Косарєв Борис

Boris Vasilyevich Kosarev (1897-1994) – famous Ukrainian graphic artist and theater artist. He was born in the family of a technician technician. The father did not consider creativity a specialty and agreed to an art education for his son only if he did not enter the City Technical School. Having failed entrance examinations at the school, in the spring of 1911 B. Kosarev entered the Art and Craft Training Workshop of Decorative Painting of the Kharkov Literacy Society. In addition to professional and general subjects, drawing and folk ornament were also taught there. His schoolmates were G. Tsapok, V. Ermilov. In 1915, B. Kosarev without exams was enrolled in the Kharkov Art College, where he studied under A.A. Kokel – painting, by M.R. Pestrikova – to a drawing by A.M. Lyubimova – work with tempera and adhesive paints. The main subjects during all three years of study were easel painting and drawing. In 1915, B. Kosarev tried his hand as an assistant decorator under the guidance of M.Ya. Ofengendt at the Kharkov Summer Operetta Theater.

Since 1916, B. Kosarev has been professing the aesthetic ideals of futurism, and is part of the Union of Seven Kharkiv cubo-futurists. At the same time, together with Mishchenko and B. Tsibis, B. Kosarev designed several issues of the Kolosya magazine, and with Bobritsky and G. Tsapk, with whom he had the closest creative and personal relations, the premises of the artistic cabaret theater ” Artist’s House. ” This work of his aroused great interest due to its high artistic level. The painting was praised by V. Mayakovsky, director N. Evreinov, artist Akimov and others.

In the summer of 1919, the artist, avoiding mobilization, went to Odessa. There, the artist met I. Babel, thanks to whom he got a job in Gubizdat. Later B. Kosarev headed the workshop of YugROST. During his stay in Odessa (1920-1921), the artist took part in scheduling propaganda trains and the meeting room of the Gubrevkom, in the design of ul. Pushkin to the Congress of the III International, periodically designed many performances.

In June 1921, the YugROSTA workshop, headed by B. Kosarev, was transferred to Kharkov. Continuing to lead her, he resumed his work in the theater. The artist is invited to work in the first Children’s Theater in Ukraine. In 1923, B. Kosarev became a member of the Partnership of Artists (organized at the initiative of the Vesti newspaper with the goal of atheistic propaganda). At the same time, together with artists V. G. Meller and G. Tsapkom, he illustrated the album “Science and Religion” for the Red Army.

Member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine since 1944. For many years B. Kosarev taught at the Kharkov Art and Industry Institute (since 1952 – professor). The presented work relates to a period of increasing Suprematism and Futurism. In 1916, the artist joined the group of Kharkov cubo-futurists “Union of Seven” or, as the artist himself called it, “Seven”. Its members were also V. Bobritsky, Dyakov, Kalmykov, Mishchenko, G. Tsapok and B. Tsibis. In 1918, the group published a collection-album of their works entitled “Seven plus Three.” In the spring of 1918, B. Kosarev and other members of the “Seven” participated in the exhibition “Union of Arts”, which also exhibited V.V. Bobritsky, L.P. Gertik, A.N. Grotto, M.L. Mane-Katz, N.R. Savvin, G.A. Tsapok, B. Tsibis. B. Kosarev entered the galaxy of Ukrainian avant-garde artists, continuing and supplementing the ideas and developments of K. Malevich, A. Rodchenko, O. Rozanova and others.

The only lifetime solo exhibition was held in the 1960s. His works are kept in museums in Italy, the USA, France, Yugoslavia, Russia and Ukraine.