Photos

Among the items of the memorial collection of M.A. Savitsky from the funds of the Minsk History Museum, the majority are photographs. The artist's family has preserved many photographs, which are a valuable source of biographical information, characterize the lifestyle, environment, and era. The photographs captured the artist's emotions and experiences, complementing or even replacing written sources.

The entire volume of photographic material from the museum collection can be divided into amateur photography from the family archive and professional photography, which appeared as a result of photo sessions, the work of photo correspondents during official events, and creative meetings. Among the famous photographers who worked with M.A. Savitsky are Yu.S. Ivanov and E. Koktysh.

The structure of the photographic collection includes the following blocks: family photographs capturing the everyday life and significant events in the personal life of M.A. Savitsky; photographs taken during public meetings and events that reflect the artist's participation in public life; group portrait photographs testifying to the friendly relations of M.A. Savitsky with figures of culture, art and science; photographs related to the artist's creative work and its results - openings of exhibitions in museums and galleries; one of the last photo sessions of the artist, made by Yu.S. Ivanov during M.A. Savitsky's visit to the exhibition "Artist. Citizen. Hero" of the Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery, located in 2010 on Revolyutsionnaya Street, 10.

M.A. Savitsky appears in the lens of the camera not only as an outstanding personality, a famous artist, public figure, teacher, but also as a student, a loving son, a caring father, a fisherman, a mushroom picker and a great friend of animals.

In a significant part of the photographs, Mikhail Andreevich is captured at work. The studio is his second home, the birthplace of works that have become classics of Belarusian painting. Thoughtful, soulful, M.A. Savitsky stands in front of the easel. His penetrating gaze seems to pass through time and is able to embrace the past, the present, and the future. Unique shots have preserved moments of work on the cycles "Numbers on the Heart", "Black Tale", a series of works based on the works of Yanka Kupala. Many creative meetings and significant events in the artist's biography took place in the studio. Among them is the signing of an agreement in 2010 on the donation of the cycle of works "Black Tale" to the city of Minsk, which became the basis for the future Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery.

Family photo chronicle allows us to follow the life path of Mikhail Savitsky - from the origins - his native village of Zvenyachi, where his difficult road to his cherished dream of becoming an artist began. Parents, grandmother, army photographs, student plein airs, workshops of the Surikov Institute, young wife and classmate Margarita, little son Andrei - the entire story of the artist's life has been preserved in old photographs.

Of particular importance are the photographs in which Mikhail Andreevich appears not as an artist, but as an interesting person with many hobbies and concerns. Moments of communication with animals are filled with warmth. Mikhail Savitsky loved dogs very much, their nicknames are written on the backs of photographs - Mukha, Kuzya, Tulya, Pinta, Bob. Unique shots of the "friendship" of M.A. Savitsky with a tame jackdaw named Galcho are presented, apparently taken in the village of Zvenyachi. There in Zvenyachi we see young M.A. Savitsky doing agricultural work. Interesting shots of fishing, mushroom picking, picnicking in nature, walking in the forest, driving a car.