Mariks, Oscar Petrovich

Oscar Mariks received his special education at the Prague Academy of Arts , which he graduated in 1912 with a degree in architecture, decorative and applied art. He also studied at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts , at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and Lviv . Pupil of the Prague art school. Received an excellent European education.

Settled in Minsk in 1920.

A member of the revolutionary platform of the so-called Belarusian art reformers, which was founded by the trade union of art, education and press workers, which included Alexander Ahola-Valo , Elena Aladova , etc. In the 1920s, he was at the forefront of the emerging theater set design in Belarus. The first in Belarus introduced a three-dimensional dimension of scenery.

Oscar Mariks miraculously survived the years of repression, having left Belarus. He returned to the republic shortly before the Great Patriotic War. An exhibition of the artist’s works opened in Minsk a few days before the start of the war. The invaders completely removed the paintings of Marix to Germany. Until today, not a single painting from the stolen exhibition has been found. The artist’s library was also taken out. The part - with the ex-libris of Marix - returned from Germany during the life of Oscar Petrovich, who was forced to leave the theater and go to teach painting at an art school and institute.

Since 1922, Oscar Mariks has been the main artist of the current Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater . During the war, along with the Kupalovsky Theater was evacuated in the city of Uralsk.

Later, he worked as the main artist of the Grodno Regional Drama Theater ( 1953 , 1957 ).

Close friendly relations connected the artist with many figures of Belarusian culture and art: Yanka Kupala , V.I. Vladomirsky , I. Akhremchik , Zaire Azgur , P. Brovka , K. Krapiva and others.

The main works of Oscar Marix are associated with scenography. He created more than 200 sets for the performances of leading Belarusian theaters. The artist gave preference to fake models, stylized costumes. He worked with many famous theater directors. He designed ballet performances with great enthusiasm. So, Don Quixote worked twice on the production of the ballet.

The author of monumental panels on historical topics ("Battle of the Ice"), graphic series, and a number of paintings. In collaboration with the artist V.V. Volkov, he executed sketches for the monumental carpet "Lyavonikha".

Marix’s non-theatrical works are now in all national collections of Belarus and private collections.

Marix’s wife - cellist - from the famous Belarusian dynasty of musicians Berger.

• In Minsk, a memorial plaque was erected on the site of the house where the founder of national scenography, Oscar Mariks, lived.
• In January 2011, the Belarusian State Museum of the History of Theater and Music Culture (Minsk) hosted an exhibition dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birth of Belarusian artist Oscar Mariks, which presented sketches of sets, costumes for performances, landscapes of the master.
• In 2012, the Four Quarters Minsk Publishing House published the book Oscar Mariks ^[1] / Compiled by L.O. Mariks, I. A. Barkhatkov. Joint publication with the Museum of History, Theater and Musical Culture.

• Mariks Oscar Petrovich (inaccessible link)
• From the life of Don Quixote . Minsk courier. No. 2175.03.03.2011.
• He went to fight against the White Poles, but remained in Minsk forever and became the first theater artist in Belarus. (inaccessible link)
• Calendar sheet