Volgograd Hosts Lev Tyurin's 'Inner Truth' Exhibition

Lev Tyurin is known to fans primarily for his graphic works based on memories of his Stalingrad childhood during the war. These works have been exhibited multiple times in the city. The new exhibition, which opened on the 83rd anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, is the artist«s first personal exhibition not related to the Great Patriotic War.

He Couldn«t Frame His Paintings

Lev Tyurin would have turned 88 on January 31. The artist, born in 1938, died about four years ago. «I think his soul is rejoicing now,» noted Galina Yegorova, head of the «Children of Stalingrad» organization, an honored teacher of Russia and a candidate of philological sciences.

After Tyurin«s death, his apartment passed to distant relatives. The space was filled with numerous paintings since the artist constantly created but had no means for frames. The new owners planned to send the legacy to waste paper along with other papers.

«Fortunately, we managed to save about two thousand works,» Yegorova reported. «We bought forty bags for six thousand rubles (about $60 at current rates) and sorted through them for a long time. Among the finds were beautiful linocuts, for which we purchased frames ourselves.»

Many exhibits in the current exhibition come precisely from those saved bags. Also on display are oil paintings that Tyurin gifted to «Children of Stalingrad.» These paintings were stored in the organization«s office along with his war drawings.

Most works were created in the 1950s-70s, when the author was young. Despite worsening vision in his later years, he reproduced and carefully preserved his works, making copies and even coloring photocopies. The artist dreamed that his legacy would remain in his hometown.

Fame Came Late in Life

Galina Yegorova, who played a key role in preserving the collection, knew the artist well. «Lev Sergeyevich was a modest and not wealthy man, a true ascetic,» she shared. «He lived almost like a monk, his daily life was neglected. However, he had a Stalingrad core. He didn»t smoke or drink alcohol: in childhood, German soldiers forcibly made him drink schnapps, which caused a stomach burn. After that, he couldn«t stand even the smell of alcohol.»

Tyurin also had a disability: as a child during the war, he frostbit his feet, and one of them was twisted, which made it difficult for him even to sit. «At the same time, he was open and sociable, could talk for eight hours without a break,» added Yegorova.

Together with artist Viktor Losev, Tyurin tried to sell his works on the Central Embankment of Volgograd, but unsuccessfully. In the end, he got a job at a factory. Recognition came to him only at age 80 after an exhibition of his Stalingrad cycle at the Volgograd Youth Theater. Then journalists from local and central media actively interviewed him, and in a week about 17,000 publications about the artist appeared.

Two Colors, Huge Effect

The exhibition was visited by Larisa Ageyeva, daughter of Battle of Stalingrad veteran Valentina Chumachenko. «Lev Tyurin is our fellow countryman, a great artist who saw with his own eyes both the war and the post-war time,» she said. «I particularly like graphics, so I appreciated his linocuts. Using only black and white, he achieves incredible depth. One must be a master to create such captivating images.»

Yelena Rudnyanskaya, a veteran of labor and honorary worker of higher professional education, met Tyurin while working in education. «I worked at the faculty of primary education, where students studied fine arts and had internships,» Rudnyanskaya said. «The internship was conducted at school No. 109, and Lev Sergeyevich held classes there. He always gave students only »excellent« grades, saying that people draw from the soul, and he didn»t want to upset them.«

Now Yelena Ivanovna is retired, participates in veteran activities, and writes poetry. Last year, she published a book of poems about the Battle of Stalingrad, illustrated with Tyurin«s drawings.

If It Weren«t for the War...

Yuri Torgashov, a retired colonel and veteran of state security, met Tyurin while working at the Volgograd Regional Veterans Council. «Lev Sergeyevich attended our festivals in the Krasnoarmeysky District,» Torgashov said. «Our lives are very similar, except that my older brother Lyova died saving me during the Battle of Stalingrad. Therefore, we quickly found common ground.»

According to Torgashov, Tyurin was an amazing person who poured out his experiences only in paintings. «He couldn»t start a family because he cared for his bedridden mother and grandmother until their deaths, fulfilling his filial duty,« the veteran noted. »If it weren«t for his tragic childhood in Stalingrad, he would have become a bright and lyrical artist, giving life. But fate decided otherwise.»

The exhibition will be open to visitors at the exhibition hall at 6 Krasnoznamenskaya Street until February 18 inclusive.