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The exhibition "Impressions granted by life" (dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the artist-countryman Stepan Nikolenko)

Honoring our outstanding artists and promoting their work is a top priority task for the regional art museum and an important component of its work, because it is impossible to form a well-developed, intelligent and patriotic nation of the new European Ukraine without the aesthetic education of its citizens (especially, young people). God be praised, our Steppe Hellas does not get tired of giving unique masters to Ukraine and the world. Their life and creative work are a great example for others, inspiring their followers to creative achievements. The circle of such outstanding artistic stars include Stepan Fedorovych Nikolenko, whose works radiate the love of life, people, nature, charge with positive perception of the world and create a certain mood. For his artistic motto  was “We need to portray optimism, joy for people to believe in goodness, love people and the world.” This is especially important under conditions of our depressive present, caused in particular by the military aggression of the neighbor inadequate.

The future artist was born on April 19, 1941 in Alexandria, Kirovohrad region  (this city was bound to give our land many successful artists, scientists, politicians, etc.). Stepan Nikolenko began his ascent to artistic Olympus as far back as in his childhood, attending painting classes at the city Pioneer Palace. In 1964, after military service, he entered the Krasnodar State Pedagogical Institute, Graphic Art Department, and graduated in 1968. At that time the artist began his pedagogical career. Having graduated he stayed at the institute to be a lecturer at the chair of drawing and was a teacher of composition at Krasnodar Art College.

In 1972, the artist returned to his hometown, continuing his teaching activity. During the year he worked as a teacher of visual agitation at Oleksandriia Cultural-Educational College. In 1973 agreed to head the newly established Olexandriia children's art school and became, in fact, its founder and irremovable director till 2012. Many graduates of this institution became professional artists and teachers, adding to the ranks of Ukrainian creative intelligentsia. But that wasn’t the end of Stepan’s pedagogical activity, till today he has successfully been combining teaching at Oleksandriia College of culture with his creative work.

The artist began his exhibition activity back in 1968, taking an active part in numerous exhibitions at various levels and organizing solo exhibitions, he already has 6 of them in his creative asset. By the way, the regional art museum opened within its walls solo exhibitions of this unique artist twice.

By the way, there were two solo exhibitions of this unique artist conducted within the walls of the regional art museum, on the occasion of his 65^th and 70^th anniversaries. Stepan Nikolenko also takes part in a lot of our museum’s thematic exhibitions and, naturally for an artist-patriot, exhibits actively in his native town Oleksandriia.

Special respect is to be paid to the fact that the artist has become an author of Oleksandriia’s contemporary emblem and flag. He is also an author of the monumental decorative panels on the House of Culture of mine "Svitlopilska” mine’s House of Culture. Together with the teacher of the art school Oleksander Okhapkin, Nikolenko created pictorial panels, wooden and repouss? compositions for Yurii Gagarin Children's Library, painted icons and panels for Pokrovska Church and for St. Anastasia and Theodore Church in Oleksandriia city, and also icons and panels for St. Peter and Paul Church in Kirovohrad (current Kropyvnytskyi).

Given the artist's creative achievements to his small motherland, it seems quite consequent and earned that in 2008 Stepan Nikolenko received the title of Honorary Citizen of Oleksandriia city.

Apart from that, this restless toiler is a constant participant of various art events. Thus, in August 2006 he took part in the plein-air art event "The Kirovohrad Region through the Eyes of Artists" conducted in the Oleksandriiskyi district and dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. In 2011 he became a participant of The Third Easter Charity Auction and Spring Plein-Air in Dendropark.

Stepan Nikolenko is a unique artist, thoughtful and emotional at the same time. His creative work covers a wide range of styles (painting, drawing, sculpture, repouss?, heraldry) and a variety of techniques (watercolor, sanguine, simple graphite pencil). He works in the genres of landscape, portrait and still life, preferring a realistic manner with elements of impressionism. For his landscapes Nikolenko usually chooses rural or suburban motifs that illustrate the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, complemented by personal reflections of the artist on the eternal questions of human life.

In his genre works and portrait compositions the artist often breaks the laws of time and uses symbol language, that creates a peculiar uniqueness of his works, looking at which one can guess the artist’s name at once.

It is pleasant to realize that the work of this unique artist became a bright page in the life of our region, having gained a wide circle of admirers. Worthy recognition of Stepan Nikolenko’s creative achievements was, in particular, handing to him in 2012 the Kirovohrad Regional Prize in Fine Arts named after O. Osmerkin in the category -- what is very symbolic -- “National Tradition”.

Nowadays, his works are kept and exhibited in Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum (Kropyvnytskyi), in Oleksandriia Regional Studies Museum named after A. Khudiakova, in private collections in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Germany, France, Britain, Algeria, Venezuela, the USA. And this wonderful geographical spreading is more expressive than any epithets!

Visitors/guests of the exhibition "Impressions granted by life" opened in the regional art museum can enjoy beautiful landscapes, still lifes, portraits and acquaint themselves with interesting  information and illustrative material, among which there are books illustrated by the artist, numerous charters of honour, other awards and more. All of this, brought together in one exhibition room, creates an impression of the creative scale of the artist and our countryman, Stepan Fedorovych Nikolenko.

 

Oleh Yurchenko -- senior research assistant of Kirovohrad Regional Art Museum.