Stepan Erzya
Encyclopedia
Stepan Dmitrievich Erzia (Nefyodov) was a Mordvin sculptor who lived in Russia
and Argentina
. Erzia chose his pseudonym after the native ethnic group, the Erzya
Mordvins.
He was born October 27, 1876 in the village Bayevo, Alatyr
sky Uyezd
, Simbirsk Governorate of Russian Empire
. In 1892 his family moved to Alatyr
; Stepan became an apprentice of various icon-painting studios. In 1893–1897 he lived in Kazan
, previously at the joiner's shop, later he worked at P. A. Kovalinski's icon-painting studio in Kazan
. That time Erzia decorated churches in the various cities and villages of the Volga area and attended Kazan Art School.
In 1902–1906 he studied at Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
, participating in the exhibitions of the School's students. In 1906-1914 he lived in Italy and France. He took part in the exhibitions in Venice
and Milan
in 1909, in Paris
in 1912.
In 1914 he returned to Russia
and in 1918 he moved to Yekaterinburg
where he created his monumental works of art. In 1921 he moved to Novorossiysk
, then to Batumi
. Living there, he created portraits of Lenin, Marx and Engels, many cultural workers of Georgia
. In 1923 he lived in Baku
, where he created in monumental genre.
In 1926 the Soviet government took a decision to send Stepan Erzia abroad "to spread the knowledge of the Soviet art". He came to Paris again. Again his one-man shows were sponsored followed by positive response in the Western press.
In 1927–1950 he worked in Buenos Aires
, creating portraits there of Lenin, Moses
, Tolstoy
, and Beethoven.
There Erzia, a representative of a minor and browbeaten nation, developed a project of transforming entire mountains in the Andes
into monuments to the heroes of the war for independence
. The local authorities approved his plan, but failed to finance its implementation.
While in Argentina, Erzia invented a method of processing some locally grown, extra-hard types of wood: algarrobo
and quebracho
.
In 1950 he returned to the Soviet Union
. In 1956 he was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
.
Stepan Erzia died in 1959 in Moscow
and was buried in Saransk
, the capital of Mordovia
.
On 26 June 1958 Mordovian Erzia Museum of Visual Arts was opened in the Mordovian capital Saransk. The museum has the most complete collection of Erzia works (204 works).
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Erzia chose his pseudonym after the native ethnic group, the Erzya
Erzya
Erzya could refer to:*Erzya language, a Uralic language spoken in Russia.*Erzya Oblasts, the areas of Russian in which Erzya is spoken.*Erzya literature, literature written in the Erzya language....
Mordvins.
He was born October 27, 1876 in the village Bayevo, Alatyr
Alatyr
Alatyr may refer to:*Alatyr River, a river in Russia*Alatyr, Chuvash Republic, a town in the Chuvash Republic, Russia*Alatyr, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, a village in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia...
sky Uyezd
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...
, Simbirsk Governorate of Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. In 1892 his family moved to Alatyr
Alatyr
Alatyr may refer to:*Alatyr River, a river in Russia*Alatyr, Chuvash Republic, a town in the Chuvash Republic, Russia*Alatyr, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, a village in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia...
; Stepan became an apprentice of various icon-painting studios. In 1893–1897 he lived in Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, previously at the joiner's shop, later he worked at P. A. Kovalinski's icon-painting studio in Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
. That time Erzia decorated churches in the various cities and villages of the Volga area and attended Kazan Art School.
In 1902–1906 he studied at Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
The Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture was one of the largest educational institutions in Russia. The school was formed by the 1865 merger of a private art college, established in Moscow in 1832, and the Palace School of Architecture, established in 1749 by Dmitry Ukhtomsky. By...
, participating in the exhibitions of the School's students. In 1906-1914 he lived in Italy and France. He took part in the exhibitions in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in 1909, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1912.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and in 1918 he moved to Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
where he created his monumental works of art. In 1921 he moved to Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is the country's main port on the Black Sea and the leading Russian port for importing grain. It is one of the few cities honored with the title of the Hero City. Population: -History:...
, then to Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
. Living there, he created portraits of Lenin, Marx and Engels, many cultural workers of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. In 1923 he lived in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, where he created in monumental genre.
In 1926 the Soviet government took a decision to send Stepan Erzia abroad "to spread the knowledge of the Soviet art". He came to Paris again. Again his one-man shows were sponsored followed by positive response in the Western press.
In 1927–1950 he worked in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, creating portraits there of Lenin, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
, and Beethoven.
There Erzia, a representative of a minor and browbeaten nation, developed a project of transforming entire mountains in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
into monuments to the heroes of the war for independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
. The local authorities approved his plan, but failed to finance its implementation.
While in Argentina, Erzia invented a method of processing some locally grown, extra-hard types of wood: algarrobo
Algarrobo
Algarrobo may refer to:* The European carob tree * South American trees of the genus Prosopis* On Cuba, the Albizia saman tree * Algarrobo, Chile, a city in Chile* Algarrobo, Magdalena a town in Colombia...
and quebracho
Quebracho tree
Quebracho is a common name in Spanish to describe very hard wood tree species. The etymology of the name derived from quiebrahacha, or quebrar hacha, meaning "axe-breaker".-Species:...
.
In 1950 he returned to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In 1956 he was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Order of the Red Banner of Labour
The Order of the Red Banner of Labour was an order of the Soviet Union for accomplishments in labour and civil service. It is the labour counterpart of the military Order of the Red Banner. A few institutions and factories, being the pride of Soviet Union, also received the order.-History:The Red...
.
Stepan Erzia died in 1959 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and was buried in Saransk
Saransk
Saransk is a city in central European Russia and the capital of the Republic of Mordovia, as well as its financial and economic center. It is located in the Volga basin at the confluence of the Saranka and Insar Rivers, about east of Moscow...
, the capital of Mordovia
Mordovia
The Republic of Mordovia , also known as Mordvinia, is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the city of Saransk. Population: -Geography:The republic is located in the eastern part of the East European Plain of Russia...
.