Ivan Medvedev
1913 - 1998
Ivan Vasilyevich Medvedev was born on February 28, 1913, in Satka, Chelyabinsk Region. In 1946, he graduated from the Architecture Department of the Academy of Arts in Leningrad, where he studied under L. Rudnev, I. Lambard, K. Rudakov, and S. Abugaev. His diploma project for a memorial Pantheon of Victory was highly praised by I. Grabar. He was a participant in the Siege of Leningrad. After graduation, he was sent to Vilnius: he taught at the Art Institute, served as chief artist of the Opera and Ballet Theater, and worked on the city’s environment design. His architectural projects received three top awards and two Certificates of Honor from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR. In 1959, he was invited by the government of the Republic of Belarus to take the position of chief artist of Minsk, where he supervised the artistic design of the city. Later, he worked at the Ministry of Culture of Belarus in the Department for the Protection of Monuments of the BSSR Ministry of Culture.
Creative Path
Medvedev worked at the intersection of architecture and fine arts: in architectural graphics, stage design, small sculpture, poster art, and decoration. His watercolors and sketches reflect his interest in historical and architectural forms. Among his well-known series are cityscapes of Leningrad, Vilnius, Riga, Minsk, Grodno, Gomel, and Samarkand; cycles dedicated to the Caucasus and Crimea. He created the portrait series “Architects of the Belorussian SSR” and “Portraits of the Defenders of the Brest Fortress.” He paid special attention to the design of monuments of republican significance and cultural landscapes. His works are distinguished by restrained drawing, respect for historical memory, and subtle lyricism.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Medvedev’s works are held in the Tretyakov Gallery, the National Art Museum of Belarus, museums in Vilnius, Minsk, Samarkand, as well as in the collections of the Unions of Artists and Architects. He participated in republican and international exhibitions and architectural competitions. His solo exhibitions were held in Minsk, Brest, Vilnius, Gomel, and Berlin — including at the Museum of the History of the Second World War in Karlshorst. Exhibited series created from the 1940s to the 1980s included: “Brest Fortress,” “Belovezhskaya Pushcha,” “Leningrad,” “Riga,” “Vilnius,” “Gomel,” “Minsk.” In his works, historical accuracy and cultural artistic value are combined.
