House-Museum of M.B.Grekov

Mitrofan Borisovich Grekov (1882-1934) was an outstanding battle painter, the founder of Soviet battle painting.

The opening of the memorial and art Museum of M.B. Grekov in Novocherkassk took place 23 years after the sudden death of the artist, which followed in 1934.

The Novocherkassk period of M.B. Grekov lasted from June 1918 to 1931, almost 13 years. 4 years 3 months of them he worked and served in institutions and military units, the rest of the time was engaged in creative work. It was the most fruitful period of his life. In Novocherkassk, 74 completed works were created, including such memorable ones as “In the Detachment to Budennoye”, “Tachanka” (1925), “Cavalry Attack”, “The Battle of Egorlykskaya” and others.

M.B. Grekov has always taken an active civic position, devoted great importance to public and educational work. Mitrofan Borisovich had a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Thanks to many of them, a good memory of an outstanding artist has been preserved in our city. The first event to commemorate Grekov in our city took place 65 years ago.

On March 23, 1938, at the request of the Presidium of the Novocherkassk City Council, the former Peschanaya Street in Novocherkassk was named after the artist Grekov. In June 1957, a museum with a memorial and artistic profile was opened in the house No. 118 (now 124) on Grekov Street. Most of the museum's funds were preserved and replenished by friends of M.B. Grekov, our citizens.

In 1918, circumstances developed so that Mitrofan Borisovich and his wife Antonina Leonidovna came to Novocherkassk. In his Memoirs, A.L. Grekov writes that Grekov wanted to go to Petrograd, but it was impossible to get there due to the outbreak of the Civil War. Upon learning that the 3rd Men's Gymnasium of Wlashławski was evacuated from Warsaw to Novocherkassk, Grekov applied to the director of the gymnasium and was accepted by a teacher of drawing and writing.

In the autumn of 1924, the Greeks acquired a home on 102 Peschanaya Street, where they lived before leaving the city. The Greeks occupied the southern part of the house, 3 rooms. In two northern rooms, the family of Dr. Astakhov Fyodor Fedorovich lived in the apartment. The sixth room was a shared kitchen for both families.

From September 1918 to December 1919, Mitrofan Borisovich, in addition to teaching at the 3rd male gymnasium, worked part-time at the music school, where A.G. Tushkinov was the director. Later, Greeks and Tushkins served as civilian soldiers in the military unit.

June 30, 1957 in Novocherkassk was inaugurated memorial House-Museum of M.B. Grekov. Moreover, the entrance to the museum of the first visitors was through the gate and veranda.

And here is the final event: “Act of January 4, 1958 Moscow”, an act was drawn up in the fact that Antonina Leonidovna Grekova, the artist’s widow, donated paintings and personal belongings of the battle artist M.B. Grekov to the Rostov Museum of Local History for permanent use, without the right to transfer to other museums. Total paintings, sketches, photographs, personal belongings, books, magazines — 260 pieces.