Gorny Altay. There are only few places like this on the Earth, which could compete with this surprising, beautiful island of nature, rising high in the very center of the huge asian spaces. There are a lot of myths and legends about this place. It stands on the border between Central Asia and the Great Belt of Euro-Asian steppes. For thousands of years it was watching the movements of Gunns, Turkic tribes, Mongolian hordes and Slavic trail-blazers. Here is the center of cultural relations of Euro-Asian continent, Three

World Religions meet here: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism; and they laid upon Ancient World outlook basis - Shaman Faith. Inordinary thinking persons of present days call it one of the spiritual pole of the planet. The people, who live here, are sure that Altay is alive. For hundreds of years, Altay showed itself through the very rich folk-lore of the people, lived there. Altayans called it Mountains-Bogatyrs in there legends. Old-rite men called it White Waters. But once, Altay decided to show himself through the fine arts, and put a high artistic gift into a baby, that was born in Ulala Village (present Gorno-Altaisk) on the 12-th of January, 1870.

Grigory Ivanovich Ghoros-Gurkin. Missioners school, workshop for icon painting, Saint-Petersburg, the try to enter the Academy of the Fine Arts without preliminary trainings, verdict of the famous landscape painter I. I. Shishkin: "You don't need the Academy. Here is the workshop, easel, paints, canvas, come here and paint together with me."

Altayan specialist in Arts V. I. Edokov, wrote: "They seem like found each other: one found his teacher, another - his pupil, and together they were ideal, rare commonwealth of two generations, which provided that continuity of traditions, which is an integral part of a talented painter as well as the development of Arts".

But there was the Academy, Grigory Ivanovich entered it as a free student in 1899. And then: his native region, farmstead with the workshop in Anos village, where his artistic motto was formed: "... to be the painter of the beauty of the Great Han-Altay... " In 1894, the artist painted his first two pictures, and then in 1895 he painted "Kamlanie" (Night of the sacrifice). A light future was waiting for him, and a lot of people became sure that the real Siberian painter appeared. Such pictures as "Katun's Crown", "The Lake of Mountain Spirits", "Karakol Lake" and an epic work in paints "Han Altay". "In this masterpiece, the artist began to show his Native Land through a severe grandeur of the mountains piks.

But the artist represented Altay not only in painting but in prose also. Let's touch upon an artist's attitude to the world, described by himself.

"I feel like I see the first day, when the world was created! It was when after the dark, for the first time, you, Han Altay, was lighted by a rising sun, how your rocks were burning there, and how your emerald glaciers began to sparkle! Everything was blended into one melody, into one interminable accord... The nature was crying... God's song, like a hair string, sounded then and filled you with music of nature: a thunder of waterfalls and a noise of stormy rivers. And That song flew through the mountains, through the fragrant valleys in bloom. Seething, beautiful Katun was flowing churning up on huge stones. Waterfalls made a noise painted in rainbow. Your rocks were sewed with silver threads, Han-Altay! "

Poem in prose. His contemporaries appreciated it exactly so. The artist made on often trips to the moutntains just to communicate with nature, to study the culture of nation more attentively. He blended with Altay by his thoughts and feelings, and in reality, he couldn't be out of those great social shocks which took place at the beginning of the century. He was like a symbol of native land and became the leader of the Mountain Council, trying to begin the self-governing in Altay.

Then he was persecuted by the people who took the real power in their hands and had to emigrate to Mongolia, then Tuva, then he came back to his Motherland in 1925, and took part in some large exhibitions. He was the initiator in opening the School of Arts in Oirot-Tura (present Gorno-Altaisk).

Then, there was a sadly known 1937. When he was 67, repression regime inflicted a dead wound to the artist, and tried to delete his name from people's memories. But there was no result. History always puts everything into their own places. Regimes leave, creators stay. And today we see a new master's returning. So let's let him speak again.

"Everything is primeval, tremendous and majestic around here: like a strong ring the mountains are spread and went into endless expanse. What a freedom and what a power! It's you, casted a spell..., royal Altay! It's you, who puts on mists which run into unknown countries like thoughts. It's you, bogatyr, is sleeping for centuries, thinking your kind thoughts. And among all this royal nature, blue lakes, dark forests, the beautiful Katun is flowing its emerald waters. It was cutted deeply into the heart of Atay. And it seems like there is no power, that can stop its current, there is no barriers for its aspiration and mighty run.

Stormy and boisterous it runs forward with a noise... "

Source:

• Materials of conference to Gurkin's 125 birthday. Barnaul, 1996.