Rukhaniyat Science Center was presented a book-album “Where the sun is in the midst of the sky” to the Academy “Bolashaq” for research and local history work with student youth Z.G.Rybetskaya, where through the prism of life of the famous sculptor and photographer N.O.Rybetsky (1913-1975) reflects the history of Karaganda.
The presentation of the book took place on October 12, 2020 in Karaganda Regional Museum of Fine Arts.
The first author – author of this unique edition (circulation of 40 copies) was Karaganda public figure L.P.Andreyuk. “Several years ago I read V.Mogilnitsky’s book “The Great Prisoners of Karlag”, in which one chapter was devoted to the sculptor and photographer Nikolay Onufrievich Rybetsky. After learning that his widow is alive, she decided to get acquainted with it, – writes Lyudmila Pavlovna.
Zinaida Gavrilovna carefully preserves photos, films where Karaganda 1950-1960 is depicted, famous scientists, writers, artists, people of labor, episodes from the life of the Union of Karaganda Artists – the creative heritage of the wife. Selected photos were included in the book-album “Where the sun is in the full sky”.
Nikolay Rybetsky is considered not only a sculptor, but also a photographer of Karaganda. His fate was not easy: he was born in Ukraine, studied there and was so talented that he was hired as a correspondent of Komsomolskaya Pravda. He worked in the editorial office of Crocodile magazine, went to the front from there, was wounded in the first year of the Great Patriotic War and was taken prisoner. In captivity, he managed to meet with a Polish sculptor, who hired him and trained him in sculpture, despite his status as prisoner of war. Having returned from captivity, Rybetsky for one of his caricatures of Stalin got to the Norilsk camp – there he worked as an artist at the prison theater, worked together with famous theater and cinema actors Georgy Zhzhenov and Innokenty Smoktunovsky. After serving his sentence, he was given a choice of three cities he could go to. When he asked where most of the sun was, he was told that in the “sun at full sky” in Karaganda, so the choice was made for the rest of his life. This was the basis for the title of the book-album “Nikolai Rybetsky. Where is the sun at full sky”.
The publication contains several sections, which tell about the life and activity of Nicholas Rybetsky, about the old Karaganda. The book has a section devoted to the master’s museum and memorial exhibition.
Nikolay Rybetskiy carried out the plan of monumental propaganda: he depicted sculptures of workers, collective farmers and cattle breeders, which was in great demand. Nevertheless, most of his works have not survived to our time: they were made of plaster. In Karaganda history, he left a big mark, first of all, on the design of the railway station. The famous ballerina’s sculpture at the Karaganda station – it is also placed on the cover of the book – is the work of Mykola Rybetsky. He also took part in decorating the Pitmen’s Palace of Culture.
“The book-album about Nikolay Onufrievich Rybetsky, sculptor, photographer, and Karaganda resident is a door to the past of our native city of Karaganda. And at some point of acquaintance with the book, you feel that the authorship belongs not only to the authors of the book, but also to the TIME, which the artist led with power, – says Yuri Zabara, artist, local historian and compiler of the book-album.
Rukhaniyat Center
