Smarhon' Smarhon, or Smorgon, is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Smarhon District. It was the site of Smarhon air base, now mostly abandoned. Smarhon is located from the capital, Minsk. As of 2025, it has a p ...

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

Vilno Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Sergei Volnukhin Sergei Mikhailovich Volnukhin (1859–1921) was a Russian sculptor, best known for his instruction to a generation of Russian artists at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, teaching alongside Prince Paolo Troubetzkoy. ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...

Great Purge The Great Purge, or the Great Terror (), also known as the Year of '37 () and the Yezhovshchina ( , ), was a political purge in the Soviet Union that took place from 1936 to 1938. After the Assassination of Sergei Kirov, assassination of ...

Kazakh SSR The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, the Kazakh SSR, KSSR, or simply Kazakhstan, was one of the transcontinental constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Located in northern Centr ...

Union of Artists of the USSR The Artists' Union of the USSR () was a creative union of the Soviet artists and art critics embracing the Republics A republic, based on the Latin phrase '' res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which politic ...

Smarhon' Smarhon, or Smorgon, is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Smarhon District. It was the site of Smarhon air base, now mostly abandoned. Smarhon is located from the capital, Minsk. As of 2025, it has a p ...

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

Hassidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Mark Antokolsky Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky (; 2 November 18409 July 1902) was a Russian sculptor of Lithuanian–Jewish descent. Biography Early life Mordukh Matysovich Antokolsky was born in Vilnius ( Antokol city district), Lithuania (at the time part of ...

. Itkind was so impressed by the sculptures of Antokolsky that he started chiseling and sculpting himself. This new “hobby” was inappropriate for the

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

and disapproved by his family and neighbors. Then a travel journalist,

Peretz Hirshbein Peretz Hirshbein (); 7 November 1880, Kleszczele, Grodno Governorate – 16 August 1948, Los Angeles) was a Yiddish-language playwright, novelist, journalist, travel writer, and theater director. Because his work focused more on mood than ...

, wrote an article about the unique gift of self-taught Isaac to the newspaper, which made Itkind famous and eventually brought him to Vilno (now

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

) where in 1910 he joined the drawing school with distinguished artist

Ferdynand Ruszczyc Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) was a Polish painter, printmaker, and stage designer. He was a member of the aristocratic Ruszczyc de Lis family. Biography Born in the village of Bohdanów (then Russian Empire, now Belarus), Ruszczyc spent h ...

. In 1911, Itkind moved to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, Russia, where he was accepted by famous sculptor

Sergei Volnukhin Sergei Mikhailovich Volnukhin (1859–1921) was a Russian sculptor, best known for his instruction to a generation of Russian artists at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, teaching alongside Prince Paolo Troubetzkoy. ...

to study in his workshop at the School of Sculpture and Architecture in 1912-1913.

Self-taught Sculptor (1905 – 1916)

Itkind's early works were predominantly dedicated to the portraits and scenes of small Jewish towns. Itkind's first publish exhibition – in Vilno in 1915 – included his wooden works “Victims of Inquisition,” “Padre,” “Bitter Laughter,” “The Smiling Jew,” “The Crazy Man,” and “Noah’s Arch.” (The newspaper “North-West Voice,” «Северо-западный голос» Jan 1, 1915)

Early Career (1916-1937)

The works performed by Itkind before 1918 were devoted to the theme of grief ("Bitter laughter,” "The Crazy Man,” and "Moralist"). His favorite material was wood. Itkind's sculptures impressed the famous Russian Soviet writer

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...

, who in 1918 organized the first Itkind personal art exhibition in Soviet Russia (in the Jewish theater

Habima The Habima Theatre ( ''Te'atron HaBima'', lit. "The Stage Theatre") is the national theatre of Israel and one of the first Hebrew language theatres. It is located in Habima Square in the center of Tel Aviv. History Habima was founded as an ...

). Of the 42 sculptures presented at 1918 exhibition, only three survived until today: "Father"(sometimes named “Self-portrait,” in private collection), "Humpbacked" ( in private collection), "Jewish Melody" (The State

Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (), formerly known as the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (), on Arts Square in Saint Petersburg, is the world's largest depository of Russian fine art. It is also one of the largest art museums in ...

,

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

) . After the Revolution, Issac Itkind joined Mark Chagall as a teacher in the Moscow labor colony "III International" near

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

for homeless children in

Malakhovka Malakhovka () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities *Malakhovka, Moscow Oblast, a suburb of Moscow with historic dachasToda, Yasushi and Nozdrina, Nadezhda N.(2008) ''The Cottages in Suburban Moscow: A New Lifesty ...

. Between 1917-1937 he had three personal art exhibitions in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and Leningrad (now

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

) and participated in another 18 exhibitions with other artists. In 1927, Itkind moved to Leningrad where he created works devoted to various historical and cultural figures: portraits of Lenin, F. Lassalle, K. Marx, F. Engels, and many portraits of the famous Russian poet

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...

. At the exhibition dedicated to the 15th Anniversary of Soviet Sculpture Itkind presented his famous “ Victims of fascism pogrom: the head of the composer Matz, killed by “browns”, 1927, (now in The State

Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (), formerly known as the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (), on Arts Square in Saint Petersburg, is the world's largest depository of Russian fine art. It is also one of the largest art museums in ...

, St Petersburg) His prolific contribution to the Art Exhibition in Hermitage dedicated to 100 years of death of

Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is conside ...

in 1937 included 100 pieces of sculptures. The sculpture “Dying Pushkin” won the first prize. Isaac Itkind was famous in the USSR and abroad. His masterpieces were bought by famous art collectors, such as

Savva Mamontov Savva Ivanovich Mamontov (, ; , Yalutorovsk – 6 April 1918, Moscow) was a Russian industrialist, merchant, entrepreneur and patron of the arts. Business career He was a son of the wealthy merchant and industrialist Ivan Feodorovich Mamonto ...

, prior to the revolution and later by famous people visiting the USSR, including French businessman

Leon Blum Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

and brother of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

. It was a known fact that both Blum and Roosevelt tried to persuade Itkind to leave USSR and move to the West by offering him help, but Itkind refused. In the 1920-30s Itkind was considered a living genius along with Chagall and Picasso, and one of the leading Russian sculptors of 20th century along with Sergej Konenkov and

Stepan Erzia Stepan Dmitrievich Erzia (Nefyodov) (; – 24 November 1959), also known as Stefan Erzia, was an Erzya sculptor who lived in Russia and Argentina. Erzya chose his pseudonym after the native ethnic group. Biography He was born October 27, 187 ...

. After the exhibition in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in 1937, Itkind was arrested by the

KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...

, and then was announced dead in the same year.

Social Life in 1912-1936.

Many famous poets, writers and artists such as

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...

,

Vsevolod Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilyevich Meyerhold (; born ; 2 February 1940) was a Russian and Soviet theatre director, actor and theatrical producer. His provocative experiments dealing with physical being and symbolism in an unconventional theatre setting m ...

, Sergej Konenkov,

Maximilian Voloshin Maximilian Alexandrovich Kirienko-Voloshin (; May 28, O.S. May 16">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. May 161877 – August 11, 1932), commonly known as Max Voloshin, was a Russian poet. He w ...

,

Vladimir Mayakovsky Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky ( – 14 April 1930) was a Russian poet, playwright, artist, and actor. During his early, Russian Revolution, pre-Revolution period leading into 1917, Mayakovsky became renowned as a prominent figure of the Ru ...

, Sergej Yesenin, Aleksey Tolstoy, and Mark Chagall, became close friends of Itkind and adored his creativity. Itkind was a remarkable storyteller and writer. From his oral stories, famous writers and directors –

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (; ), was a Russian and Soviet writer and proponent of socialism. He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Before his success as an aut ...

,

Vladimir Mayakovsky Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky ( – 14 April 1930) was a Russian poet, playwright, artist, and actor. During his early, Russian Revolution, pre-Revolution period leading into 1917, Mayakovsky became renowned as a prominent figure of the Ru ...

,

Sergei Yesenin Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin (, ; 1895 – 28 December 1925), sometimes spelled as Esenin, was a Russian lyric poet. He is one of the most popular and well-known Russian poets of the 20th century. One of his narratives was "lyrical evocations ...

,

Vsevolod Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilyevich Meyerhold (; born ; 2 February 1940) was a Russian and Soviet theatre director, actor and theatrical producer. His provocative experiments dealing with physical being and symbolism in an unconventional theatre setting m ...

, persuaded Itkind to start writing. Alexey Tolstoy in 1934 published several Itkind's storied in the popular "Star" magazine.

1937-1969

In 1937, after an exhibition of Itkind's sculpture “Pushkin in Chains” in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France, Itkind was arrested for Japanese espionage and placed into the jail Kresty, where he was beaten, his ribs were broken and eardrums ruptured. Soon after, he was exiled to Siberia, and later to Kazakhstan. The whole world until 1944 believed that Itkind was killed or died in the camps in 1937, it was this date of death that was indicated in the signatures to his sculptures and in literature. Since 1938, Isaak Itkind lived in the village

Zerenda Lake Zerendі (, ''Zerendı'') is a small lake in Zerendi District, Akmola Region, Kazakhstan. Located just west of Zerendi village, the picturesque lake is a tourist attraction. Geography Lake Zerendi is located in the Kokshetau Hills, northern ...

,

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, in profound poverty. http://www.pkzsk.info/isaak-itkind-skulptor-voskresshij-v-kazaxstane/ At the same time, no one knew that "a half-savage old sorcerer eating roots, living in a dugout and collecting old stumps" was a world-famous sculptor. In 1944 with the help of brave people, who under the risk of being accused with helping “an enemy of the people,” Itkind moved to Alma-Ata (now Alma-Aty), the capital of Kazakhstan that time. Not much is known about Itkind's life until 1956.

Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, 1956–1969

In 1956 Itkind got a job in the Alma-Ata State Theater as a decorator during the daytime, and at night chiseled sculptures from wood in the basement of the theater. During his time in Alma-Ata Itkind created sculptural portraits of famous and simple Kazakh people “Akyn Dzhambul”, “Amangeldy”, “Abay”. Two years later, in 1958, the new young theater artist decided to examine the basement of the theater, where he discovered portraits and compositions that later became famous: “Paul Robeson” (1956), “The Tree-Thinker “(1956), “The Laughing Old Man” (1958), “"Song"” (1960). Nearly all Itkind’s sculptures created in Kazakhstan are currently in The A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts in Almaty, Kazakhstan. According to some memoirs, approximately a year prior to his death, Isaac Itkind stopped carving and returned to his religious roots, as he was spending all days sitting with kipa on his head and reading Tanakh (Jewish Bible). He died in the city of Alma-Ata in 1969. Some works of Isaac Itkind are publicly exhibited and some are kept in Russia’s museums: The State

Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (), formerly known as the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (), on Arts Square in Saint Petersburg, is the world's largest depository of Russian fine art. It is also one of the largest art museums in ...

and The National Pushkin Museum in St. Petersburg, as well as in the museums of Kazakhstan, France and the USA. During his life, Isaac Itkind was known to generously present his sculptures to acquaintances and friends, therefore, the majority of his works created before 1956 are either lost or in private collections. In 1967, a young filmmaker from Kazakhstan, Ararat Mashanov, produced a 20-minute documentary about Itkind "Touching Eternity”.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Itkind, Isaac 1871 births 1969 deaths Russian people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Sculptors from the Russian Empire Soviet sculptors