Vlady
(Vladimir Victorovich Kibalchich)
1920-2005
Vlady is a Mexican painter, graphic artist, monumental artist, Russian by descent. Unfortunately, he is better known in Europe and all over the world than in his home country, Russia.
•	Bearer of the Order of Arts and Letters of France
•	In 2000, was recognized in Mexico as the man of the millennium in the field of fine arts
•	In 2002, Vlady was elected as the honorary member of Russian Academy of Arts
•	Permanent exposition dedicated to Vlady’s work takes place at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Montreal. Also, his works are presented at the Regional Museum of Fine Arts in Orenburg.
•	Vladi Centre was opened in Mexico City
•	Artist's exhibitions in France, Japan, Italy, the United States, and Mexico were held with great success

Frames of unusual life
I want to narrate about at least the most interesting points of the artist’s life. After all such moments have affected his work.
•	Vladimir Kibalchich was born in 1920, Petrograd, Russia. His father Victor Kibalchich was a writer, a revolutionary, an active figure of the Comintern who published only in French signed as Victor Serge.
•	In 1933, Victor and his son are exiled to Orenburg as the representatives of "Leningrad opposition".
•	But in 1936, at the height of Stalin’s repressions the Kibalchichs were allowed to leave the country!
That is surely an unprecedented occurrence. How did this happen? 
The point is that Serge’s comrades in Europe have been actively fighting for his release. The USSR authorities were called to this act by the International Congress of Writers for the Defense of Culture in Paris. It was rumored that even Romain Rolland said a word for Serge during his meeting with Stalin. Andre Gide, Paul Eluard and other western intellectuals and communists also have been troubling over him.
•	Vladimir was living in Paris with his father for five years (1936-41). He wandered in Louvre for days examining works of his favorite Renaissance painters. That city is the place where he began to study color lithography and participated in exhibitions under the pseudonym "Vlady”. 
•	In 1942, Victor and his son head to Marseilles escaping the Nazi plague. From there they made their way through Martinique, Santo Domingo and Cuba and stayed in Mexico. The artist lived there for more than 50 years and became famous.

Achievements and recognition
Since 1950 Vlady takes part in a set of major international exhibitions: in Paris (Biennale I and II), in Tokyo, in Sao Paulo and in Cordoba (the Argentine). At the same time he gets a set of awards and new orders for monumental art.
Vlady takes part in Confrontation-66, Hemisferia-68 and the World Fair in Osaka.
Vlady had travelled a lot visiting Paris periodically and had finished lots of graphical works until he became a famous young artist. 
But is this artist only a Mexican? By his own confession, Vlady is the heir of three cultural traditions: Russian, European (mainly French) and Mexican.
His work is striking with its versatility. Craving for monumental paintings along with watercolor and pencil drawings, ink sketches.
He have created a large number of paintings, prints and murals that nowadays adorn libraries, temples, university buildings and presidential palaces in many countries of the Western Hemisphere. Due to this he has received wide international recognition:
•	In art circles, Vlady’s name became well-known after the Mexican government purchased a series of his works devoted to Leon Trotsky. Nowadays they can be found in the of the Museum of Modern Art collection in Mexico.
•	Later, Vlady along with well-known Rufiko Tamayo were asked to paint the Mexican Pavilion of the International Exhibition in Japan.
•	Next, he creates murals for the Freud’s block at the medical campus of the University of Mexico. Vlady stands on a par with such notable artists like Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros, who have also painted the walls at the University of Mexico.
•	Some researchers believe the murals at the Ministry of Finance of Mexico to be the peak of the artist’s work.
•	In France Vlady has proved himself to be a great master of color lithography.
•	Also, the artist is reputed to be the incomparable master of erotic engravings.
•	Critics have nicknamed him “a Rembrandt of our time” for his excellent technical execution of etchings.
•	Vlady is reputed to be one of the best artists of our time by Ernst Neizvestny.
•	In 1966, the French Embassy in Mexico presented him the “Special Art Bursary”.
•	In 1968, the artist was awarded to the Medal of Honor. Also he received a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
•	In 1971 and 1972, Vlady was given the award of Mexico’s Annual Print Salon in the field of graphic arts.
•	1989 is marked with artist's solo exhibition at the Instituto de Culturadel Estado de Morelos.

The most known, the most monumental,
the most scandalous
Vladimir Kibalchich (Vlady) is one of the outstanding mural artists of our time.
One of the most famous, the most monumental and the most scandalous works of the master is the mural in Miguel Lerdo de Tejada Library in the center of Mexico City. 
Vlady was invited to portray revolutions of all over the world in one mural by the President of the Republic of Mexico.
He ended those series with the most significant revolution. It was the Fall, the act of tasting the Forbidden Fruit by Adam and Eve.
The Catholic Church has accused him of blasphemy and pornography. There was going to be a trial, but somehow Vlady was forgiven in time and his star shone even brighter.
It is the historical mural David Siqueiros called “the most perfect work in terms of concept and form”.
For the artist, these 2000 square meters of steel surface were the place, where he could give a free rein to his imagination.

A little bit more about this story...
Here’s what Vladimir Kibalchich told in one of his interviews:
- It was like this. At one highly prestigious competition of the mural there was a conversation about the importance of monumental painting in the Mexican culture. The conclusion was drawn that this tradition needs to be supported and there is a need in new followers of the great Mexican artists. The President was told my name.  I was offered to paint the palace where works of Rivera had already been. I refused, citing the fact that I don’t want to arrange a match with the greats and that the walls there are too small, but asked for permission to work in the library. That hall is huge. The president was surprised, “What does he want?" Then he asked to show photos of the interior. When he saw them he said, "I understand him. Well, let him do”.  And I just did.
- How much did it take to finish the work?
- Nine and a half years.
- Was the president pleased?
- His term as the President ended when I was half way through. He didn’t show up in the library for all these years, but when I finished he came. He came up to me and said, “Maestro, in this hall you could express everything you’ve wanted. It means that in Mexico there is democracy”. It sounded a bit declarative, but sincere.
Source: Igor Khramov, «Vladimir Kibalchich: «I have opened myself only three years ago»

…and a little bit about the Presidents :)
Another piece of the same interview:
- As far as we're talking about the presidents, let's fast forward to Europe for a moment. Tell me, what brought you to the President of France?
- We came to Paris from Italy on the day Francois Mitterrand was elected. It was the day of election. I was very excited. The Socialists came to power. Under this impression I drew a little work (it was a piece of cardboard - an allegory on the theme of election) and sent it to the newly elected President. Very soon I forgot about this. 
But as it turned out Mitterrand had great respect for my father’s works. He was even going to write a literary study of Victor Serge.  The next time we came to Paris after he found out that Serge's son with his wife are in Paris, he called immediately and invited me and Isabel to visit him. 
Mitterrand admired my father, “Oh, Victor Serge, what a strong man!” I have shown him photos of my paintings, nearly 20 of them. I guess my works haven’t left the president indifferent either. 
Source: Igor Khramov, « Vladimir Kibalchich: «I have opened myself only three years ago»

Other facts about the Presidents
•	At the first day of 25th Paris Book Salon Victor Serge's memoires were “reserved” by the organizers for the library of then President’s (Jacques Chirac) spouse. At the end of the Salon the book was really transferred to Madame Chirac's personal library.
•	In the same interview by Igor Khamov you can read about the political debate between Vladimir Kibalchich and Fidel Castro
•	Incidentally, Vlady considered the portrait of Fidel Castro drawn from life as one of the best etchings that he had ever made.

And, at last, about arts again
As Vlady is working in the Miguel Lerdo de Tejada Library he also works on the painting for National Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico (42 sq.m. surface). Besides, the artist paints "Xerxes" (a big canvas 7,3 x 5,5m) for the Palace’s collection of works of the outstanding contemporary artists.
After seeing this canvas David Siqueiros calls Vlady "a genius of color and light”. 
This work became dominant at the art exhibition in the Palace’s National Hall, where a series of works of the outstanding contemporary artists began in 1972.

Returning home
Despite the wide recognition all over the world, for a long period time Vlady was a few fame in his homeland, even though he haven't stopped hoping that his work will get known in Russia. 
The first exhibition of Vlady’s works in Russia was organized by Alexander Rusakov, artist’s cousin, in 1999. It took place at the Journalists Center in St. Petersburg.
The artist's works were appreciated very highly by professionals.
The experts of the State Russian Museum claim, «Vlady's works have demonstrated a great mastery of etching – one of the most difficult graphical techniques.  The artist seems to enter into a creative dispute with the "King of etching", Rembrandt, and is not inferior to him in skill. However, Vlady is the artist of postmodernism. He is recognized as the outstanding master of erotic etchings all over the world.
Vlady is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding modern time artists».
(See scans of booklet from the exhibition)

The presented pictures were purchased exactly at this exhibition in Russia.

Success in Russia
Artist’s dream came true. He was recognized in Russia.
•	During the preparation for the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg "Baltic Construction Company" bought five etchings by Vlady and presented three of them to the State Museum of Political History of Russia and two of them to the State Russian Museum.
•	Major exhibition of artist’s works was successfully held in Orenburg.
•	In 2002, Vlady was elected as the honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts.
•	The hall of works by Vladimir Kibalchich opened in the Regional Museum of Fine Arts in Orenburg.
•	Another exhibition took place at the Zurab Tsereteli Gallery of Arts in 2005.
•	In the same year, Kiev Film Studio presented the film “Roots” starring Mstislav Rostropovich, Morris Druon, Vladimir Kibalchich and Victor Chernomyrdin. In September 2006, the show of the original film version took place at Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Paris.

Sources:
1.	Igor Khramov, «The return of Vlady. Mexican “murales” on Prechistenka»
2.	Igor Khramov, «Vladimir Kibalchich: «I have opened myself only three years ago »
3.	Sergei Hollerbach, «Vlady»
4.	Booklet from the exhibition in 1999 «Mexico. A step towards apocalypse»
5.	Mexico Vlady Center’s website centrovlady.org
6.	The website dedicated to artist’s work www.vlady.org