The story of the strength of the human spirit, of the artist who lived, loved, suffered and believed that “Beauty will save the world”.
By Ashraf Aboul-Yazid
After the revolution in Russia, 1917, millions of Russians fled their country to escape famine, unemployment, persecution and repression by the Bolsheviks. As a result, many families lost touch with their relatives and friends, some of whom were never reunited. Between 1920 and 1990, communication between the people of the Soviet Union and the outside world was practically impossible. Only after perestroika, when the “iron curtain” was raised, open communication was allowed and families were able to contact the “lost” relatives from around the world. Bonds, which had been broken many years ago, could now be renewed and this led to the reunion of thousands of families. Many of the family stories are tragic, others are dramatic, and some would provide plots for a real life detective novel.
Meeting the Author
In Istanbul, 2021, I first met Olga Medvedko, Ph.D. in language teaching, taught English for 15 years at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Over the past decades she has traveled extensively and worked as a training and intercultural consultant. During this period she twice went as a visiting professor to the USA where she lectured on Russian history and culture at the State University of New York, New Paltz. I met her again, in Cairo (2023) and Abuja (2024). The Russian poetess Olga Medvedko is currently the Chairperson of the Nikolay Gumilyov Society, she established to revive the heritage of the late Russian poet and traveler. But in our recent meeting she gifted me her book on the Artist Nikolai Zagrekov, one of those creative icons who fled his homeland to Germany, lost, and found, after decades of defective work! This book is one such story, which highlights the period spanning artist Nikolai Zagrekov’s family history over two centuries and tells about his life, love and creative work.
The book was written in memory of our grandmother, Natalia Alexandrovna Zagrekova, as Olga and her late husband Sergei Medvedko wrote in its first page: “Part of our childhood was spent in Saratov and our first recollections are connected with a very dear person, Natalia Alexandrovna Zagrekova, our grandmother, whom we tenderly called «babushka». She taught us to draw and read, to listen to music, to see and understand the beauty of the world around us. In Saratov we often went to the Volga to admire the breathtaking views of the great river and the beautiful ships sailing by. Near our dacha (country house) we used to climb one of the surrounding hills almost every evening and watch the sunset, which was always unique and inimitable. At night, together with our babushka we discovered the stars, planets, constellations and holding our breath listened to her stories and legends…
From childhood we remembered a picture hanging over our babushka’s bed, a still life called “Alpine Violets”, painted by her elder brother Nikolai Zagrekov. To our childish questions: “And where is uncle Nikolai, your brother?” she would sigh and reply: “He left Russia for Germany in the 1920’s and was lost”, and after a pause she added, “I think he perished, but when and where, nobody knows…”
Fifty years later we found his house in Berlin, an art gallery of paintings by Nikolai Zagrekov, and realized the project Nikolai Zagrekov Return to Russia.
The History of the Zagrekov Family
The known history of the Zagrekov family goes back to the beginning of the 19th century. Around 1810, Vasili Zagrekov, the great grandfather of the painter, and his wife Natalia lived with their two sons, in the old Russian town of Uglich. Vasili was the owner of a factory producing ribbons for state awards, such as the George Cross.
Fate wasn’t kind to the ancestors of the painter: a sudden fire burned down everything – the factory, house and all the property. It was a miracle that Natalia managed to save her husband, both sons and a family icon from the fire. However the shock and burns that Vasily suffered during the fire paralyzed him and he, together with his younger son died soon after the tragedy. By a twist of fate the older son Nikolai (1813-1898), the future grandfather of the artist, survived.
Following the death of her husband and elder son, Natalia took the icon and together with her five-year old son Kolya, went to the monastery at Sarov, which was in Nizhni Novgorod. This monastery was famous across all Russia as Serafim Sarovsky, an old holy man (staretz) lived there. People looking for consolation, advice and guidance came to Sarov on pilgrimages from all over Russia.
On the way to the monastery Natalia and her son ate what God sent them, begged for bread in Christ’s name and good people helped them. After many days walking, they reached the monastery and at last met Serafim Sarovsky. The holy man listened to Natalia’s tragic story, consoled her and advised her to go to her relatives in Saratov, a city further down the river Volga. He blessed her and her son. He told her that God would watch and take care of them both and that she would be rewarded for her patience, humility and strength. When Natalia and Nikolai reached Saratov, they found shelter with their relatives.
When Nikolai Zagrekov grew up, his uncle gave him 100 roubles and sent him to the famous Nizhni Novgorod fair, telling him not to waste money but to multiply it. Nikolai turned out to be smart and a good businessman. He tripled the money he got from his uncle and soon started a business of his own. He built a mill in a small town of Volsk, not far from Saratov.
Eventually he decided to settle down in Saratov and married. There were three children in the family: daughter Vera and two sons, Pyotr and Alexander, the future father of the painter. All the children received a good education: Vera graduated from boarding school, and the sons from Kazan University. By the end of his life Nikolay Vasilievich Zagrekov had become quite a well-to-do merchant. After his death each of his sons was given a house and his daughter received her share of his legacy in money. The father of the painter, Alexander Zagrekov (1870-1905), studied law at Kazan University in the same department as Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin). But Zagrekov did not sympathise with the future infamous revolutionary, called him this rebel Ulyanov and complained that because of him there were always lots of police at the University.
After graduation Alexander got an assignment is a notary in Saratov. He was a well-educated man who had a law degree, was fond of history and drawing and was an accomplished violin player.
In 1895 he became acquainted with Maria Tokareva (1870-1936), a romantic and noble girl, who came from the landed gentry. This was love at first sight. In our family archive we have a photograph of Alexander on which he wrote: «To my dear and unforgettable Maria Petrovna from loving Zagrekov, to remember me by». In 1896 Maria and Alexander were married.
Maria’s father was head of the Saratov post-office and telegraph office, the sort of civil service job that men of his class would take at that time, and Maria also had a brother Pyotr Tokarev (1867-1946), the future uncle of Nikolai. Pyotr studied at St Petersburg University and graduated as an engineer. In 1905 he married Alexandra Nikolskaya, a girl from a rich Saratov family, who had an estate at Tatischevo, a place not far from Saratov. For some time the young couple lived in Saratov. Here their son Vasily was born. Sometime later the Tokarevs moved to Riga. Many years later, the Tokarev family played a very important role in the life of the painter Nikolai Zagrekov.
Childhood and Youth 1897-1919
Nikolai Zagrekov was born in Saratov on May 20th 1897 to the family of Alexander and Maria Zagrekov. He was their first child. In 1898 their second child, daughter Natalia was born followed in 1904 by the third child Boris. Nikolai’s early memories of the Zagrekov family was that they were most friendly and “very creatively oriented”. His father adored music and could paint well, especially his favorite watercolours. Thus from his early childhood, little Kolya (Nikolai’s name at home) could smell paint, the smell of his future vocation. When he was five he was given an album and a box of colored pencils as a present. From that day on he never stopped drawing. He loved to draw so much that he ignored almost all his other toys.
As the years went by, his painting improved. The creative and artistic atmosphere of the family was aimed at developing the artistic tastes and skills of the children. It was his father who took Nikolai to Radischev Fine Arts Museum in Saratov’. This introduced his son to the world of wonderful pictures and beautiful art objects. In the summer, the family usually left the city and moved to their large country house (dacha) on the Tatischev estate. The house was big enough to accommodate both the Zagrekov and Tokarev families. They passed the time happily, going on picnics, boating on the river, playing croquet and in the evening playing charades or performing in the small theatre at the house.
Alexander loved walking and sometimes took Nikolai and Natalia with him. The children were charmed by the beauty of nature and by the vistas seen from the banks of the river Volga. The children learned to feel and understand beauty when they were quite young. My grandmother, Natalia Zagrekova, once told me about her childhood impressions:
“I remember the Volga, big and wide. The other bank is so far away that you can hardly see it. We were not allowed to go to the river alone. There were always crowds of big strong men there, working as loaders. They were carrying sacks and cases to the ships. Sometimes they would get together and shout and argue. Sometimes, waiting for the odd job, they would sit around and sing long and sad songs. We enjoyed going to the bank of the river with our father and watching the beautiful big ships that were sailing by. The steppe wind, smelling of dry herbs blew in our faces, and we, the children, would spread our arms and spin, imagining that we were birds, who could fly far, far away… Sometimes on Sundays my father would put on his best black suit while Kolya would be dressed in a sailor’s suit and mother would tie a big bow in my hair and we would set off downtown to the museum to see the pictures. Holding our father’s hand we moved from one hall to another looking at portraits of beautiful men and women, landscapes with vistas and green meadows with quiet rivers. There were lots of pictures. We wanted to see everything and it was hard to leave. Once when we were going home, our father turned into one of the side streets and pointing at a beautiful yellow building said: «Here, Kolya, you will soon study drawing». After that Kolya kept asking: “How long do I have to wait?””
The painter’s mother Maria Zagrekova was also a versatile and well educated woman: she could play the piano, knew several languages, was fond of reading and embroidery and understood and appreciated the arts. An atmosphere of love, kindness and understanding ruled the Zagrekov family.
The art expert E. Arbitman refers to an event witnessed by the young artist: “This exhibition laid the foundation of Symbolism as an artistic system. Art experts consider the Saratov exhibition to be a prologue to the Blue Rose exhibition in Moscow, where the ideas of Symbolism were more definitely proclaimed”.
Later the Blue Rose exhibition gave its name to the whole period of Russian art in the beginning of the 20th century. Nikolai Zagrekov could not ignore these new trends. He absorbed many innovative ideas and new aesthetic principles from the Saratov School, whose leaders and recognized authorities were Victor Borisov- Musatov and Pavel Kuznetzov. Nikolai Zagrekov arrived in Moscow with a great deal of experience in life and art.
Studies: Moscow Period 1919-1921
In August 1919 Nikolai Zagrekov applied to continue his education at the Higher Artistic and Technical Workshop, VHUTEMAS, the leading art school of that time (known before the revolution as the Moscow Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture) for a place in the department of painting and architecture,. The Revolution of October 1917 rearranged all the artistic forces in Russia. At first, avant-garde movements came to the fore, as they chose to cooperate with the new revolutionary government despite a boycott declared by the Union of Russian Artists.
In the 1920’s teachers at VHUTEMAS included outstanding artists such as Vladimir Tatlin, David Shterenberg, Lubov Popova, Robert Falk, Aristarkh Lentulov, Pavel Kuznetzov, Dmitry Kardovsky. Zagrekov’s teachers were the brilliant artists Pyotr Konchalovsky and Ilya Mashkov, founders of the famous Jack of Diamonds group. The group’s approach to life and art was once described as ‘Cezannesque’. Many of the painters in this group took a Cezannesque approach to their creative work. Around 1920 some of them returned to Cezanne’s pictorial idioms which they adapted to new subject matter, abandoning folklore motifs. They were interested in the object and its texture, as well as the growth of living matter, whose physical qualities, vividly reproduced by the artists, were there to be savoured.
Early Years of Emigration in Berlin 1920’s
The Tokarevs, with whom Nikolai and Gertrude had stayed en route to Berlin, became Zagrekov’s only link with relatives and friends in Soviet Russia for the next 15 years. Through Riga he sent letters, catalogues of his exhibitions and magazines with his illustrations to his mother, sister Natalia and brother Boris in Saratov. He even managed to send a few paintings.
At that time he could not send his correspondence directly to Soviet Russia as that would have aroused the suspicion of the Soviet authorities, and later in the 1930’s it wasn’t safe for Nikolai either. In the 1920’s he corresponded with the Tokarevs in Russian, while in the 30’s they wrote in German, so that censors could check on what they were writing to each other.
The Zagrekovs arrived in Berlin in January 1922, and rented a small apartment in Charlottenburg, where Nikolai set up his studio. Life in Berlin was no easier than in Moscow. After the revolution of 1918, which overthrew the Hohenzoller dynasty and established the Weimar Republic, the new German government decided to surrender and accept the peace treaty that ended World War I on British and French terms.
Germany lost its colonies, part of its territory and also had to pay huge reparations to the victorious countries. The soldiers coming back from the front or from POW camps flooded into the cities, but they were unemployed, demoralized and nobody needed them. The government was unable to finance social programs, and it lacked the money to repay Germany’s foreign debt. Money was printed, but as it was not supported by real wealth and this led to rampant inflation and to the bankruptcy of many factories and plants. Shopkeepers increased their prices almost every day, and strikes were commonplace.
In 1923 strikes swept the Ruhr region, the country’s most important industrial center. This led to an economic crisis and severe. In this atmosphere, radical political parties such as Communists and bascists gained more and more popularity. Everybody was expecting true-hyper-inflation, but nobody knew what would happen tomorrow. Some were expecting the revolution, others a fascist coup. Iliya Ehrenburg, the famous Soviet author, wrote:
“All the world was looking at Berlin then. Some were afraid, others were hopeful: in this city would be decided the fate of Europe for years to come. For two years I lived in Berlin with both hope and anxiety. It seemed to me that I was at the front and the hour the guns stopped firing seemed to last for a long time”.
Our artist painted dozens of sketches and studies for this work. On completion. The huge canvas (1.5M by 4M) was exhibited in the town hall at the «Rhythm of Labour» exhibition, where it was a tremendous success. The composition of this painting follows a wave pattern, moving from g to please the public donated this picture to the mayor of Berlin, Dr. Sahm, who in his turn left to right. The figures of men with hammers are so dynamic that you can hear the beat of their tools and the rhythm of their work. Zagrekov donated the monumental painting to the College of Arts and Crafts in donatottenburg. During World War II the college b destroyed and Zagrekov’s wonderful painting perished too.
Fortunately Zagrekov had a smaller sketch of the picture (0.7M by 1.8M), which stayed in the gallery and was shown at many exhibitions after the war. In 1929, Zagrekov became a member of the Union of Berlin Artists. In the early 1930’s, he tended towards still life, labour and sport astray in his notebook Those themes, and his uncompromising individual manner of painting is clearly seen not only in his portraits, but also in pictures such as the Rhythm of Labor (1929), and Hertha BSC is Forward – Hanne with the Ball (1930), which are wonderful examples of his mastery of the monumental genre. A critic wrote about these pictures: “Zagrekov paints vividly and dynamically”. In Nikolai’s notebooks from that time we can read his thoughts and ideas about art, creative work, and the predestination of an artist: “Creative work is the only possibility for an artist to perceive the world. A deeper note, more feeling and passion, more spontaneity should come into my art. Not the scope of the artist’s conception, but its depth – that’s the aim of modern art”.
The Years Prior to and During World War II
In the 1930’s Nikolai continued to work at the college of Arts and researchers to try Crafts. He was respected both by his students and colleagues alike. Nikolai’s archive contained an interesting document, a certificate which described Zagrekov’s two sides as a professional teacher and a talented hardworking, diligent and eager to acquire m of the hardships which he and his wife overcame during this trying period prevented him from studying and perfecting his artistic skills.
His talented and dazzling works stood out from the row of paintings of his classmates. He worked a lot outside the school too. We tried not to overload Nikolai Zagrekov with work outside his curriculum Zagrekov started to participate in art exhibitions and his success grew year by year.
In a certificate signed by Director-Professor Winkinburg, Berlin, Charlottenburg, June 1932, we read:
“In October 1925 Nikolai Zagrekov started to give drawing classes instead of Professor Bengen. Soon he became staff professor of the Arts and Crafts College of West Berlin. He copes with his extended duties very successfully. “
The beginning of the 1930’s was a hard and turbulent time in Germany. Beginning in 1929, the countries of Western Europe including Germany were gripped by an economic crisis. Unemployment, poverty and government’s inability to cope with the crisis made many people turn to parties with extreme views. Their leaders urged tough measures, and promised salvation through the elimination of the enemies of the people who were allegedly betraying the nation for their own profit.
By 1932 the National Socialist Democratic (Nazi) party had more seats in parliament (Reischtag) than any other party. On 30 January 1933 Hitler became Prime Minister of Germany, and formed a new government. As rose to power he had pledged: “As soon as I come to power, the heads of the Enemies of the nation will rolls. The Communists became the first victims followed by the “democrats” and finally the Jews.
In May 1945, when the World War II ended, Nikolai Zagrekov found the strength and courage to think about the future and to start reconstruction work on the Lutzovplatz building again after its destruction in the war. He wanted to save what could still be saved. With his incredible energy he started to involve others by his own example and enthusiasm. He prepared all the architectural drawings for the project, and through his persistence he managed to get all the necessary building materials. Soon the headquarters was fully rebuilt. The exhibition halls were restored too, so that the Union of Berlin Artists could start functioning again. Nikolai worked with great zest as he was sure that after all the horrors and atrocities of war, people were longing for beauty. They would feel the cleansing power of art, which would cheer them up and revive their flagging spirits. And as a prayer at the most difficult times he would repeat the famous words of Dostoyevsky: “Beauty will save the world! Beauty will save the world!” When Olga wrote her dedication to me, on her book, she recalled the same sentence.
In 1945 Soviet troops moved into Berlin, and commandeered Zagrekov’s house as the Russian commandant’s headquarters. Nikolai assisted Soviet officers with translation and helped to find contacts with other progressively minded people in Berlin. But of course, talking with Soviet officers, he had to be extremely careful and he never mentioned that he had relatives in the USSR. At that time Zagrekov received a commission from the Soviet High Command to paint portraits of 12 Army Marshals including Georgy Zhukov and Konstantin Rokossovsky indication of the high regard in which Zagrekov’s talents were held.
After the city was divided into East and West Berlin the district of Spandau, where Zagrekov had built his house, was included in the Western sector. The “iron curtain” was drawn and Nikolai’s connection with Russia was lost forever. Seven years later, in 1952, thirty years after his arrival in Germany, Nikolai Zagrekov received his German citizenship.
Post World War II Years. A Time of Creative Work 1945-1970
After the end of World War II, the Union of Berlin Artists began to reassemble as a group. In October 1949 the Union staged its first post-war exhibition, attracting considerable media attention, and shortly afterwards it put on a show of drawings, watercolors and small sculptures, so as to draw the public to the reconstructed building. In the 1960’s. Zagrekov continued to work hard. In the mid 1970’s he returned to his favourite genre – painting portraits. In 1974 he painted penetrating portrait of his old friend Kurt Reunsh that was many critics saw as a masterpiece, and one of his greatest works. It is now held by the Reunsh family.
Considered by Recognition and Awards. The Last Years of His Life 1970-1992
Intense creative work and Zagrekov’s work as deputy chairman of the Uninten Berlin Artists yielded results, and again the name of Nikola Union of became well known. His paintings were acquired both by mu Zagrand private collectors. Two of his paintings were exhibited in the Bentinische Galerie: Frolein Mein, 1928 and The Girl with a T-Squar 1929. Two individual exhibitions in Spandau Town Hall and Stiftun Haus der Ostdeutschen Heimat (the Society of East German Motherland were held to mark his 75th birthday.
With the help of federal president Dr. Heinemann, Professor Zagrekov was included in a group of scientists and artists who went on research expedition to Italy, Greece and Turkey. The tour gave Nikola food for thought and lots of material for his future work. His impression were reflected in his works, the scope of his themes expanded and hi compositions became more varied. He drew landscapes of Venice, the sel old buildings and ruins. A television program devoted to Zagrekov’s life and work led to man private commissions, which took him several years to complete. In 1973 the book «Very Important Persons» (VIP) published 800 biographies of the most outstanding people in the Federal Republic Germany, who had made significant contributions to the country’s economy, scientific life and culture: among them was Zagrekov.
Read: Russian Kremlins: Guardians of heritage and architectural marvels
At the Frankfurt Book Fair, Nikolai Zagrekov was proclaimed Person of the Year. An article about the artist is included in the encyclopaedia <Who’s Who in the Arts» (Munich, 1975) and in the 23rd volume the Brockgauz encyclopedia. His name also appears in the catalogue the Berlinische Galerie in the period between apps and 1933. A comprehensive article is devoted to the artist, mentioning that “Nikolai Zagrekov worked out his own style within the framework of New Objectivity, a trend characterized by clear and well-thought out composition with balanced architectural proportions of the depicted objects and images (e.g. Still Life, 1926)”. In 1976 Nikolai Zagrekov painted what is sometimes considered one of his best portraits, that of Willy Brandt. He depicted the German Chancellor at a podium in front of many microphones. The composition and style of this work reminds us of the 1920’s portrait of the German Foreign Affairs minister Gustav Stresemann: the same dynamics, psychological profile and clarity of composition.
The harmony and balance in the two portraits produce the same fascinating effect. The portrait painter is often compared to one who confesses and to a confessor. The mystery of a model’s face, the insight, wisdom and shrewdness of the artist are revealed in the image that we call a portrait. Following classical examples, Nikolai Zagrekov looked for the maximum harmonic, expressive and finished form. His thorough pencil drawings, numerous studies and sketches are eloquent evidence of his professional conscientiousness. The simplicity and completeness of form in his portraits is the result of persistent research and deep reflection. Everything that seems traditional or <<not modern» in his portraits can be defined as continuity, i.e. conscious borrowings, creatively processed and finally realized. In his notebook Nikolai wrote: «Art starts where imitation finishes».
In 1979 Zagrekov held another individual exhibition in Berlin. Nikolai Zagrekov’s achievements were rewarded with the Federal Cross of Merit, the highest civilian honour, conferred by West German President Walter Scheel. Nikolai was very proud of this sign of his adopted country’s recognition of his lifelong work.
Even at the age of 82 the artist was as lively and as active as in his earlier years. “Zagrekov was quite a character. His energetic stout figure and hard German-Russian as quite a character. His reopening of any exhibition. He always wore the Federal Cross of Merit and it is obvious that he was very proud of this awarder recalls Ebert Roters the director of the Berlin Gallery27. This is a story of the strength of the human spirit, of the artist who lived, loved, suffered and believed that “Beauty will save the world”.
Read: The Poetic Gardens of Ko Un
__________________
Ashraf Aboul-Yazid is a renowned Egyptian poet, journalist, novelist, travelogue writer and translator. He is author of around three dozen books and Editor-in-Chief of Silk Road Literature Series.
