The art of the USSR

Website of collector Mihaila Arefyeva

Teneta Aleksej Ilich

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Aleksey Teneta (September 3, 1899, the Shepiorno village Warsaw province - July 10, 1972, Moscow) is a Soviet sculptor and graphic artist. He worked with the easel, monumental and decorative sculpture. In the years 1921-1925, Teneta studied in VHUTEMAS at BD Korolev’s and AM Lavinsky’s. During his studies, he created his first monument, the figure of a worker and bolshevik with revolution flag. In 1925 on the exhibition of VKUTEMAS graduation works, he represented two compositions: Lenin in October monument project and memorial to The Volga Boatmen.

In the late 1920s - early 1930s, the artist created a series of well-known works: Builder Statue for gateway number 5 of Moscow-Volga Channel; Young Man with Sturgeon decorative fountain; Gymnast Sculpture for Cherkizovo Stadium; Metallurgist Sculpture in Makeyevka in the Donets Basin; Family Statuary Group for the residential complex in Gorky Street in Moscow. The most famous work of this period was the monument design to Stakhanovism for Socialism Industry Exhibition. The central figure of a miner from this composition was presented at the International Exhibition in New York in 1939. By the end of the post-war period, the artist became a mature master. Among the works of the late 1930s - early 1940s, the monument project to NV Gogol (1937), Soviet Family Relief Group, Physical Education Monument for Goznak in Mira Prospekt (1936), a monumental bust of the Kazakh national hero Amangeld Imanov (1941).

During the Great Patriotic War, Tenet was creating monumental works, imbued with patriotism and heroism. During this period, he created the Hero Cities Monument design, fragments of which ("Military Moscow " and "Sevastopol Hero") were shown at the All-Union Art Exhibition in 1943-1944. At that time, he also made a relief, dedicated to snipers Natalia Screener and Mary Polivanova’s feat, the composition was created by the commission of the Ministry of Aircraft. In 1943-1947, the artist was working on the monument to partisans who fought against the Nazi invaders in Seliger, which is now located in Ostashkov, Kalinin region.

Along with the monumental sculpture, the artist proved himself as a talented decorator. In 1950, he created a sculptural group, crowning pediment and relief compositions for theater in Kalinin, a series of sculptures for the Friendship of Peoples Fountain at the National Economy Achievement Exhibition (NEAE). His also revealed his skills in the field of portraiture.

 In 1961, Teneta created his most important work, that is the Monument To Soviet Power Fighters In The Far East in the central square of Vladivostok, which is considered one of the best works of monumental Soviet sculptors of the postwar period.

The sculptor’s works can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery, Russian Museum, many regional museums and private collections.


Site of the collector M. Arefyev.

Art from the USSR.