Prof Olga Zhbankowa, Head of the Department of Contemporary Art National Museum of Art, Kiev, Ukraine.

Fjodor Sakharovitch Sakharov is one of the most famous masters of contemporary Ukrainian and Russian painting. His unselfish work and his original talent deserve high admiration in his home countries. Sakharov was awarded the title "National Artist of the Ukraine" and in 1978 the title "Taras Tchevtchenko Award", the highest award in art and literature of the Ukraine.

Sakharov was born September 5th 1919 in Alexandrovskoje, a little village in the Smolensk region in Russia. In 1935 he received a solid masters education at the Sukow Academy of Art in Moscow. Among his teachers was Aristarch W. Lentulov, one of the best known representative of the Russian avant-garde. He finished his studies with distinction in 1941. Sakharov continued his studies of art at the Surikow Academy of Art in Moscow. Sakharov was taught as an elite student by Sakharov started his career as an independent artist in 1950. This was the era of the totalitarian Soviet art, which was subordinated completely to the interests of the Communist Party. Sakharov never created the so called thematic paintings on order which praised the "Happy Life" of the Soviet Human Being. The young painter did not choose this way, which would have been conform to the system and would have guaranteed fast recognition and material advantages.

The painter achieved the expression of ethical values like moral, gentleness, beauty and harmony with his uncomplicated subjects. Sakharov's art was inspired by the magnificent achievements of the Russian and Ukrainian landscape paintings of the late 19th and early 20th century, which are characterised by the poetisation of nature. Real impressions are always the base of the artwork of the master, which are transformed into the deeply emotional context of the world. His paintings are based the harmonic combination of impressionistic sense and embodiment. Sakharov's powerful stroke of the brush increases the feeling of movements.

The heart of the painter was attracted especially by two landscapes. Crimea, where he lived and the little Ukrainian village of Sednew close to Tschernihiw, where he travelled to often for painting. Sakharov was inspired by the light intensive sun of Crimea, the cosy courtyards ("Silent Noon at Alupka", 1958) and the terrace like coast descending to the sea (Sunny Day at Gursuf" 1954 and "Promenade in Yalta," 1958) The warm air in the evening at the sea melts the blue of the sea with the outlines of trees and people. A world of colours and light opens up in front of us. The original magic of the sea is found in Sakharov´s paintings. The painter senses the hardly noticeable shadings of the quickly changing colour of the water caused by the incidence of the light and wind. The paintings "Sea, 1984", "Shore at Massandra, 1972", ""Thunderstorm at Kasantippe", 1975, "Stormy Wind at Livadia", 1964 and "Yalta Port", 1959" show the different mood of the sea. The broad and powerful stroke of the brush reflects the energy of waves and the vibration of the air. The restraining composition of colours creates a feeling of significance and power of the sea, it's natural power.

Sakharov finds a completely different world in Sednev, an old settlement which has been mentions in Russian annals in the 11th century ,,Old Sednew, 1966". The little river Snow flows across gentle hills and wide meadows with little lakes as well as forests, which stand like walls in the background. This is a landscape like in old fairytales untouched by the course of time. This is a world in which a deep connection to nature is felt. Sednev is an inspiring place. Taras Tchevtchenko, the great Ukrainian painter and poet stayed often at the manor of its owner Lysogub in Sednew during the forties of the 19th century. Sakharov, descending from a farmer's family was very familiar with these simple landscape subjects. As well as familiar with the farm houses which hide behind green trees and low fences. Sakharov knew and understood the steady and quiet way of life on the countryside, where all acts and doings of human beings adjust to nature where life and nature are in unison, far away from busy cities. Sakharov paints in Sednev wintertime and the snow, which flashes mystically in the clashing cold of a moon night Mondnacht ("Winternight") or in the already warm spring sun ("Sunny Day in Sednew", 1968. He paints the white sea of blossoms in spring ("Appleblossom in Spring, 1971") as well as the fresh spring green ""First Spring Green at Alexanderskoje", 1980 of the fertile countryside around Tschernigiw. Colour and composition create in these paintings a uniform matter out of which Sakharov creates a powerful interior dynamic.

Sakharov achieves this emotional power of expression in his still life as well. The painter is picturing the form of a subject with his broad powerful stroke of the brush assuredly and reflects the structure of its fraction. Not the nature of the subjects only is important for the painter but as well the conformity with the spatial connection. And the harmony of air and light. The context of subjects and human beings is most important for Sakharov. The presence of human beings is felt in books, dishes, fruits and flowers which have been arranged carefully ("In the Master's Studio", 1960). The personal approach of the master lets the subjects come alive. This is the reason why the paintings are as luminescent and colourful. The beloved lilac from Sednev can be found in his still life ,"Lilacs, 1968" and the opening burgeons of Crimea roses ,,Rose at dawn, 1969". Sakharov, the "Master of Light" managed to create a harmony glow in a surrounding rough world.

Prof Olga Zhbankowa, Head of the Department of Contemporary Art National Museum of Art, Kiev, Ukraine.