At a certain historical stage, Siberia was considered a wild land and a place of exile for criminals. These times have long since sunk into oblivion. Today Novosibirsk is a recognized cultural center. The artist Yuri Kataev made his contribution to the design of the external appearance of the capital of Siberia.
Starting conditions
Altai on the map of the country is marked as a region with a varied landscape. Mountains and valleys, steppes and taiga expanses create a unique setting for inspiration and creativity. Many famous writers, actors, directors and artists came from these places, who multiplied the glory of the Russian State. Here, on January 6, 1932, Yuri Konstantinovich Kataev was born. The parents of the future artist lived in the industrial center of the Altai Territory, the city of Rubtsovsk. My father worked on the construction of a tractor plant. Mother was engaged in housekeeping.
The boy grew up in the usual conditions for that time and did not stand out from his peers. From an early age, he helped his mother with the housework. A year after Yura went to school, the war broke out. My father went to the front. The people who remained in the deep rear also had a hard time at that time. At school, Kataev studied well. I learned all subjects on a solid “four”. Most of all he liked drawing lessons.
Subsequently, Kataev recalled that he was very lucky with a drawing teacher. An experienced teacher noticed the boy's abilities in a timely manner. And he began to pay more attention to him in the classroom. Then Yura began to come to additional classes on weekends. They had to draw with charcoal on a white canvas or a smooth board. Later, after the end of the war, paper and watercolors appeared in the classroom. Every year at school, during the winter holidays, they organized an exhibition of children's drawings. Kataev's works have always attracted the interest and approval of the audience.
When the time came to choose a profession, Kataev heeded the advice of a wise teacher and went to receive a specialized education at the Alma-Ata Art School. The program was mainly reduced to teaching the technique of painting with oil paints. It turned out to be a difficult process for Yuri. I had to make an effort and endurance to master all the techniques. In 1951 he received his diploma and returned home. But I could not find a decent job here. And then Kataev left for Leningrad, where he became a student at the Mukhina Higher School of Industrial Art.
On Siberian land
The Siberian chose the specialty "artistic metal processing". Kataev graduated from college in 1959, having defended his diploma on the theme "External design of a passenger car based on the M-21" Volga ". During that chronological period, the Siberian branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences was created with its center in Novosibirsk. Kataev received an invitation from the city Union of Artists, and he came to work in this famous city. I came and stayed in Novosibirsk for the rest of my life. It should be noted that Yuri's classmates have already worked here. From the very first days he was attracted to participate in real projects. For almost ten years, Kataev has been actively involved in industrial design and artistic design projects.
Some experts consider Kataev to be more of a monumental artist. A vivid illustration of this message is the panel "Novosibirsk" above the entrance to the metro station "Ploshchad Garina-Mikhailovsky". His sketches were used to decorate the interiors of the Theater of the Young Spectator. The mosaic panel above the suburban ticket offices of the Novosibirsk railway station is also included in the assets of the designer. Here, in the waiting room, there is the Siberian Land relief, which has a high artistic value.
Individual projects
Kataev's professional career developed successfully thanks to the intensive development of the economy of the Siberian region. The designer's creativity was appreciated by the customers. The large-scale construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline attracted various specialists. Yuri Konstantinovich was offered to create a project for the complex design of the station at the Postyshevo station. The work received recognition and fame throughout the country. The next stage of cooperation with the Ministry of Railways was the design of the Altayskaya station. Then the turn of the railway station in Pavlodar came.
Yuri willingly took on diverse work. He was ordered to design the interiors of the Tu-144 passenger aircraft. Feedback from the customer was positive. The situation was similar with the design of the concert hall in Novosibirsk. Then Kataev worked for a whole year on the architectural and decorative design of the pioneer camp of the Sibtekstilmash combine. Yuri Konstantinovich sculpted, burned and installed many decorative figures with his own hands. When working on the interior of the recreation center "Trudovye Rezervy", students actively and willingly helped him.
Recognition and privacy
Yuri Kataev, an artist and designer of a wide creative range, has been elected to the governing bodies of the Novosibirsk Union of Artists for many years. Among the most honorable awards is the badge of the Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR "For active participation in the cultural services of the BAM builders". And also a diploma from the Siberian review competition in the field of urban planning, architecture and design "Golden Capital".
Very little is known about Kataev's personal life. He was married twice. In the second marriage, the husband and wife raised and raised a daughter. Yuri Kataev died in July 2005. Buried in Novosibirsk.
