, but when his talents were discovered, the famous poet Vasily Zhukovsky bought him out of serfdom in 1838.  This portrait depicts Katerina, who was a key figure in one of his most famous poems.  She was a serf girl, who was seduced, abandoned and disgraced by a Russian soldier in the poem.  Shevchenko's art crosses between folk art and realism.

Kyriak Kostandi - Among the People

Kyriak Kostandi (1852-1921) - Among the People (1885)
Russia USSR Stamp Issued 1979
Painting Held at the National Art Museum of Ukraine

This is typical of the realistic genre paintings completed by Kostandi throughout his career.  A young peasant girl looks out the window of a crowded train, to a wider world.  There is a sense of tiredness to the girl and uncertainty in the painting overall - although the girl is among a lot of people on the train, she is the only one in the painting.  It captures a moment in time.

Kostandi was born in a town near Odessa, but he learnt his artistic trade in St Petersburg, where he went on to become a founding member of the Society of South Russian Artists.

Alexey Venetsianov - Harvesting

Alexey Venetsianov (1780-1847) -  Harvesting (1827).
Russia USSR Stamp Issued 1980
Summer. 1827. Oil on canvas. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia

Although Venetsianov did not gain a high profile from the academics in the arts community, he did enjoy relative success as an artist after a public service career from the early 1800s to 1819.  Tsar Nicholas I commissioned him for works.  The artist dies in a horse carriage accident when his carriage plunged down a cliff in 1847.  Another of his works "Oh Father's Dinner" has also been used on USSR stamps.

Gerard Ter Borch - Glass of Lemonade

Gerard ter Borch - A Glass of Lemonade (1655-1660)
Russia 10k stamp issued in 1974
Painting held at the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

Gerard ter Borch was a Dutch genre painter who was also known for his portraits.  The subjects were always depicted with very expressive looks and fine clothing, so this painting is typical of his work. He also pioneered a style of painting for that time, as many of his characters were depicted standing up, with a portrait format, rather than landscape. He lived a relatively privileged life compared to most other others, travelling throughout most of Europe while also having a good education courtesy of his father who was also an artist. 

His works are relatively rare - six works are held at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Pavel Fedatov - Difficult Bride

P. A. Fedatov - Difficult Bride (1847) ( трудно невесты)
Russia USSR 4k Stamp issued 1976
Painting Held at the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Fedatov (1815-1852) had an interesting but relatively short life, as he was originally trained in the army before quitting in 1844 and pursuing a relatively short career as an artist.  Russian art was flourishing at the time of this painting under Tsar Nicholas I.  However, towards the end of his career, the artist was a target of persecution of the government, as the Tsar tightened his grip on the people of Russia following revolutions throughout most of Europe in 1848.  He eventually died in a mental clinic in 1852.

Jules Bastien-Lepage - Rural Love

Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884)  - Rural Love (1882)
16K Russian Stamp issued 1973
Held at the Pushkin Museum Moscow

Bastien-Lepage is best known for his beautifully detailed naturalist paintings that depicted rural scenes in France in the 19th Century.  His works lean towards impressionism, while also maintaining focus on realistic scenes with good framing and composition.  The artist's most famous work is Joan of Arc, with it's spooky setting of translucent saints hiding in the depths of a French garden.

Pyotr Konchalovsky - A Green Wine Glass

Pyotr Konchalovsky - A Green Wine Glass
2K Russia USSR Stamp Issued 1978
Russian Museum, Moscow

This is the second stamp that was issued to commemorate the centennial of the birth of Konchalovsky by the Russian postal authority in 1976.   Unfortunately, the stamps do not contribute to the high quality and breadth of the artist's work.  Konchalovsky was highly regarded and prolific in the Soviet machinery throughout the 1920s and 1930s, completing many landscapes and over 100 portraits of influential Russians.  This is one of five still life works that were produced in 1933.


A major retrospective of the Konchalovsky's work was held at the Russian Museum from March to July 2010.

Pyotr Konchalovsky - Returning from the Fair

Petr Konchalovsky (1876-1956) - Returning from the Fair (1926)
1k USSR Russia Stamp Issued 1976
State Russian Museum St Petersburg 

Petr Konchalovsky Пётр Петро́вич Кончало́вский) completed this work in the middle of his career, and it is often thought to be one his best works,  The artist was influenced by Cezanne, and he produced many avant garde works before progressing on to produce many works of socialist realism, which was more common during the late 20s and early 30s as socilaism took hold with the rise of Stalin.


He completed this wiork when he was living in Novgorod in the USSR, but he also spent a lot of time living in Paris and elsewhere in Europe.  The Petr Konchalovsky Foundation has a website dedicated to him.

Viktor Antonov - Along the Road

Viktor Antonov - Along the Road (1936)
Russia 6k Stamp issued 1977

This stamp depicts a small painting in the Fedoskino style of Russian folk art.  Fedoskino folk art derives its name from a small town outside Moscow, and was apparently first developed in the late 18th Century.    These lacquer paintings are multi-layered on very small, convex surfaces.  They were originally popular for snuff boxes.  This is one of a series of paintings that were depicted in this 1997 issue in the USSR.

Pine Forest in Viatka - Ivan Shishkin

Иван Шишкин. Сосновый бор. Мачтовый лес в Вятской губернииIvan Shishkin - Pine Forest in Viatka  Province (1872).
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898) composed a prolific number of oil on canvas paintings that depicted realistic impressions of forest scenes in Russia and parts of Europe, including Germany.  His paintings were all very natural and very similar, typically being composed with very large trees in natural groves, with very little human activity, if at all.   This painting depicts a scene from Viatka, which is now modern day Tatarstan in south western Russia. 


Olga's Gallery has a fantastic selection of Shishkin's work, that clearly shows his interest in trees and nature in fine detail.

George Nissky - Moscow Suburb in February

George Nissky - Moscow Suburb FebruaryПодмосковье февраля
USSR Russia Stamp Issued 1967

This painting from 1957 captures a stereotypical scene from a sleepy suburb in the middle of winter, where this is very minimal human movement and cool northern light.  This is typical of George Nisskiy's work - you can imagine these scenes on the front of boring greeting cards.  The painting is now held at the collection for the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and it is one of many stamps that depicted art scenes from famous Russian collections.

Nikolai Yaroshenko - Kursistka

Nikolai Yaroshenko (1846-1898) - Kursistka (1863)

Russian USSR Stamp Issued 1971

Russian Museum in Kiev.

Yaroshenko was an artist who depicted he realism of life in the late 19th century in Russia. His paintings were often depressing in nature, with torture, struggles, gothic fashion and hardships being common in Russia at the time.  The artist also managed to maintain a very good career in the army, as he achieved the rank of Major General by the time he retired in the 1890s.

Tatyana Yablonskaya - Sacking Grain

Tatyana Yablonskaya (1917-2006) - Sacking Grain (1949)

Russia Stamp Issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

This painting screams joy - telling us about the pleasant existence that communist people must have wanted to experience under the idealogies of the communist in the Soviet Union.  The nature of these scenes are similar to those depicted in Chinese propaganda scenes of the same era - farm people having a wonderful time, frollicking around in the wonderful sunshine while also attaining new levels of productivity, where there would be lots of food for everyone....  

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin - Still Life with Attributes of the Arts

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin  (1699-1779)  - Still Life with Attributes of the Arts (1766)

Russia Stamp issued 1973

Held at the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

This modest still life makes for a rather ordinary stamp.  Issued by Russia in 1973, this is another work by Chardin, who was a great French Rococo era painter.  His works are held in galleries all over the work, including the Louvre inParis and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.  

Other Russian stamps have also been issued with Chardin's work: Saying Grace - Chardin.

Brulloff Karl - Midday

 Карл Павлович Брюллов  Karl Briullov (1799-1852) - Midday (1831)

Russia Stamp Issued 1973

The Russian Museum, St Petersburg

This Russian painter of French descent was highly successful and popular in his day, with his work being quite significant as is documents the transition from neoclassicism to romanticism in Russian painting.  

Briullov also gained success in Italy, particularly when he began doing historical works, such as the Last Days of Pompeii.  

Vasily Surikov - The Boyarynia Morozova

 Васи́лий Ива́нович Су́риков Vasily Srikov (1848-1916) - Boyarynia Morozova (1887)

Russia Stamp issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery

This is a historical painting which depicts a "boyarynia", or woman of high nobility, being dragged through the narrow streets of Moscow, after having started a rebellion against the ruling czars of Russia in 1671.  This is a typical work for this artist who is best known as a historical painter.  The painting is large and it carries a high level of detail for this tragic character of Russian history.  To this day, Morozova is hailed as a martyr by some communities in Russia.

Ilya Repin - Arrest of a Progandist

Arrest of the Propagandist 1889 - Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Russia Stamp Issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery Moscow Russia

Repin was a leading Russian painter and sculptor of the Peredvizhniki artistic school.  This artist's works were ground breaking as they were a predecessor to the large number of Socialist Realism works that became popular and acceptable in the Soviet Union and Russia in the 20th Century.  The artist had a versatile career with many works having religious or mythical themes, while other works included portraits or depictions of historical events.


This painting depicts the mood of the time.  It was completed shortly after the death of Tsar Alexander II who brought about some reforms for the release of serfs in Russia, although his overall record was also one of suppression in order to prevent more radical social change.  The Tsar survived several assassination attempts before finally being killed by terrorists in a bomb in 1882.

Alexey Savrasov - Rainbow

Alexey Savrasov (1830-1897) Алексе́й Кондра́тьевич Савра́сов -  Rainbow (1875) 

Russia Stamp issued in 1980

 The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

This is the second landscape painting that has been depicted in a Russian stamp for the artist Savrasov.  The painter was the son of a merchant - he schooled in Moscow and traveled extensively around Europe during his career.  The artist's daughter died in the 1870s and the artist eventually lost his way, becoming an alcoholic and dying as a pauper many years later.  However, much of his work is in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Alexey Savrasov - Country Road

Alexey Savrasov (1830-1897) - Country Road (1873). 

Russia 16K Stamp Issued 1971

Oil on canvas. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.

This artist was most famous for his landscapes, having been influenced by John Constable when he traveled to Britain.  Although this stamp reproduction is quite poor, the majority ofhis works were very intricate and detailed. 

Other works by Savrasov have been depicted in Russian stamps.

Boris Ioganson - Interrogation of the Communists

Boris Ioganson (1893-1973)  - Interrogation of the Communists (1933) 

Russia Stamp Issued 1967

Tretyakov Gallery Moscow

This is another example of socialism realism art being depicted in stamps by the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s.   The interrogated figures are calm and in control.  

The artist retained positions of power in the art world during his career, becoming the head of the Tretyakov Gallery in 1954, while eventually becoming the President of the USSR Academy of Arts from 1961 to 1964.  Socialist realism art obviously paid off during the Cold war.