Stepan Pisakhov devoted the first half of his creative biography to traveling around Russia and the world, as well as writing art canvases. But the visual arts were not his only hobby. Subsequently, the talent of Pisakhov as a storyteller was revealed. The fairy tales, written with love by Stepan Grigorievich, became a reflection of the original life of the North. They were often passed on by word of mouth.
From the biography of Stepan Grigorievich Pisakhov
The future storyteller and artist was born in Arkhangelsk on October 25, 1879. Stepan's father was a native of Belarus. The head of the family had excellent artistic taste, was a chaser and jeweler. The gift of handicrafts from his father was passed on to his sons Pavel and Stepan. The boys' grandmother often told the boys northern epics. And her brother was a professional storyteller. Pisakhov grew up among the rich northern word-creation, as he later recalled.
Already at a young age, Stepan mastered the brush. As a six-year-old child, he painted a lot, made landscapes from fern and clay.
In 1899, Pisakhov graduated from the city school and went to Kazan. Here he hoped to enter an art school, but the young man's plans were not destined to come true.
In 1902, Stepan finally met with success: he was enrolled in the art school of Baron Stieglitz (Petersburg). In 1905, the young man took part in student riots. For this, Pisakhov was expelled from the educational institution. He could no longer receive an art education in Russia.
Creativity of Stepan Pisakhov
In subsequent years, Pisakhov set off on a journey to the northern regions. He took part in the work of several search and scientific expeditions. I have been to Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land more than once, and got acquainted with the life of many villages on Pechora, Murman, Mezen and Onega. Stepan Grigorievich learned the Arctic and the North of Russia perfectly. Travel impressions became the basis for paintings and travel notes.
Pisakhov also had a chance to visit outside the country. He visited Palestine and Egypt, Italy, Greece and France. But nowhere did I see such beauty as in the Russian North.
Before the First World War, Pisakhov had already formed as an artist. Personal exhibitions of Stepan Grigorievich were organized in St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk. On the canvases of Pisakhov, one can see northern nature in all its diversity. The last major exhibition of Pisakhov was organized in 1923 in Moscow.
Storyteller Stepan Pisakhov
The second half of Pisakhov's life is the formation of a storyteller. His first work "If you don't like it, don't listen" was published in 1924 in a collection. Then the author's tales began to appear in local periodicals. In the 1930s, Pisakhov's tales were regularly published in Moscow. In 1939 Stepan Grigorievich became a member of the Writers' Union.
Readers liked the author's language and imagination, because there was nothing like it in Russian literature before him. The theme of Pisakhov's fairy tales is the life of the Russian North and the Arkhangelsk Territory. The writer's works turned out to be different: perky, funny, sparkling, evil, crafty, good-natured. But each time they ended well.
In the last years of his life, the famous storyteller experienced difficulties with his health: his legs were very sore. In fact, he could not move. In October 1959, the artist and writer celebrated his 80th birthday. Stepan Grigorievich passed away on May 3, 1960.
