Khmelko Mikhail Ivanovich

An outstanding Soviet Ukrainian painter. People’s Artist of the USSR from 1963. Laureate of two Stalin Prizes in 1948, 1950. Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. Member of the CPSU since 1954. MI Khmel’ko was born October 23, 1919 in Kiev in the family of a worker of the factory “Arsenal” revolutionary IN Khmelko. In his childhood he visited M.M. Spring. In 1933 he entered the Kiev Art College. In 1940 he studied at the Odessa Art College. Member of the Great Patriotic War. He served as a sapper-cartographer. Being wounded, he got out of the encirclement, made his way to Kiev, where he was hiding before his release. Subsequently, he served in a brigade of frontline artists in the political administration of the First Ukrainian Front. In 1946 he graduated from the Kiev State Art Institute, where he studied at the course of K.D. Trokhimenko. In 1948-1973 he was in charge of the Department of Painting at the KGKhI, since 1962 – a professor. In 1951-1957 he headed the Union of Artists of Ukraine. In connection with alcohol abuse, he was dismissed from the institute. In recent years, hard experiencing perestroika and the collapse of the USSR, was in creative idle time. MI Khmelko died on January 15, 1996. The main works: “For the great Russian people!” (1947), the triumph of the victorious Motherland “(1949),” Forever with Moscow, forever with the Russian people “(1951),” The Shakhtar Wedding “,” T. G. Shevchenko and M.S. Schepkin in Moscow “,” Forcing the Dnieper “,” Over the Kiev Victory Banner “,” White Cranes “,” Dance of Life “,” 1941 – Kiev Defense. Goloseevsky Forest “,” Gagarin’s Meeting “, diorama” Medical Assistance in the Troops of Bogdan Khmelnitsky “(Kiev Museum of Medicine). Awards: The Stalin Prize of the second degree (1948) – for the painting “For the Great Russian People!” (1947), the Stalin Prize of the First Degree (1950) for the painting “The Triumph of the Victorious Motherland” (1949), People’s Artist of the USSR (1963), Honored an artist of the USSR (1951), the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Patriotic War II degree (1985).

Photo: M. Khmelko “Forever with Moscow, Forever with the Russian People” (1951)