February 16 marks the 100th anniversary of the famous Belarusian sculptor A.M. Zaspitsky (1924–2019), the author of numerous monuments to outstanding people and monuments dedicated to important events of our country.
Andrey Mikhailovich Zaspitsky was born in Bialystochyna (Mazowiec) in a family of employees who were directly related to art: his mother was a music teacher, his father was a lithographer. The future sculptor spent his childhood in Warsaw. It was during these years that Andrey showed his creative abilities and was enrolled in modeling and drawing courses. Thanks to them, the young artist got the opportunity to visit all the museums in Warsaw. Since then, he could not imagine his life without art.
In 1939, together with his parents, fifteen-year-old Andrey moved to Minsk, where he continued his studies: went to classes at the House of Folk Art, then studied at the art school at the I. Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Leningrad (1940–1941). The talented young man was quickly noticed and in 1940 his works were presented at the exhibition of the first decade of Belarusian art and literature in Moscow: bust of F. Dzerzhinsky, the compositions "Refugees" and "Anxiety on the ship". For the portrait of F. Dzerzhinsky's young sculptor received a Diploma from the Supreme Council of the BSSR. After graduating from school, he easily entered the academy, but did not have a chance to study there: the Great Patriotic War began. The Zaspitsky family, along with others, was evacuated to the Stalingrad region. In 1942, Andrey turned 18 and was drafted into the army. He fought in the artillery troops, in liberated Belarus he helped the Soviet Union's counterintelligence organization SMERSH to destroy German gangs remaining in forests and towns.
It was only in 1947 that Andrey Zaspitsky returned to peaceful work. After demobilization, during 1948–1956, he studied in Minsk and interned in the workshop of the leading Belarusian sculptor A. Glebov. During these years, A. Zaspitsky began to actively participate in republican and union art exhibitions, became a member of the Belarusian Union of Artists (1951). He has worked successfully in both easel and monumental plastics. The range of creative activity covered various topics: the Great Patriotic War, peaceful construction, creative work. Among the artist's works are monuments, busts, bas-reliefs dedicated to famous people of the country, its defenders and workers.
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The gallery of images created by Andrey Zaspitsky includes the poet and revolutionary A. Pashkevich (Tsetka), the poet A. Mickiewicz, Belarusian songwriters Ya. Kolas and Ya. Kupala, heroes of the Great Patriotic War T. Bumajkov, R. Shershneva, M. Shmyrev, representatives of Belarusian art Z. Azgur, A. Glebov, V. Mulyavin, etc.
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| Monument to Yanka Kupala | The guerrilla bomber |
Monument to Adam Mitskevich
The relief "Guslar" adorns the National Library of Belarus, the bas-relief "Fortress" is the shrine of the fortitude of Belarusians in Brest.
A. Zaspitsky worked on major projects in tandem with other sculptors. The most famous joint works are the monument in honour of the patriot mother A. Kupriyanova in Zhodin, the monuments of F. Skaryna in Polotsk, Ya. Kupala and A. Mickiewicz in Minsk, a monument in honour of the liberation of Vitebsk. A number of the sculptor's works are in the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, the Museum of Modern Fine Arts, the foundation of the Belarusian Union of Artists, etc.
The sculptor's skill is highly appreciated by the state. In 1977, A. Zaspitsky was awarded the title of Honoured Artist of the BSSR. He became a laureate of the State Prize of the BSSR (1974) and the State Prize of the USSR (1977), was awarded the Order of Fransisk Skaryna (2010). Throughout his creative life, the workshop was a second home for the sculptor. The heritage he created has great cultural and social significance, glorifies the power and greatness of the Belarusian people.
More information about the life and creative activity of Andrey Mikhailovich Zaspitsky can be found in the electronic catalog and the online encyclopedia "Belarus in persons and events".
The material was prepared by the Research Department of Bibliography.
