Gershanik Roman Vasilievich
February 18, 1898 (Elisavetgrad) — March 21, 1983 (Moscow)
Painter, graphic.
Studied in Elisavetgrad at evening drawing courses at Zemstvo nonclassical secondary school № 1 (1905–1915) under F. S. Kazachinsky; in Moscow – in the Studio of I. I. Mashkov (1916–1918); at the Riga Polytechnic Institute (1918; ; during his evacuation in Moscow); in Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops (1923–1925) at the faculty of painting under I. I. Mashkov.
In 1918, together with P. P. Sokolov-Skalya, he traveled to Khvalynsk. In 1918–1922, he was in the troops of the White Army on the Eastern Front; he lived in Harbin, Vladivostok, worked in local theaters as an artist and actor (his art alias was Augustinpolsky).
In 1922, he settled in Moscow. He painted for the magazine „Krasny Perets“(1925), the newspapers “Batrak“ and „Komsomolskaya Pravda“ (1926–1927). He illustrated books published by DETGIZ (Children’s literature): “In the East” by P. A. Pavlenko (1937), “Stories” by R. I. Fraerman (1939), “At Lake Khasan” by I. N. Moshlyak (1940), “Gold” by B. N. Polevoy (1954), “The Tale of Childhood” by M. N. Shtelman (1956, 1960), “Shot” by B. A. Ivanter (1956, 1961). He worked on political posters: “For the power of the Soviets!” (1928–1932), “Komsomol – join the ranks of the All-Union Association of Proletarian Architects” (1930), To the Pope – our answer!” (1930), “Our cause is right – the enemy will be defeated!” (1941), “Bloodstained beast, marked with a swastika…” (1942–1943).
In 1929, he participated in the expedition of Academician A. E. Fersman along the route Ashgabat – Khiva through the Karakum. During the Great Patriotic War, he was evacuated to Uzbekistan (1941–1944).
He is the author of thematic paintings: „Students of Communist University of the Workers of the East“ (1926), “Agitator” (1930), “White Terror” (1932), „On the dogs“(1940), “On a Mountain meadow” (1946), „Dunino Collective Farm“ (1947), “Near Moscow” (1947), „Skiing“ (1948), “Spring morning” (1949), “In training” (1952), “Pioneers at the Dynamo Stadium” (1955); he did cycle of drawings: «400 000 000» (early 1930s). He completed series of portraits: “The Best People of Uzbekistan” (1941–1944, pastel), „Leading cotton growers“ (1957–1958, watercolor, pastel), “Young Leninists” (1968, pastel); easel portraits: “Innovators of production – M. Levchenko and G. Mukhanov” (1951), „Moscow lady“ (1956, tempera) and others.
Participated in the design of the Main Pavilion of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition (1937–1939): together with V. V. Khvostenko, he completed six picturesque panels in the “Culture” hall.
He is a participant of exhibitions since 1921 (Vladivostok, Harbin). Member and exhibitor of the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia and Artists of the revolution (1925-1932), a member of the Union of the USSR Artists. Participated in exhibitions: The first exhibition of paintings and graphics of the Wanderers (1929), Anti-imperialist exhibition dedicated to the international Red Day (1931), “Poster in the service of the five-year plan” (1932), “Artists of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic for the XV years” (1933), “XV years of the Red Army” (1933, traveling exhibition; also in Leningrad, Kyiv, Kharkov), «”Artists on transport” (1934), Moscow artists exhibitions (1939, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1961), The works of Moscow artists during the Great Patriotic War“ (1942), All-Union art exhibitions (1946, 1947, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958 — “40 years of the Komsomol”, 1961), “800 years of Moscow in the works of artists” (1947), Soviet poster exhibition (1950), 5th exhibition of works book artists (1955), exhibition for the 1st All-Union Congress of Soviet Artists (1957), “Socialist Moscow in the Works of Moscow Artists” (1957), Republican art exhibition “Soviet Russia” (1960), “Physical culture and sports in the fine arts” (1962), an art exhibition for the 25th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi troops near Moscow (1966), “Artists of Moscow – the 25th anniversary of October Revolution” (1967), “Soviet political poster for 50 years” (1967) in Moscow; “Posters of the Red Army” in Perm (1942); Anniversary Republican exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the October Revolution in Tashkent (1943); traveling exhibition of Soviet graphics (1947, Riga, Vilnius, Kaliningrad, Kaunas, Tallinn, Tartu) and others. Participant of many exhibitions of Soviet art abroad: Exhibitions of graphics, drawings, posters and books in Danzig (1930), “Woman in the USSR and abroad” in Berlin (1931). Held personal exhibitions in Moscow (1929, 1930, 1959), Ashgabat and Khiva (1930), Tashkent (1944).
Honored Artist of the Uzbek SSR (since 1944). His memorial solo exhibition took place in Moscow (1985).
His paintings are represented in many museum collections, such as – the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Rybinsk State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve, the Oryol Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of the Republic of Belarus in Minsk, the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.
