Gaush, Alexander Fedorovich

Father - Fedor Fedorovich Gaush (Viktor Karl Theodor Hausch) (1845–1929), merchant of the 1st guild, hereditary honorary citizen of St. Petersburg, mother - Matilda Leontyevna, nee Baroness von Gauff (Mathilde Amalie Luise von Hauff) (1846–1907 ) He studied at the Reformed School (St. Petersburg) (1885–1889), at the Drawing School at the Society for the Promotion of Arts (1889), with P. P. Chistyakov (until 1893), at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts with A. A. Kiselev (1893– 1899), at the Julian Academy in Paris (2 months, 1885). In 1899 he received the title of artist (with the right to the rank of 10th grade and the right to teach drawing in educational institutions) for his paintings “In the Evening” and “Wind”. Since 1897 - a regular participant in exhibitions. Until 1924 he lived in Petrograd in his own house ( Angliyskaya embankment , 74, the so-called Gaush House).

In 1894 he toured Russia. Repeatedly traveled to Germany, France, Italy, Austria; visited Spain (1906) and England (1911–1912). In 1904, he co-authored with N. F. Root a textbook “Drawings of Russian Artists” (St. Petersburg, 1904).

One of the founders of the New Society of Artists (founding member and secretary, participated in exhibitions 1904-05, 1907), member of the association " World of Art " (since 1916, exhibitor since 1911). Gausch's works were presented at international exhibitions in Vienna (1908), Brussels (1910), Rome (1911), Venice (1914), the Baltic Exhibition in Malmo (1914), at exhibitions of the Society of Artists named after A.I. Kuindzhi , Association of South Russian Artists (1922), personal exhibition in Petrograd (1916). He exhibited at the Spring Exhibitions in the halls of the Academy of Arts , the Union of Russian Artists , the Leonard da Vinci Society , the Association of Independents . He participated in the exhibitions “Wreath”, “Wreath-Stefanos”, in the Salon of V. A. Izdebsky. Collaborated in the legendary St. Petersburg literary and artistic cabaret " Rest of Commandants " ^[1] .

Since the spring of 1907 he participated in the activities of the Commission for the Study and Description of Old Petersburg , from October 1909 a member of the directorate and 1st curator of the Museum of Old Petersburg (until 1920). One of the founders of the Museum of the City (1918). Together with A. N. Benois designed the “ Historical Exhibition of Architecture ” in the halls of the Academy of Arts (1911).

Particular attention paid by Gausch to the preservation of historical heritage was noted by art critic Muratov as a joke and was put as an example to the Moscow authorities:

... I was told about the noble and compassionate interventions in the painting of a St. Petersburg artist-architect Gaush. Seeing that painting of a house of artistic value was being undertaken, Mr. Gaush appeared to the owner and asked him for permission to participate in the painting business with his gratuitous advice. Since this did not increase the cost of work, homeowners willingly agreed, and in this way it was possible to restore the original color of many St. Petersburg buildings.

- P.P. Muratov. Beauty of Moscow // Moscow weekly. - 1909. - October 10 (No. 40) ^[2]

He taught at the Sukharev School of the Women's Patriotic Society (1907), in the art classes of the School of Folk Art (1912–24, after 1917 - as part of the Handicraft College). After the February Revolution of 1917 he was a member of a commission dealing with the issue of the Ministry of Arts, worked in a special commission on the art industry and handicraft. After the October Revolution, he taught at various educational institutions in Petrograd ^[3] . Collaborated in the Petrograd " House of Arts ". In early October 1918, he was invited by Chagall to Vitebsk “as the keeper of the museum being organized,” as reported by the newspaper Vitebsk Listok ^[4] , but did not accept the offer. He participated in the First State Free Exhibition of Works of Art (1919), the exhibition of Petrograd artists of all directions (1923) in Petrograd, the First Russian Art Exhibition in the Van Diemen Gallery in Berlin (1922), the traveling exhibition of Russian art in the USA (1924–1925), and exhibitions Art Society. K. K. Kostandi ^[5] (1925-29) in Odessa and others.

A special place in the life of Alexander Fedorovich was occupied by the interest in the puppet theater: in 1916, in his own house in St. Petersburg, the first performance of the puppet theater was held, which was attended by Alexander Blok and Anna Akhmatova ^{[6] [7]} ; in 1916, together with his associates in the World of Art association ( M. Dobuzhinsky , N. Kalmakov , S. Makovsky , P. Sazonov), was on the artistic council of the Petrograd puppet theater of Y. Slonimskaya; took part in the creation of the play “The forces of good and magic” ^[8] ; in 1924 Gausch was one of the organizers of the Petrushka Theater (now the E. Demmen Theater in St. Petersburg). This passion was passed on to the artist’s son - Yuri Gaush (1900-1983) became a famous playwright of puppet theaters, author of the plays “Our Circus”, “Negro Tom”, “Nabat”, “Cheerful Tailor” and many others ^[8] .

In 1924, Alexander Fedorovich with his wife, artist Lyubov Nikolaevna Milioti (1877–1943), moved south (due to the deteriorating state of health of Lyubov Nikolaevna). First, from 1924 to 1928, they live in Sevastopol, then, in 1928-1935, in Odessa. Since 1939 - in Yalta, Simferopol. Member of the All- Artist Association (1931), the Union of Soviet Artists of Crimea (1941). He taught at the art schools of Sevastopol and Odessa - the Art Institute (1928–34, professor since 1928) and the Art School (1934–38). The famous portraits of Alexander Gaush are made by D.N. Kardovsky (1906) and the wife of Gausch (1920s).

With the advent of the war, the couple ended up in occupied territory, in Yalta. In besieged Leningrad, the eldest daughter Vera died. In 1943, Alexander Fedorovich and Lyubov Nikolaevna left for Austria, where Gausch's distant relatives lived ^[6] . At the end of the war, having buried his wife in Austria (the exact date of death and the place of burial are unknown), Gaush, having gone through the filtration camp, returns to the USSR and settles in Simferopol. According to the evidence discovered by researchers in recent years, was not subjected to repression: “ The letter from the Office of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Omsk Region dated 05/05/2011, in particular, says:“ According to reports, Gaush Alexander Fedorovich, born in 1873, was born in Leningrad, was evacuated by the Germans with his wife to Austria, before evacuating, lived in Yalta, underwent state verification in PFL No. 301 (Noynkirchen, Austria) as of April 28, 1946, returned to Crimea . ” ^[6]

September 7, 1947 Alexander Gaush tragically died in Simferopol, falling under a tram. He was buried in the Old Simferopol cemetery, which is near the church of All Saints. As part of the anniversary events dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the artist’s birth, in 2013 a new tombstone was installed on the grave of Gausch, a memorial plaque was installed on the house where he spent the last years of his life (at that time the only memorial sign dedicated to Gausch ) ^[9] .

In 1992, a retrospective exhibition of the artist was held at the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, which included about 75 paintings and drawings, written mainly in the St. Petersburg period of the artist's life.

Gausch's works are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery , the State Russian Museum , the State Art Museum of Latvia in Riga , the Pushkin Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan and other museum and private collections in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, and Kazakhstan.

The Wind (1901) (in the OXM collection)
"The Grand Palace in Tsarskoye Selo", (1902)
Novgorod, (1904)
Carnation, (1908)
Rainy Day (1900s) (in the collection of the Plesssky Museum-Reserve )
"Spring" (1911)
"The Old Cottage" (c.1913) (in the collection of the Novosibirsk Art Museum )
"Still Life. Precious Fabrics" (1914) (in the collection of the Russian Museum )
Autumn in the Mountains (1915)
"In Bakhchisarai" (1927)
“Cane-Burun” (1938)
"Mountain Lake" (in the collection of the Simferopol Art Museum )
"Zander. Genoese Fortress ”(in the collection of the Simferopol Art Museum )
“Bakhchisaray. Torba ”(in the OXM collection)
"Old Crimea" (in the OXM collection)
"Morning" (in the OXM meeting)
“Landscape with a Tree” (in the OXM collection)
"Landscape. In the evening ”(in the collection of the Pskov Art Gallery )
"Landscape. Cloudy ”(in the collection of the Pskov Art Gallery )
“Flowers on a Russian Scarf” (in the collection of the F.I. Chaliapin House-Museum in St. Petersburg)
“In the estate” (1910s) (in the collection of the Omsk Museum of Fine Arts named after MA Vrubel )
"Northern landscape" (in the collection of the Berdyansk Art Museum named after I. I. Brodsky )
"Sheaves" (in the collection of the Berdyansk Art Museum named after I. I. Brodsky )

• Rostislavov A.A., A.F. Gaush. // Apollo. - 1913. - October - No. 8. - S.16
• Exhibition of paintings and studies by A. Gausch. Catalog, Pg., 1916
• A.F. Gausch. Exhibition catalog, St. Petersburg, 1922
• Gaush A. F. [Autobiography]. - In the book: Soviet artists. M., 1937, v. 1, p. 45 - 48, ill.
• Alexander Fedorovich Gaush. Exhibition catalog., G.K. Krechin, M.I. Shumov, Izd. State Russian Museum, 1992
• Pushkarev, S.N. Alexander Fedorovich Gaush: return from non-existence / S.N. Pushkarev. - S. 69-103 // XIV Taurian Scientific Readings [Text]: Sat. Materials: in 2 hours. Part 2 / M-in the culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Center. Museum of Tauris; ed. E. B. Vishnevskaya, 2014.
• Aksenova L. A. Contemporaries about the last years of life of A. F. Gaush: notes of a museum worker // Transactions of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. SPb., 1997. Issue. 2. S. 35–47
• A. F. Gaush, reference information on the website “Germans of Russia”
• Alexander Hausch, reference information in the RusArtNet.com project database
• “Alexander Gaush: the return of a forgotten name.” M. Gusarova. "KV" No. 45 dated May 4, 2012
• “The artist lived here alone ...” M. Gusarova. "KV" No. 100 dated 19.09.2013
• Transmission dedicated to Gausch, the television project "Hoffnung" (part 1)
• The program dedicated to Gausch, the television project "Hoffnung" (part 2)