Biography

Ivan Bilibin was a talented painter and illustrator of Russian folk tales and epic poems. Bogatyrs, princesses and monsters, created in the instantly recognizable ‘Bilibin’ style, came to life on the pages of books illustrated by Ivan Bilibin. Several generations of Russian and Soviet children, enchanted by these unforgettable images, believed even as adults that this was how real heroes and beauties should look.

Ivan Bilibin was born on August 16, 1876 in the village of Tarkhovka near St. Petersburg into the family of chief military physician Yakov Bilibin. From childhood, the boy was fond of drawing, and in 1888, he entered the First St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium, and graduated from it with a silver medal. The parents insisted that Ivan pursue a career in law. However, painting prevailed over law in the life of Ivan Bilibin, and in 1900, after graduating from university; he enrolled in the Higher Art School of the Academy of Arts. There, his mentor was Ilya Repin.

In the summer of 1899, Ivan Bilibin, inspired by the works of Viktor Vasnetsov, created his first illustrations for Russian fairy tales, including ‘The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Grey Wolf’. The artist's watercolor works were distinguished by their whimsical designs and decorative style. Later he created a series of Russian fairy tales commissioned by ‘The Expedition of Storing State Papers’ comprised of six slim volumes. The painter devoted about four years to this commission. In his illustrations for Russian fairy tales, he sought to combine harmoniously the magical world of fairy tales with the real world. In 1901-1902, Bilibin created illustrations for the fairy tales ‘Marya Morevna’, ‘Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka’, ‘The Frog Princess’, ‘Finist the Falcon’. Framing his drawings decoratively, the painter bordered each sheet with wide band adorned by geometric motifs.

Dreaming of studying the history of everyday life, from 1902 to 1904, Bilibin undertook a series of journeys to the Russian backcountry. From these trips, the painter brought back a vast amount of material, which he later used in his work.

At the beginning of the 20^th century, Bilibin created illustrations for Russian epic folk tales. In 1905, the epic tale "Volga", illustrated by Bilibin, was published, and in 1911, fairy tales by Roslavlev were published by ‘The Public Benefit’ publishing house with the illustrations of Bilibin. Also belonging to this "fairytale" style with ancient Russian ornamental motifs was the production of the opera "The Golden Cockerel" in 1909, designed by Bilibin, at Zimin's Theatre in Moscow.

Headpieces, tailpieces, covers, and other works by Bilibin appeared in early 20^th-century magazines such as ‘Mir Iskusstva’ (World of Art), ‘Zolotoe runo’ (The Golden Fleece), as well as in publications by ‘Shipovnik’ (Wild Rose) and Moscow Publishing House.

During the Revolution of 1905–1907, I. Bilibin created thematic caricatures.

From 1907, he taught graphic arts at the School of the Society for the Arts’ Encouragement, continuing his employment until 1917. Among his students at the school were Georgy Narbut, Konstantin Eliseev, Leonid Khortik, August Rozilekht, Nikolay Kuzmin, and René O’Connell.

The same year, a group of Moscow and St. Petersburg intellectuals purchased a plot of land on the southern coast of Crimea, near Bati-Liman, to build summer cottages. Bilibin was among the shareholders, alongside other investors – writers Vladimir Korolenko, Alexander Kuprin, Sergey Elpatyevsky and Yevgeny Chirikov; painter Vladimir Derviz and professors Abram Ioffe, Vladimir Vernadsky, and Mikhail Rostovtsev. By a draw of lots, Bilibin received a seaside plot where a fisherman’s cottage already stood. A workshop was attached to the house. From then on, every summer after the classes ended at the School of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, he would depart for Bati-Liman, returning to St. Petersburg each autumn in time for the new term.

In 1915, Bilibin participated in the establishment of the Society for the Revival of Art Russia, along with many other painters of his time.

On 21 February 1920, Bilibin evacuated from Novorossiysk on the steamship ‘Saratov’. Due to the presence of sick people on board, the steamer did not disembark passengers in Constantinople or Famagusta in Cyprus, but arrived in Egypt, where Russian refugees were placed by the British authorities in a camp in Et-Tel-el-Kebir. From 1920, Bilibin lived in Cairo. In Egypt, he worked on sketches for Byzantine-style panels and frescoes for the mansions of wealthy Greek merchants. He studied Egyptian art, first Muslim and Coptic, and then the art of Ancient Egypt.

In February 1923, Ivan Bilibin married painter Alexandra Shchekatikhina-Pototskaya, who had come to Cairo to join him with their son Mstislav. In the summer of 1924, he travelled with his family through Syria and Palestine. In October 1924, Bilibin settled in Alexandria.

In August 1925, the painter moved to Paris. At that time, he was working on splendid scenery for Russian opera productions and was invited in Buenos Aires to design the ballet ‘The Firebird’ by Stravinsky.

In 1934–1935, Ivan Bilibin created scenery and costumes for the Prague National Theatre and the Brno City Theatre productions of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's ‘The Tale of Tsar Saltan’ and ‘The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh’. He also created illustrations for Russian fairy tales, the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, and ‘Fairy tales of One Thousand and One Nights’.

While time passed, Bilibin developed a desire to return to his homeland. In 1935-1936, he participated in the decoration of the Soviet embassy in Paris and created the monumental panel Mikula Selyaninovich.

In 1936, Ivan Bilibin returned to the Soviet Union on the motor ship ‘Ladoga’ and settled in Leningrad. He taught at the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture under the newly established Academy of Arts and continued to work as an illustrator and stage designer.

From 1937 to 1942, the painter lived and worked at 25 Gulyar Street (apartment 46) in Leningrad (now Liza Chaikina Street), as evidenced by a memorial plaque on the building.

When the Great Patriotic War began, Ivan Bilibin refused to evacuate and died of exhaustion on February 7, 1942, in a hospital at the Academy of Arts in besieged Leningrad. His last work was a preparatory illustration for the epic poem ‘Duke Stepanovich’ in 1941.
Ivan Bilibin is buried in the mass grave of professors of the Academy of Arts on Decembrist Island.

RE:
https://dzen.ru/a/ZN6K_6pb3jrlWrXw
https://ndbmarshak.ru/news/5177/
https://biographe.ru/znamenitosti/ivan-bilibin
https://union-of-russian-artists.ru/archives/2397
https://histrf.ru/read/biographies/ivan-yakovlevich-bilibin