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Nikolai Ivanovich Strunnikov was born on May 14, 1871 in Orel. The family had six children (two sons and four daughters); they lived in constant need in the village of Bogoroditskoye, Maloarkhangelsk district, where the artist’s father was a clerk in a village store. Ivan Alekseevich was strict but fair. And the mother, Alexandra Nikolaevna, was sensitive, responsive, kind and affectionate. These parental traits predetermined Nikolai’s character.

From memory younger sister artist, Maria Ivanovna, who worked for many years as a teacher of Russian language and literature in Maloarkhangelsk high school, their mother was distinguished by her artistic abilities and made magnificent beadwork. Nikolai admired them and sketched them in watercolors. “When the father scolded his son, the mother stood up for him and said: “Kolechka, don’t be offended by dad, he’s sick and nervous. Help him with his work, and free time draw. You're doing well."

After completing three years of study at primary school Nikolai Strunnikov had to join the “boys”. He served in Orel in the warehouse of the merchant Konkov. It was a harsh school: always hungry, always ready to get hit on the head, because the older boys and clerks beat him.

But despite the hardships of childhood, Nikolai Ivanovich did not part with the dream of an art education. He sketched his observations at night by the light of a smokehouse on scraps of paper. “He loved to illustrate art books. At one time, he especially loved the stories and tales of N.V. Gogol, the story “Taras Bulba”. The owner and clerks liked his drawings, and they often said: “Well, boy! Well done!"

Over the years, drawing became a passion, and Strunnikov decided to go to Moscow. He began his education as a student in the studio of the painter S.I. Gribkov, where he was included on the recommendation of one artist who noticed his abilities. During the day, Nikolai Ivanovich rubbed paints, chopped wood - he did the work of an apprentice, and in the evenings, among the most talented students, he learned the basics of artistic skill. In V. A. Gilyarovsky’s story “Aspiring Artists” (book “Moscow and Muscovites”) this period of Strunnikov’s life is described very well.

Strunnikov valued his teacher very much and later called him father and friend.

In 1892, Nikolai Ivanovich’s dream of entering the school of painting, sculpture and architecture came true. But, having finished it with two silver and one bronze medals, he accepts that the knowledge acquired within the walls of the school is clearly not enough. In 1901, Strunnikov was enrolled in the Higher Art School of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts under the famous I. E. Repin.

Strunnikov had a hard time during his years of study, as he had to earn a living. “He studied and worked, often walked without “soles”, almost barefoot, lived from hand to mouth, slept in attics. From his very small earnings, he helped our sisters, because our parents died, and we had absolutely nothing to live on. “I was 7-8 years old at that time,” Maria Ivanovna recalled, “I didn’t have a single good toy. Suddenly one day Kolya brought me a beautiful large doll, which he bought with his last money. When I played with the doll, he looked at me and drew. Later I found out that he created illustrations for “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo. He should have seen the expression on the child's face, Cosette, when Jean Valjean gave her the doll. Illustrations for the works of Victor Hugo were not accepted from him. He was very upset and worried... My brother gave these illustrations to me. Unfortunately, I could not save them: during the occupation the paintings were taken by the Nazis.”

In the workshop of Ilya Efimovich Repin, Strunnikov became friends with the writer Vladimir Alekseevich Gilyarovsky, who helped the young artist in every possible way. “I read his poems,” Nikolai Ivanovich recalled, “I listened to stories from his in some parts of the legendary biography, through him I became interested in the heroes of Zaporozhye, a poem about which he wrote at that time... In his prowess, energy, exceptional gaiety, even his stocky figure , as it seemed to me then, there was something from these Zaporozhye heroes.” In 1900, Strunnikov painted a portrait of Uncle Gilay as a dashing Cossack against the backdrop of the southern mountains. Ukrainian historian D.I. The artist gave Yavornitsky a portrait of another descendant of the Zaporozhye Cossacks, the famous wrestler Ivan Poddubny. Nikolai Ivanovich himself, who had an athletic build, served as a model for his teacher. Ilya Efimovich Repin captured him in the painting “Black Sea Freemen”.

Living in St. Petersburg, doing what he loved, he still missed his native land. Therefore, during summer holidays went to visit his sisters who lived in Maloarkhangelsk. On one of these visits, in 1902, a local priest offered to paint the Resurrection Church. Strunnikov not only agreed, he had an idea: to repeat in the murals an interesting monument to the Russian monumental painting Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, with works of outstanding Russian artists V. M. Vasnetsov, M. A. Vrubel, M. V. Nesterov. N.I. Strunnikov submits a petition to the Academy Council for assistance in this matter. Which he was not denied. In Kyiv, the artist worked a lot, copying the paintings of the Vladimir Cathedral. Subsequently, he successfully completed the picturesque complex of the Maloarkhangelsk Church. Nikolai Ivanovich recalled: “It’s hard work, especially somewhere under the dome... If it weren’t for my gymnastics background, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it. Once he slipped and fell from a ten-foot height. I lay there for a month and went back to scaffolding... it paid well, and I could already help my family.” While working, he “was afraid of losing the main thing that he valued in painting: the naturalness of pose and movement and closeness to nature.” Many residents of Little Arkhangelsk admired Strunnikov’s paintings, but, unfortunately, the church did not survive: it was destroyed in 1943.

The artist fell in love with Kyiv and moved to it at the first opportunity (1913), becoming a teacher at an art school on the recommendation of I.E. Repina. Starts here new life artist. “Teaching work was close to my heart,” Strunnikov recalled. The pedagogical method was inherited by him from wonderful teachers - V. Serov and especially I. Repin.

“Shortly after moving, he got married. Praskovya Alekseevna, the artist’s wife, became his great friend from the first day of their marriage and resignedly endured the hardships of a restless and unsettled life. Strunnikov, who was in love with her, painted several of her portraits: “Ukrainian Woman” (1914), “Portrait of the Artist’s Wife” (1916), “Bride” (1917), “Grief” (1917), “Portrait of the Artist’s Wife in National Costume” (1917) , "The Head" (1925). She appears before the viewer either as a very young girl dressed in a Ukrainian national costume, or as a bride in a wedding dress, or as a deeply grieving woman.” The family had three sons: the eldest, Sergei (later worked as a photojournalist for the Pravda newspaper. He died in 1943 near Poltava), Igor and Rostislav. The artist's sister recalled that it was a happy family. Nikolai Ivanovich deeply loved his wife, “she was a wonderful woman: modest, sensitive, and knew how to take care of her brother’s talent. I have the brightest memories of her, as of a close friend, my own sister.”

Strunnikov worked a lot and fruitfully in Ukraine, and it is no coincidence that now his paintings adorn the walls of its museums. Heroic-romantic images of the Cossacks later led him to portraits of heroes October revolution and Great Patriotic War.

The artist accepted and supported the revolution. All the circumstances of his life contributed to this: the constant struggle for existence, the death of his brother at Tsushima and his sister during the 1905 uprising.

In 1921, at the call of the People's Commissariat of Education, Strunnikov moved to Moscow and never returned to Ukraine, living the rest of his life as a recognized master of Soviet portraiture. During the period 1927-1930. created a whole gallery of portraits of heroes civil war: K. E. Voroshilova, A. E. Shchadenko, Parkhomenko, Podvoisky. For the portrait of partisan Lunev, Strunnikov was awarded a Gold Medal at the international exhibition in Paris in 1937. And during the Great Patriotic War, while in evacuation in Sverdlovsk, he painted the canvases “Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya” and “Partisan” for the Sverdlovsk House of Officers. For outstanding services in the field of art, the artist was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.

The artist’s legacy is a valuable contribution to the development of Russian portraiture. The main theme of the art of this talented master has always been man. Paintings by N.I. Strunnikov's works are kept in 13 art galleries, including Oryol.

Paying tribute to their fellow countryman, the residents of Maloarkhangelsk installed a memorial plaque at the city cinema "Kolos". The words are carved on gray marble: “To the mountains. The famous Soviet artist, Honored Artist of the RSFSR Nikolai Ivanovich Strunnikov lived and worked in Maloarkhangelsk from 1901-1904.” Now Memorial plaque is under restoration.

Nikolai Ivanovich Strunnikov died on September 20, 1945 in Moscow, and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Prepared by O. Egorova, librarian of the Maloarkhangelsk City Library

Literature:

Memoirs of M. I. Strunnikova about her brother / V. Agoshkov // Maloarkhangelsk origins. - Orel - Maloarkhangelsk, 1999. pp. 169-172.
Gilyarovsky, V. A. Beginning artists / V. A. Gilyarovsky // Moscow and Muscovites. - M., 1985.
Lokotkov, A. Ukraine captivated his heart: “Cossacks” by Nikolai Strunnikov [Electronic resource] / Alexander Lokotkov // Internet newspaper From dusk to dawn. Dnepropetrovsk - Access mode: -http://zador.com.ua/print.php?id=66441

Russian and Soviet artist-painter, portrait painter, restorer. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1940).

Nikolai Ivanovich Strunnikov was born in Orel. A family with six children lived in poverty in the village of Bogoroditskoye, Maloarkhangelsk district. The artist's father was a clerk in a village store, and his mother was a housewife.

After completing three years of primary school, Nikolai had to join the boys. He served in Orel in the warehouse of the merchant Konkov. Here he became interested in drawing, which became a passion, and Strunnikov decided to go to Moscow. He began his artistic education as a student in the workshop of the painter S.I. Gribkov, where he entered in 1892 on the recommendation of an artist who noticed his abilities.

He entered the MUZVZ, graduating with two silver and one bronze medals (1899). At the school, his teachers were A. Arkhipov and V. Serov. He continued his education at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He lived in St. Petersburg, and during the summer holidays he went to his sisters, who lived in Maloarkhangelsk. In 1902, a local priest invited him to paint the Church of the Resurrection, which he did. At the Academy he studied with I. E. Repin and graduated in 1906. He also painted the cathedral in Kyiv, where the artist moved in 1913; on the recommendation of Ilya Repin, he was a teacher at an art school (1913–1920).

N.I. Strunnikov accepted and supported the October Revolution. In 1921, at the call of the People's Commissariat for Education, he moved to Moscow and never returned to Ukraine. In the period 1927–1930 he created a gallery of portraits of civil war heroes - Voroshilov, Parkhomenko, Podvoisky. For his portrait of the partisan Lunev, Strunnikov was awarded a Gold Medal at the International Exhibition in Paris (1937).

During the Great Patriotic War, while in evacuation in Sverdlovsk, he painted the canvases “Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya” and “Partisan” for the Sverdlovsk House of Officers.

N.I. Strunnikov was an exhibitor of the Moscow Artists' Association, the Moscow Society "Group of Artists" (1909–1911), the Academy of Artists (1926), and the TPHV (47th, 48th exhibitions). He was also a member of the literary and artistic circle “Sreda”. He participated in many exhibitions, including those dedicated to the tenth and fifteenth anniversary of the Red Army (1933).

His works are kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery(Tretyakov Gallery), Central Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow (former Museum of the Red Army), Museum modern history Russia in Moscow (formerly the Museum of the Revolution), Dnepropetrovsk National Historical Museum named after D. Yavornitsky, Poltava and Donetsk art museums.

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At the beginning of this post, I would like to immediately thank the authors of the articles on which I relied while preparing this material. And if for journalists Andrei Marin and Alexander Lokotkov this is professional work, then for the librarian of the Maloarkhangelsk City Library Olga Egorova it is real asceticism, an expression of love for their land and famous fellow countrymen. In addition, Olga Egorova, relying on the memories of the younger sister of the hero of today’s post, wrote the most detailed biography of the artist of all.
So, I present a new name for myself in the ZhZL series.

Nikolai Ivanovich Strunnikov

Nikolai Strunnikov Cossack with a pipe. Self-portrait. 1920

Russian and Ukrainian painter, portrait painter and restorer, Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
Nikolai was born in Orel, and spent his childhood in the village of Bogoroditskoye, Maloarkhangelsk district. The artist’s father, Ivan Alekseevich, was a clerk in a village store. There were six children in the family - two sons and four daughters, so the family lived in constant need.
The artist’s younger sister, Maria Ivanovna, who worked for many years as a teacher of Russian language and literature at the Maloarkhangelsk secondary school, recalled that “their mother Alexandra Nikolaevna was sensitive, responsive, kind and affectionate. She had artistic abilities and performed magnificent beadwork. Nikolai admired them and sketched watercolor paints. When the father scolded his son, the mother stood up for him and said: “You, Kolya, don’t be offended by dad, he’s sick and nervous. Help him with his work, and draw in his free time. You are good at it"".

In people

After completing three years of primary school, Nikolai had to go to work, as Gorky wrote, in “the people” in order to support his family.
The boy went to Orel, where he began to serve in the warehouse of the merchant Konkov. It was a harsh school: always hungry, always ready to get hit on the head, because both the older boys and the clerks beat me. But, despite the adversity, Kolya was confident that he would grow up and become an artist. At night, by the light of the smokehouse, he drew on scraps of paper.
Again, my sister recalled: “He loved to illustrate art books. At one time, he fell in love with the stories and stories of N.V. Gogol, especially the story “Taras Bulba”. The owner and clerks liked his drawings, and they often said: “Well, boy! Well done!". This turns out to be where the artist’s love for the Cossack theme comes from.

Moscow

In Orel Creative skills one of the local artists noticed, in addition to kind words like, “You definitely need to study, you have a talent for painting!”, this nameless artist advised me to go to Moscow and gave recommendations to his friend, the artist Gribkov.

For reference:

Sergei Ivanovich Gribkov

Russian genre painter.
He came to painting late, in 1844 he began studying artistic skills at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. While still a student, in 1852, for the painting “A Spanish Woman Praying in a Church,” he received the title of non-class artist from the Academy of Arts. He graduated from college in 1856.
He worked in various genres: paintings on household topics were combined with historical paintings, portraits were adjacent to illustrations literary works. In the last years of his rather long life, Gribkov worked on paintings of a number of churches in Moscow (Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, Archangel Michael in Ovchinniki, St. Nicholas on Maroseyka) and cathedral in Kursk.

So, Nikolai decided to go to Moscow to receive initial art education in the studio of the artist Gribkov.
The historian V. A. Gilyarovsky, who became the aspiring artist’s friend and patron for many years, writes about Strunnikov’s apprenticeship in Gribkov’s workshop in his famous book “Moscow and Muscovites.”

Nikolai Strunnikov Portrait of V.A. Gilyarovsky 1924

I quote “Uncle Gilay”:
“Strunnikov entered Gribkov as a student as a fourteen-year-old boy. As well as
that’s all, he was “at the beck and call”, he was a painter, he rubbed paints, washed brushes, and in the evenings he learned to draw from life. Once Gribkov sent his student Strunnikov to an antiquarian behind the Kaluga outpost to restore some old painting.
At this time, P. M. Tretyakov came to buy a portrait of Archimandrite Feofan by Tropinin. Seeing P. M. Tretyakov, the antique dealer rushed to take off his fur coat and galoshes, and when they entered the room, he grabbed Strunnikov, who was working on the painting, and let him bend him to the floor: Bow at your feet, kneel in front of him. Do you know who is it?
Nikolai was perplexed, but P.M. Tretyakov helped him out, gave him his hand and said: “Hello, young artist!”
P. M. Tretyakov bought the portrait of Tropinin right there for four hundred rubles, and the antique dealer, when Tretyakov left, rushed around the room and whined: A-ah, he’s cheap, a-ah, he’s cheap!”

Nevertheless, Strunnikov greatly appreciated his first teacher and subsequently called him father and friend.
Judging by the chronology, Nikolai worked in Gribkov’s workshop from 1885 to 1892, after which his dream of entering the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ) came true. In 1892, Nikolai entered the MUZHVZ in the workshop of A. Arkhipov and V. Serov and graduated from school with two silver and one bronze medals in 1899.
In parallel with his studies, Nikolai continued to work on the restoration of paintings with the famous Moscow perfumer (?) Brocard, owner of a large art gallery, which we also read about from Vladimir Gilyarovsky:
“Brocard did not give money to Strunnikov for his work, but only paid him fifty rubles to the school and kept him “ready for everything.” And he kept it like this: he gave the artist a bed in the lodge, sharing a bed with a worker, so the two slept on the same bed, and fed him together with his servants in the kitchen. Nikolai worked for a year and came to Brocard: “I’m leaving.”
Brocard silently took twenty-five rubles out of his pocket. Strunnikov refused: “Take it back.”
Brocard silently took out his wallet and added another fifty rubles. Strunnikov took it, silently, turned and left. The life of these aspiring artists without a family, without a tribe, without acquaintances and means of livelihood was not easy.”

There is information that, having learned about Strunnikov’s difficult fate, Gilyarovsky sheltered the poor student and helped him in every possible way.

Nikolay Strunnikov Portrait of N.V. Gilyarovskaya 1904

“I read his poems,” Nikolai Ivanovich recalled, “I listened to stories from his in some parts of the legendary biography, through him I became interested in the heroes of Zaporozhye, a poem about which he wrote at that time... In his prowess, energy, exceptional gaiety, even his stocky figure , as it seemed to me then, there was something from these Zaporozhye heroes.”
In 1900, Strunnikov, influenced by the poetry of V. Gilyarovsky, painted a portrait of Uncle Gilay (as his friends called him) in the image of a dashing Cossack, dashingly sitting on a horse, against the backdrop of a landscape with high southern mountains.

Nikolai Strunnikov Portrait of V. A. Gilyarovsky on a horse. 1900

The basis for the painting was a photograph of Gilyarovsky on a horse, taken during a trip to the Caucasus.

V. A. Gilyarovsky in the Caucasus.

In Gilyarovsky’s house, Strunnikov met in the late 1890s and became friends for many years with the Ukrainian historian D.I. Yavornitsky.

For reference:

Dmitry Ivanovich Yavornitsky

October 25 (November 6), 1855, Borisovka, Kharkov province - August 5, 1940, Dnepropetrovsk

Dmitry Ivanovich Yavornitsky

Russian and Ukrainian historian, archaeologist, ethnographer, folklorist, lexicographer, writer.
Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (1929), member of the Moscow Archaeological Society, one of the most significant researchers in the history of the Zaporozhye Cossacks.
He graduated from Kharkov University (1881), taught at Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk) universities, in the latter he created the department of Ukrainian studies. In 1902-1932 he was the director of the local history museum in Yekaterinoslav (now the Dnepropetrovsk National Historical Museum named after him). In May 1940, Yavornitsky was arrested on suspicion of producing and possessing literature with bourgeois-nationalist content, and a week before his death he was released. In prison, the academician fell ill with pneumonia and soon died.
Yavornitsky wrote “The History of the Zaporozhye Cossacks” in three volumes (1892-97), collected extensive folklore material in the collection “Little Russian Folk Songs” (1906), and also wrote novellas, satirical stories and poems.

While still attending school, Strunnikov in 1899 created the portrait “Zaporozhets (Cossack in battle)”, which has an interesting story.
After a long conversation with Yavornitsky, Strunnikov also became “sick” with Cossack themes. As a sign of deep respect for the historian, Nikolai, at his request, painted a Cossack on the door of the Moscow room where Yavornitsky lived. The figure of the Cossack was depicted in energetic movement, the Cossack’s face was full of anger, there was a bleeding wound on his forehead, and his large eyes protruding from their sockets were bloodshot. Yavornitsky really liked the picture.
When the historian was about to leave Moscow for Yekaterinoslav, he invited the owner to pay the cost of the door, since he decided to take the door painted by Strunnikov with him.
But by chance, the owner of the furnished rooms where Yavornitsky lived turned out to be the famous collector Bakhrushin. Naturally, he protested, since he also liked “Zaporozhets”. Bakhrushin stated that the door and everything on it belongs to him as the legal homeowner. The case went to court, but the judge also turned out to be an original and suggested cutting the doors in half and dividing them by lot - who would get which part. As a result unusual solution Yavornitsky received top part doors with a half-length image of a Cossack. “And Bakhrushin got the pants and what was in the pants,” Dmitry Ivanovich later loved to joke. In 1905, Yavornitsky donated an unusual painting to the museum.

In the meantime, Strunnikov understands that the knowledge acquired within the walls of the school is clearly not enough, and it is necessary to continue studying.

Nikolai Strunnikov Sagittarius.

Saint Petersburg

In 1901, Strunnikov was enrolled in the Higher Art School of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and ended up in the workshop of the famous Ilya Efimovich Repin.

Serov V.A. Portrait of Repin 1901

These years of study were not easy for Nikolai, since he had to earn a living again.
The artist’s younger sister Maria Ivanovna recalled: “He studied and worked, often walked without “soles”, almost barefoot, lived from hand to mouth, slept in attics. From his very small earnings, he helped our sisters, because our parents died, and we had absolutely nothing to live on. At that time I was 7-8 years old, I didn’t have a single good toy. Suddenly one day Kolya brought me a beautiful large doll, which he bought with his last money. When I played with the doll, he looked at me and drew. Later I found out that he created illustrations for “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo. He should have seen the expression on Cosette's face when Jean Valjean gave her the doll. Illustrations for the works of Victor Hugo were not accepted from him. He was very upset and worried... My brother gave these illustrations to me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t save them: during the occupation the paintings were taken by the Nazis.”

In 1902-1904, during the summer holidays, Strunnikov lived in hometown Maloarkhangelsk.
Working in the workshop of I.E. Repin and being under his influence, Strunnikov became seriously interested in the history of the Zaporozhye Cossacks. It should be recalled that Repin himself became interested in the theme of the Cossacks, while still working on his famous “Cossacks”; moreover, the artist was also from Little Russia and even often spoke and wrote letters in the Ukrainian “Surzhik”.

For reference:

Work on the painting “The Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan"was started by Repin in 1880. At first, Repin was engaged in a leisurely and lengthy series of sketches and selection of models. By the way, among the models who posed for Repin’s picture were Strunnikov’s friends. In particular, the artist based the crafty clerk on the historian Yavornitsky, and Gilyarovsky posed for the laughing Cossack in a white hat for Repin. Repin met Yavornitsky in 1887 in St. Petersburg, at an evening in memory of T. G. Shevchenko. By this time, work on “Cossacks” had not only begun, but had also made significant progress.

Ilya Repin Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan (detail, Portrait of D.I. Yavornitsky).

Ilya Repin Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan (detail, Portrait of V.A. Gilyarovsky).

The first completed sketch in oil appeared in 1887, Repin gave it to Yavornitsky. Later Yavornitsky sold the sketch to P. M. Tretyakov and now it is in the Tretyakov Gallery.
The main version of the painting (2.03x3.58 m) was completed in 1891.

Ilya Repin Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan. 1880-91

After a resounding success at several exhibitions in Russia and abroad (Chicago, Budapest, Munich, Stockholm), the painting was bought by Emperor Alexander III in 1892 for 35 thousand rubles. The painting remained in the royal collection until 1917, and after the revolution it ended up in the collection of the Russian Museum.
Having not yet completed the main version, Repin in 1889 began work on the second version, which he never finished. This canvas is somewhat smaller in size than the original version, and is, so to speak, a behind-the-scenes copy.

Ilya Repin Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan. Kharkov Museum of Fine Arts.

The artist tried to make the second version of “Cossacks” more “historically accurate.” It is now kept in the Kharkov Art Museum.
After “Cossacks,” almost all of I.E. Repin’s works on Ukrainian themes were associated with the name of Yavornitsky. The historian corresponded with the artist until his death.

Friendly relations connected Strunnikov with another descendant of Ukrainian Cossacks, born in the village of Krasionovka, Poltava province - world champion in French wrestling Ivan Poddubny. Dnepropetrovsk art historian Oleksa Shvediv said:
“The artist and Ivan Poddubny were connected not only by friendly relations. A photograph from the early 1900s has survived, depicting an athletically built Strunnikov in the costume of an athlete-wrestler. From a young age, the artist was fond of fist fights, and then speed skating and wrestling. And I even tried my hand at official competitions with Ivan Poddubny.”

In the spring of 1906, Strunnikov painted a portrait of Poddubny in the costume of a Cossack and presented it again to D.I. Yavornitsky. In truth, it is worth noting that, in fact, two paintings were painted. On one, Poddubny is depicted in a wrestling suit, in the image of a strongman, as the public loved him. And on another canvas, the artist painted an oseledets on the wrestler, lowered the ends of his mustache, dressed him in blue trousers and belted him with a red sash.

Nikolai Strunnikov Cossack. Portrait of Ivan Poddubny. 1906

He turned Poddubny into a Cossack Strunnikov at the request of Yavornitsky. On May 29, 1907, the artist wrote to the historian:
“I sent you a copy with some changes, and the original is with I.M. Poddubny. It was written from life and is better than a copy. In the original he has no forelock, his mustache is curled, and he wears tights instead of pants. Only one breast in your portrait remained unchanged. The height in both portraits is natural.” Whether Poddubny himself saw this Cossack portrait is unknown.

Nikolai himself, who had an athletic build, served as a model for his teacher. Ilya Repin
He painted from it a young, topless Cossack and a mighty Cossack rowing with an oar for the painting “Black Sea Freemen.” The history of this painting is also unusual.

Repin in the winter workshop while working on the painting Black Sea Freemen 1906

For reference:

In 1888, during a tour of the Ukrainian troupe in St. Petersburg, Repin presented the luminary of the Ukrainian theater Mark Kropivnitsky with an address with a depiction of a Zaporozhye boat and the figure of an actor in the image of a helmsman. The artist remembered this story many years later. Repin decided to dedicate the painting to the defenders of Ukraine - the Cossacks, caught in a storm at sea after a raid on the Turkish coast. At Repin’s request, Yavornitsky found a naval Zaporozhye crimson flag (banner) with an image of the Cossacks for the painting, which was copied by the artist’s son Yuri.
Everyone who saw the painting at the traveling exhibition in 1909 admired its expression and color. Unfortunately, this painting went abroad and was only discovered in 2008 in one of the Finnish museums. In the same year, the Russian Museum presented the painting itself and two sketches for it, which our museum workers found in various collections of Russian museums.

Ilya Repin Black Sea freemen (sketch). Early 1900s.

I didn’t find the painting itself, so I present one of the sketches, in which, alas, it is impossible to understand where the characters painted by Strunnikov are.

Maloarkhangelsk

Living in St. Petersburg, doing what he loved, the artist missed his native land. I already wrote that during the summer holidays he went to his sisters, who lived in Maloarkhangelsk. On one of these visits, in 1902, a local priest invited Nicholas to paint the Church of the Resurrection. Strunnikov not only agreed, he had an idea: to repeat the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv in paintings, with the creations of artists V. M. Vasnetsov, M. A Vrubel and M. V. Nesterov.

N.I. Strunnikov submitted a petition to the Academy Council for assistance in this, and surprisingly, he was not refused. Strunnikov went to Kyiv and worked a lot there, copying the paintings of the Vladimir Cathedral. Later, the picturesque complex of the Maloarkhangelsk Church was successfully completed.
Nikolai Ivanovich recalled: “Difficult work, especially somewhere under the dome. If it weren't for my gymnastics background, I wouldn't have survived. Once he slipped and fell from a ten-foot height. He lay there for a month and again climbed the forests. This job paid well, and I could already help my family.”
While working, he “was afraid of losing the main thing that he valued in painting – the naturalness of pose and movement, as well as closeness to nature.”
As historians write, “the wonderful land of Ukraine with its amazing nature, kind and generous people have long attracted Russian artists.”
And the famous Ukrainian artist Konstantin Trutovsky (1826-1893) added: “How many undeveloped materials Ukraine gives to the artist - both the one who paints life scenes and the landscape painter. Everyone is drawn to Italy - it’s good, natural to live and study there, but it’s not appropriate for a Russian artist limit ourselves to Italian scenes when we have our own beautiful views and scenes."
The residents of Maloarkhangelsk admired Strunnikov’s paintings, but, unfortunately, the church has not been preserved. It was destroyed in 1943 because, according to the recollections of local residents, it was a good reference point for enemy aircraft.

Kyiv

While in Kyiv, Strunnikov fell in love with this city, and in 1913 he decided to move there to live.
On the recommendation of Repin, Nikolai was invited to work as a teacher at the Kiev Art School (KAU). “Teaching work was close to my heart,” Strunnikov recalled. Strunnikov passed on to his students pedagogical methods, inherited from their teachers - V. Serov and I. Repin. The artist taught at the school for seven years (until 1920).

Soon after moving to Kyiv, Strunnikov got married. The artist’s wife Praskovya Alekseevna became his great friend and resignedly endured the hardships of a restless and unsettled life. The artist’s sister recalled that “it was a happy family. Nikolai Ivanovich deeply loved his wife, she was a wonderful woman: modest, sensitive and knew how to take care of her brother’s talent. I have the brightest memories of her, as a close friend and sister.”
Three sons were born into the Strunnikov family. The elder Sergei subsequently worked as a photojournalist for the Pravda newspaper and died in 1943 near Poltava. Nothing is known about the younger ones - Igor and Rostislav.

The artist, in love with his wife, painted several of her portraits: “Ukrainian Woman” (1914), “Portrait of the Artist’s Wife” (1916), “Bride” (1917), “Grief” (1917), “Portrait of the Artist’s Wife in National Costume” (1917) , "The Head" (1925). In the paintings, Praskovya appears before the viewer either as a very young girl dressed in Ukrainian national costume, or as a bride in a wedding dress, or as a deeply grieving woman.
I was able to find only one portrait from 1917.

Nikolai Strunnikov Portrait of his wife, 1917

In Kyiv, Strunnikov became friends with F.E. Mironov, who maintained a workshop for the manufacture of frames and subframes. Being an art lover, he bought works of artists cheaply, and thus collected a significant collection of paintings.
Shortly before leaving Kiev, Strunnikov gave Mironov his self-portrait, done in watercolors and colored pencils, where he depicted himself as a Cossack with a shaved head, hanging forelock and a long Cossack mustache.

Nikolai Strunnikov Zaporozhian. Self-portrait 1917

In the portrait he has a slyly grinning face, a Zaporozhye cradle in his teeth, and soft tobacco smoke billowing from his mouth. Later, a version of this portrait was presented in 1920 to D.I. Yavornitsky.

Revolution

It should be noted that the artist accepted and supported the 1917 revolution. Art historians name several reasons - a poor childhood and constant struggle for existence, the death of a brother at Tsushima and the death of an older sister during the 1905 uprising.
In the fall of 1919, on the eve of the revolutionary anniversary, Strunnikov with a group of teachers and students of the art school took an active part in decorating the streets and squares of Kyiv in accordance with the idea of monumental propaganda proposed by Lenin.
On the initiative of the People's Commissar of Military Affairs of Ukraine Nikolai Ivanovich Podvoisky, in the same 1919, the Lutsk barracks were painted. The themes of the paintings are “The fight against the double-headed eagle”, “The fight against capital”, “The fight against the Entente”, “Checkmate to the white king”, etc. While working, the artist met Podvoisky himself, and this acquaintance grew into a lasting friendship.
So a realist artist, a devotee folk theme Zaporizhian Cossacks began to adapt to the new times.

It is worth noting that Strunnikov actively exhibited during the first two decades of the new century. He was an exhibitor of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers (MOLKH), dissolved in 1918, the Moscow Society "Group of Artists" from 1909 to 1911, the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia and the last 47 and 48 exhibitions of the Partnership of Traveling Art Exhibitions (TPVH). The artist was also an active participant in the literary and artistic circle “Sreda” in Moscow.

Nikolay Strunnikov Veselchak. 1920s

Nikolai Strunnikov Metal worker.

Ekaterinoslav

In 1920, Strunnikov, at the invitation of Yavornitsky, who became the director of the Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk) Regional Historical Museum, moved to Yekaterinoslav and began working as a museum employee. Strunnikov lived with his family in Yavornitsky’s house.
The artist has far-reaching plans and goals - “to organize an art workshop of the historical life of the Cossacks, have students and work for the museum.”

Nikolai Strunnikov Cossack with a bandura. Drunk.

In the living room of Yavornitsky’s house, the artist completed a monumental painting on the wall “Taras Bulba with his sons on a campaign” (1920).
“I watch how you touch the canvas with your brush,” said Dmitry Ivanovich, “and I recognize Repin’s school.” You are lucky, Nikolai Ivanovich, that you worked with a brilliant man.
Nikolai Ivanovich smiled joyfully.
- And I try not to tarnish the name of my teacher and mentor...

Nikolai Strunnikov Wall painting Taras Bulba with his sons 1920

But it was not possible to create an art workshop at the museum, and on the recommendation of Yavornitsky, Strunnikov went to the village of Belenkoye, Yekaterinoslav province, as a drawing teacher.
- I see, Nikolai Ivanovich, that you are more and more interested in the Cossacks. - Yavornitsky said. - Well, I say, it would be good if you went to the Cossack villages of Pokrovskoye and Belenkoye.
There, in addition to slogans, propaganda panels and portraits in the volost executive committee, the artist created a series of portraits of peasants. True, art critics note: “it is clear from the works that the artist worked without inspiration, apparently forced by need, because the time was hard and hungry.”

Nikolai Strunnikov Grandmother sews buttons on her grandson.

Mobilized by the revolution

In 1921, at the call of the People's Commissariat of Education, Strunnikov moved to Moscow and never returned to Ukraine.
Taking advantage of friendly connections with N.I. Podvoisky, the artist became an official artist (or, as some colleagues joked, a court painter) of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR.

Nikolai Ivanovich Strunnikov.

Heroic-romantic images of the Zaporozhye Cossacks were replaced by more pathetic and ideological portraits of the heroes of the October Revolution and the Civil War. In the period 1927-1930, Strunnikov created a whole gallery of portraits - K. E. Voroshilov, A. E. Shchadenko, A. Parkhomenko, N.I. Podvoisky.

Nikolay Strunnikov Portrait of E.A. Shchadenko.

The artist participated in the exhibition for the tenth anniversary of the Red Army (Red Army) with the works “Red Partisan Comrade Yakimov” and “Portrait of the Chief of the Tsaritsyn Armored Trains, Comrade Alyabyev.”
In 1938 Strunnikov received Gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris for a portrait of the partisan Lunev.

Nikolai Strunnikov Partizan Lunev 1929

In 1940, the artist, for outstanding achievements in the field of art and as a recognized master of Soviet portraiture, was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
During the Great Patriotic War, while in evacuation in Sverdlovsk, Strunnikov painted the canvases “Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya” and “Partizan” for the local House of Officers.
Before last days Throughout his life, the artist never parted with his palette and brushes.
Nikolai Ivanovich died on September 20, 1945 in Moscow and was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Afterword

In my opinion, and this is confirmed by many art historians, the Ukrainian Cossack theme in Strunnikov’s work remains the most striking manifestation of his talent.

Nikolai Strunnikov Cossack with kobza.

The artist's paintings are kept in 13 museums and art galleries - the Tretyakov Gallery, the Central Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow, the Museum of Contemporary Russian History in Moscow, the Dnepropetrovsk National Historical Museum. D. Yavornitsky, Poltava, Donetsk and Oryol art museums, etc.

Sources – Wikipedia, articles Olga Egorova, Andrey Marina, Alexandra Lokotkova, Lyubov Romanchuk, website Donetsk Art Museum and website www.maslovka.org.

It seems to me that success will never escape an athlete if he is sincerely devoted to his sport and trains hard. This dedication and perseverance must be rewarded. This may not happen very soon, but such a moment will certainly come.

Nikolai Strunnikov was selflessly in love with skating, and now it is very difficult for me to remember at least two days in a row when he was not training. In the summer, Nikolai rode a lot on a bicycle and motorcycle, and with the onset of winter, of course, he skated. Back then, however, they didn’t say “ran”; more often one could hear such a common combination as “skated”. Well, in the seventy-five years since Strunnikov won the world title, the speeds have changed.

I remember Kolya always got up very early and quickly started doing a variety of things. physical exercise, then he cooked breakfast for himself and ran off to work, came home, took his skates and walked to the skating rink. We lived near the square where three train stations are now located, and the skating rink was very close, near the Red Gate.

Nikolai always appeared on the ice at the same time - at half past six. And the training began. At first he ran “for technique,” as he liked to say, then he worked on his speed and at the end, for a snack, instead of dinner, Nikolai ran 25 laps. He covered these final ten kilometers in any weather - above zero and in severe frosts, and they happened often. One day Kolya came from training and said: “I really didn’t want to run these 25 laps, I barely persuaded myself.” I looked at the thermometer - minus forty. There's not a soul on the street. It turned out that Nikolai was skating alone at the skating rink. If Strunnikov had not trained so hard and every day, he would never have become the champion of the world, the continent, or Russia...

I met Nikolai Vasilyevich Strunnikov completely by accident. Kolya’s father Vasilisk Ermilovich (later for some reason journalists began to call him Vasily, but this is a mistake) was going to the wedding of a friend’s son. And the groom’s father suggested: “Vasilisk Ermilovich, take your Kolka with you, why should he sit at home?” And I was best friend the bride and, as they say now, the witness.

I immediately liked the short young man. He somehow stood out from the rest. And how he danced - he had no equal. I remember Kolya wanted to invite me to dance, but my brothers and their friends were all ahead of him. We probably only danced once then. Then he admitted that he was very embarrassed. He was generally very modest.

At that festival we didn’t really get to know each other, and Kolya then began to look for an opportunity for new meeting. The times were different then; it was impossible to just visit people you didn’t know well. Kolya made a lot of efforts so that his father, through his acquaintances, could introduce us to each other according to the etiquette that existed then. Then Kolya courted me for three years and only after that he proposed. The wedding took place in 1908.

Many subsequently got the impression that it was Kolya who instilled in me a love of skating. It wasn’t like that at all: even before we met, I often went to the skating rink and even rode a bicycle. At the beginning of the century, speed skating was very popular among young people. Moreover, they came to the skating rink even without skates. It was considered good manners to simply visit the skating rink. Its owners, in addition to mass skating, organized different views, carnivals.

After the wedding, I very often accompanied Kolya to the skating rink. He usually left me in the care of his friends while he began to train. He almost never rode with me. “Olenka,” he justified himself, “you can ruin my skates, what will I do then. You’d better go with someone else.”

He took care of his famous “eiders”, always wiped them when he left the ice, and put them in a special bag. True, his “begas” were sharply different from all the others that I had seen and held in my hands. They were unusually light, the leather on the boots was very soft. If you pick up the other skates, they look like weights, but Kolin’s are like feathers. Kolya said that they were given to him by the famous Norwegian speed skating master, Hagen. I remember his last name, but unfortunately I forgot his first name.

At the beginning of its development in Russia, speed skating owed a lot to the tenants of the skating rinks, who tried to attract the public to the ice not only with performances, but also with various competitions. In order to raise interest on the part of spectators, a group of 10-12, and sometimes more people, was immediately allowed to start. Therefore, short-distance competitions were not held, since the judges could easily make mistakes when determining the winner. The race was usually carried out for 20 laps, which, taking into account the shorter length of many tracks of that time, was approximately 5000 meters.

For a long time Kolya ran in the second category of the then current classification, and only in 1906 he was given the opportunity to compete with the first category fast walkers. Strunnikov met with the then best Russian speed skater Nikolai Sedov several times in group races, but always, being much stronger than everyone else, Sedov went ahead by two or three laps. But in 1906, Strunnikov noticeably improved his achievements, and in his person Sedov acquired a strong rival capable of fighting him on equal terms.

In 1907, at the famous skating rink of the zoological garden, not far from which Sedov himself lived, there were Once again The competition is not organized in pairs, but from a common start. Interest was also fueled by the fact that Sedov decided to take part in the competition, although he usually started outside the competition. A heated debate broke out among the spectators: whether Sedov would be able to beat Strunnikov in a circle or not. Of course, no one doubted Sedov’s victory.

Let's start. The famous fast walker easily broke away from all competitors, only Strunnikov held on to him. Lap after lap they go head to head, Sedov tries to increase the pace after half the distance, but this time Strunnikov is not far behind. On the last lap, the unexpected happened: Strunnikov made a decisive push and broke away from his venerable opponent at the finish line.

Times were harsh then. As soon as the race ended, Kolya ran up to me and quickly said: “Olya, take my skates under your arm and head to my house, and I’ll come later.” I got very excited and wanted to find out what was going on. His friend came up to us and explained everything: “Strunnikov won against Sedov, whose friends from Presnya are now going to beat Kolya, we need to tick faster.” This is how victories were sometimes achieved. And this defeat had such a strong effect on Sedov that he no longer wanted to meet Strunnikov in the series.

The main competitions in Moscow were, of course, the capital championships, which were played at a distance of 5000 meters (started in pairs), and the Russian championships, which were held at distances of 500, 1500 and 5000 meters (a distance of 10,000 meters in our country was not then included in the competition program ).

From 1904 to 1907 inclusive, Sedov did not give first place to anyone either in the Moscow championships or in the Russian championships, but since 1908 he defeated Strunnikov in all the largest competitions.

In 1908, despite careful preparation for our wedding, Kolya managed to train intensively and beat all competitors at the city championship, clocking 9.41.0 in the 5000 meters. And then, a few weeks later, at the skating rink of the zoological garden, he confidently won the competition of the strongest speed walkers in Russia, running 500 meters in 50.0, 1500 in 2.40.0 and 5000 meters in 9.26.8

The following year Kolya did not start in the Moscow championship: he was invited to St. Petersburg. Russian championships at that time were held, as a rule, in Moscow, and sports clubs Petersburg decided to hold their own competitions and invited all the strongest speed skaters. The organizers called these starts very loudly - the Russian National Championship Cup.

Of course, the organizers dreamed of seeing their fellow countryman win, but Grigory Bluvas managed to beat Strunnikov only at the shortest distance. In the remaining three, Nikolai easily beat all competitors, set new Russian records (5000 m - 9.05.0; 1500 m - 2.33.6 and 10,000 m - 18.27.2) and won the main prize.

It is interesting that these starts were the first, during which scoring was carried out in the classical all-around. Strunnikov scored an excellent sum of points for that time - 211,813.

And yet, there were evil tongues that claimed that Strunnikov was lucky and that he would not see first place at the Russian championship. It was believed that Bluvas would take convincing revenge, and Evgeniy Burnov was expected to arrive from Norway. He competed abroad at the World Championships and won both stayer distances there, but due to poor results in the 500 and 1500 meters, he did not even make it into the top three. However, neither Bluvas nor Burnov provided competition to Strunnikov in 1909.

In 1910, Nikolai won the Moscow championship with high results, and a few days later at the skating rink of the Sokol gymnastics society he won the title of Russian champion, setting a country record for 500 meters - 47.2. It was decided to send Strunnikov and Burnov to the European Championships in Vyborg.

Kolya left in mid-February: the championship was supposed to take place on February 26-27 (dates are given according to the new style). But February ended, March began, and Kolya was gone, and there was no news from him. Radio was just taking its first steps at that time, and sports news was usually published in newspapers with a significant delay. Suddenly a telegram unexpectedly arrived: “Won the world championship. Nikolai."

I received this telegram and was terribly surprised: why the World Championships when he went to the European Championships. I decided that the post office had mixed up something. But a few hours later someone from the club came running and said that Kolya had actually won the World Championship. True, no one could understand why peace.

Finally Nikolai himself arrived. This is what he said: “I won the European Championship quite easily. Even unexpectedly easy. On the first day at 500 I lost only to the Norwegian Oscar Mathiesen, and at 5000 I beat everyone. But the 1500 meters are especially memorable to me. The path was very difficult, just a mess. My main rival Mathisen and I ran in the same pair. Foot in foot, no one wanted to come forward. But then we sharply increased the pace. When I entered the last turn (I was finishing running along a large track), I was sure that Mathisen, who entered the turn with me, would enter the straight line about ten meters ahead. Moreover, my legs began to buckle, and telltale purple circles appeared in my eyes. Great was my surprise when I came out of the bend about ten meters ahead of Mathisen, and on the straight, finishing energetically, I increased the clearance even more.

At the final distance - 10,000 meters, the conditions were such that it was more like swimming rather than “skating”. My result was 24:42.8. Mathiesen lost a minute and a half. As a result, I was declared European champion.

I got to the World Championship by accident. The competition was supposed to take place in Klagenfurt, Austria, but the ice melted there, and the starts were moved to the capital of Finland - Helsingfors (now Helsinki). Then we decided not to return to Moscow, but went straight to Helsingfors. This time the fight was much harder. Mathiesen said that he would definitely beat the “black devil,” as he called me because I always performed in a black suit. Indeed, the Norwegian prepared perfectly. On the first day, Mathiesen ran both distances well - 500 and 5000 - and was in the lead. On the second day we started first at 10,000. Moreover, I had to run by lot before Mathisen. But I decided to give this run everything I can, all my strength. When I finished the distance, I thought my heart would pop out. Mathisen ran after me, but completed 25 laps much weaker.

This is where daily ten-kilometer running training comes in handy. My favorite has always been the lorry, but thanks to perseverance and diligence in training long distances, which were not easy at first, then became my strong point. Thanks to an excellent performance in the 10,000 meters, the fate of the world championship was decided. I could even lose a little to Mathiesen in the final distance. He was actually only 0.4 seconds ahead of me, but I became the world champion. My only fellow countryman, Zhenya Burnov, ran up to me, we hugged and kissed with happiness.”

I still didn’t believe that my Kolya was the strongest walker in all the land. Again and again she demanded that he repeat his story. Nikolai's father Vasilisk Ermilovich listened to his son's story, repeated several times, very carefully, but never asked a single question. And suddenly he barks at the top of his voice: “Come on, guys, get ready, we’re going to a restaurant for a walk - to Yar!”

The Russian gymnastics society "Sokol" organized a special meeting, which was attended by more than two hundred representatives different types sports Here's what one of them wrote about this: Russian magazines“To sports”: “On behalf of the council, the chairman of the society, Mr. I. I. Kasatkin, spoke, it was reported by the sports commission of the society that from the next season a challenge prize named after Strunnikov would be played out, then Strunnikov spoke about his performance at the World and European Championships. The friendly dinner that lasted well past midnight was fun and lively in one of the largest restaurants in Moscow. Both the meeting and the dinner were extremely warm and cordial.”

Nikolai prepared perfectly for the next season.

On January 1, 1911, he set a Russian record for 1000 meters - 1.38.0, a week later for 1500 meters - 2.29.4. On January 14 and 15, challenge prizes named after Strunnikov were drawn for the first time. Nikolay himself started outside the competition. Imagine the surprise of the audience when the world champion was defeated by the young Khorkov. After this loss, many journalists criticized Strunnikov. Kolya’s mood when he left for the World and European Championships was pessimistic. But imagine our surprise when three weeks later an unexpected telegram arrived: “Strunnikov broke the world record at a distance of 5000 meters.”

And then I received Kolya’s letter. This is what was written there: “On the day of arrival, the competitions of the Swedish-Norwegian cup match began. I approached Levin, a correspondent for Russian Word and a representative of the Sokol society at the competition, and said that I would like to run 5000 meters. He conveyed this to the judges, they were very happy and agreed to admit me. My partner was given to the second-rate Gundersen, the brother of the Gundersen who set the world record for 500 meters in Davos. I immediately broke away from my opponent and, when I finished the distance, I learned that I had broken the world record. I was terribly surprised, since I was running in a training suit and was not trying to show a record time. Thus, I broke the sixteen-year-old record of the Dutchman Jaap Eden by 2/5 of a second. My time was 8.37 and 1/5 seconds. Oskar Mathiesen was also happy about this. He had a great relationship with me outside the rink. Fat Ioganson, the only ice maker, shone the most. He said that in Norway ice can be made no worse than in Davos, Switzerland, and the record brilliantly confirmed his words.”

Then Kolya started at international competitions in the capital of Norway, then at the European Championships in Trondheim, and a week later in Trondheim he again triumphed at the World Championships. In 1911, Kolya started abroad at various distances thirteen times and never lost.

Strunnikov started the next season brilliantly. At the beginning of the winter of 1912, at the skating rink on the Patriarch's Ponds, he set a Russian record for 500 meters - 46.0. Kolya liked to repeat that this was a happy occasion. Indeed, on a path only 273 meters long, I had to “twirl” at strong wind and on very unimportant ice. And suddenly such time! In the evening during training, Kolya tried his hand at 1500 meters - and again the time was higher than the official Russian record - 2.29.0. Strunnikov's speeches abroad at world and European forums were awaited with great interest. But...

This is what he wrote in his article “To be or not to be the world championship for the Russians?” Russian Sport magazine: “The fact is that Strunnikov alone is not enough to ensure victory. It is also necessary to send a representative who could monitor the correctness of the competition itself and protect the interests of the Russian speed skater. Whether such a premise is really necessary will become clear from the fact that Strunnikov himself categorically declares his refusal to go to the World Championship alone. Suffice it to recall the thorns of world fame that I had to encounter on my first trip in 1910: for some reason the bell announcing the last lap did not sound on time, the counting of laps was somehow strangely confused, and there were plenty of other interferences. Not to mention the hopeless situation of a person unfamiliar with a foreign language!”

But the club’s management, who spent huge sums on the amusements of their leaders, did not find the necessary 100 rubles to send a representative, and Strunnikov resolutely refused to further participate in the competition. So in Tsarist Russia they didn’t care about the bright, multifaceted talent of an outstanding athlete.

After the revolution, Nikolai continued to serve his favorite hobby - skating. From six o'clock in the evening he could always be seen at the Burevestnik stadium on Samara Lane. He did everything that was required, did not refuse any task. Usually after work I came to the stadium and I helped him and often judged competitions.

He also trained young walkers. His best student was Alexander Lyuskin, a multiple winner of national championships and holder of several USSR records.

STRUNNIKOV NIKOLAY VASILIEVICH

the first Russian world and European champion (1910-11) in speed skating, four-time champion of Russia (1908-10 - speed skating; 1909 - cycling). In the 20-30s. trainer.

Large encyclopedic dictionary. 2012

Diagnostics and diseases. Medicines from A to Z

The most complete calendar of sports dates and events. Nikolai Vasilievich Bugaev

Literature:

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