Kitaev, Alexander Alexandrovich

Alexander Kitaev was born on November 23, 1952 in Leningrad . After graduating from high school from 1970 to 1978. worked as a mechanic for mechanical assembly at the Zarya LEMZ. In the years 1971-1973. studied at the North-West Correspondence Polytechnic Institute. In the same years he became interested in photography. In 1972 he was admitted to the country's oldest photo club at the Vyborg Palace of Culture (VDK). From 1975 to 1979 was a member of the creative group “Window” (A. Kitaev, B. Konov, E. Pokuts, E. Skibitskaya, S. Chabutkin), formed inside the VDK photo club. Being part of the club, he was a participant and laureate of international, all-Union and city exhibitions and competitions of folk art. In 1977 he graduated from the faculty of photojournalists of the City University of Rabcors at the Leningrad House of Journalists. Since 1978, he worked as a photographer at the Leningrad shipbuilding company Admiralty Shipyards . In 1879, among several amateur photographers, he left the VDK and took part in the creation of the photo club "Friendship" of the House of Friendship with Peoples of Foreign Countries. In 1982, he stopped visiting amateur organizations and took up intensive self-education.

In 1987, Kitaev returned to photographic work and joined the Zerkalo photo club; in 1988, together with most of its members, withdrew from its composition. From 1888 to 1989 took part in the exhibition activities of the Leningrad association "Photocenter" in the Palace of Culture. “Ilyich” and the “Community of Photographers” partnership created by R. Mangutov. ^[1] Since the 1980s He began to create cycles of specific and genre impressions of St. Petersburg, which later gained great fame. Then he began work on the creation of portrait iconography of the figures of the Leningrad-Petersburg culture. In the early 1990s, he experimented a lot in the field of abstract photography in the technique of photograms and the so-called "Chemistry". ^[2] Since 1992, a member of the Photopostscriptum association. In 1992 he was admitted to the Union of Photographers of Russia , in 1994 - to the Union of Artists of Russia . Since 1998, member of the organizing council of the festival "Traditional Autumn Photomarathon". Since 1999, a free artist. In 2000 he organized the publishing house Art-Tema, specializing in the publication of publications on photography (art director, 2000-2001); editor of the "Art Attic" section of the online magazine Peter-club (2000-2001); art director of the Raskolnikov photo gallery (2004-2005). In 1995-2012. Kitaev’s workshop was a place of regular, weekly (on Wednesdays) meetings and communication of many creative personalities from different cities of Russia and foreign countries.

In 1996, as part of the Window to the Netherlands program, he worked with the Dutch photojournalist Wubbo de Jang to create images of Amsterdam and St. Petersburg. In 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He made five photo expeditions to Mount Athos , which resulted in a significant collection of impressions of the Holy Mountain. Photos of the Athos cycle were published in a number of books and reference books on modern Athos, were exhibited at 14 solo exhibitions (1997-2005), and were also part of many group expositions. In 1998-1999 was a member of the Russian-Italian research project "Love Dostoevskaya: S. Petersburg-Bolzano." In 2000 and 2006 With the support of the Consulate General of Germany in St. Petersburg, he worked on creating a series of photographic captures of a united Berlin. In 2006 - a scholarship holder to the City Hall of Paris. The author of more than seventy solo exhibitions held in Russia, England, Germany, Holland, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, a participant in more than 150 group exhibitions (until 2012). Curator of a number of exhibition projects in Russia and abroad.

An iconic representative of the St. Petersburg school of art photography at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. best known for works performed in the genre of urban landscape:

“Alexander Kitaev has a strange feeling of Petersburg. It cannot be called retrospective. With all his love for old Russian photography, Kitaev is not styled in the 19th century. But he also almost does not find bright signs of the present. He seemed to refute the well-known axiom that states that any picture over the years turns into a document of its era. Looking at his photo you can’t say: this is the Garden of the eighties, this is the Palace of the nineties. It’s just a street and a promenade - how they live in the backyards of memory: unchanging, ideal views, cleared of temporary husks. If that makes Kitaev grab his reporter’s narrow-film camera and press the shutter button at one time or another, it’s certainly not a pursuit of history . ” (A. Tolstova). ^[3]

Photos of the Athos cycle created by him were also very famous:

“ It seems that now it’s time to seriously think about the fate of this new photographic archive, which represents Athos at the end of the 20th century, with its“ peace ”and everyday life, simple joys and considerable problems that did not escape the photographer. However, this is not a report, not a simple photographic fixation, but images created by the artist. Printed, like a hundred years ago, in traditional black-and-white technology, Kitaev’s works seem like a “retro” or “archaeological” photograph, but the least worth seeing is a formal stylization, longing for the past, an attempt to turn back the clock . ” (Yu. Demidenko). ^[four]

No less famous are works in portraiture in the genre:

Kitaev was originally created precisely as a photographer-artist, and somewhere at the cellular level he has the ability, at his discretion, to change his view of not only the environment, but the whole complex of visual perception of reality. You might think that he has a special transformation gene. Therefore, Kitaev has a special opportunity, which he constantly takes advantage of - he can allow himself to approach the shooting of any next portrait as a completely new, unique task and look for its solution as if “from scratch”, based solely on the age-old conflict “artist - model” . (Nal Podolsky) ^[5]

In the early 1990s, he experimented a lot in the field of abstract photography in the technique of photograms and the so-called "Chemistry".

“For the first time turning to photograms in the 1990s, Kitaev has gone far from his famous predecessors. He immediately began to work not with elementary formulas of contrasts and contours, but with three-dimensional and transparent glass, allowing you to create complex spatial compositions. And if at first the artist was still interested in the true shadows of objects that had long exhausted their direct function, then he came to the creation of completely new realities. The pathos of “alienation”, which was equally embodied in Rene Magritte’s attempts to “see anew” an ordinary glass and in the photogram compositions of Man Ray and Moholy-Nadia, was rejected in order to acquire a new instrument - a glass bottle and a light stream. ” (Yu. Demidenko).

In 2012, he stopped photographic practice and devoted himself exclusively to the study of the history of Russian photography. He lectured on the history of photography at the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg ; State Russian Museum of Photography (Nizhny Novgorod); Photographic Museum " House of Metenkov " (Yekaterinburg); Youth Educational Center of the State Hermitage; Museum of the History of Photography (St. Petersburg); Museum of the History of Photography (Kolomna); Baltic Photo School (St. Petersburg); The St. Petersburg Photo Workshops Foundation (St. Petersburg); School of Visual Arts (Moscow); State Center for Photography ROSPHOTO (St. Petersburg); Leica Akademie (Moscow), at the festivals "Photo Parade in Uglich", "PeterFotoFest" and others.

Books

• Subjective. Photographer about photography. Publishing House of St. Petersburg University, St. Petersburg, 2006. ISBN 5-238-04146-6
• Subjectively about photographers. Letters. “Stereoscope”, St. Petersburg, 2013. ISBN 978-5-9904923-1-8
• Petersburg Ivan Bianchi. Poste restante. (PHOTOS series). Rostock, St. Petersburg, 2015. ISBN 978-5-94668-161-2
• Petersburg light in photos of Karl Doutendey. (Series PHOTOS), Rostock, St. Petersburg, 2016. ISBN 978-5-94668-188-9

Albums

• Blessing / text by I. Chmyrev. Art Theme, St. Petersburg, 2000
• The involuntary line of the landscape / text V. Savchuk . Art Theme, St. Petersburg, 2000
• Still-light / text by I. Chmyrev. Art Theme, St. Petersburg, 2000
• Reflections Album / photo A. Kitaev. OCS, St. Petersburg, 2001
• Genre: Petersburg. Album. SPb, 2011
• Walks along the Marlin Alley / text by E. Andreev. Rostock, St. Petersburg, 2015
• Patina. Old Summer Garden. "Rostock", St. Petersburg. 2015
• Athos vintage. "Rostock", St. Petersburg. 2015
• Incomprehensible Petersburg: album / text by A. Tolstov. Rostock, St. Petersburg, 2016
• Travel of the world: album / text by I. Chmyrev. Rostock, St. Petersburg, 2016
• The tricks of Vertumna in the gardens of Peterhof ”/ text by Yu. Demidenko. Rostock, St. Petersburg, 2017

Publications on the history of photography

• Photographic time of Karl Bulla / Petersburg. 1903 in the photographs of K.K. Bulls: catalog. GMISPb. 2003
• Vasily Sokornov. Specialty - types of Crimea / Vasily Sokornov . Types of Crimea: catalog. ROSPHOTO, St. Petersburg. 2005
• The first St. Petersburg painter / Ivan Bianchi - the first St. Petersburg painter: catalog. GMISPb, St. Petersburg. 2005
• Life-affirming genre / Nude. Old & New. Album. OCS, St. Petersburg. 2006
• Maxim Dmitriev in the fight for copyright in photography / Photography. History and Present / Materials of the scientific-practical conference dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of M. P. Dmitriev. Nizhny Novgorod, 2009
• About Boris Smelov / Media Philosophy III. Photography / Ed. V.V.Savchuk , M.A. Stepanova. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg Philosophical Society, 2009
• About photography, Petersburg and the end of the century / Boris Smelov . Retrospective: catalog. State Hermitage Museum, 2009
• German contribution to Russian photography of the 19th century / St. Petersburg in the work of German photographers of the 19th century: catalog. GMISPb, St. Petersburg, 2014
• Petersburg expedition of Ivan Bianchi // Russian World: Almanac / Ch. ed. YES. Ivashintsov. - SPb. : Russian culture, No. 9, 2014
• Die Wiederentdeckung eines Fotografen. Ivan (Giovanni) Bianchi - der erste Lichtbildner Petersburgs // Fotogeschichte, Helf 141, 36. Jg., 2016
• Caution Wesenberg! // Zheverzheevsky readings: Creators and collectors: Materials scientific. conf. October 6-7, 2016 / St. Petersburg. Gos. Museum Theater. and muses. Art. - SPb. 2016
• Karl Dautendey “in the land of snow and bears” // Russian Mir: Almanac / Ch. ed. YES. Ivashintsov. - SPb. : Russian culture, No. 10, 2016

Internet Publishing

• Harbinger of the report. “Where a sharp wind always blows”
• German contribution to 19th century Russian photography
• Horror stories for adults. To the story of the "newspaper duck" or as it is now called - "stuffing"
• Shadow painting. X-ray as a photographer of the invisible
• Annoying mosquitoes
• Alexander Kitaev. Igor Gavrilov: “Health in Soviet journalism needed to be strong”

Solo exhibitions (optional)

• 2011 - Incomprehensible Petersburg - Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography, Moscow
• 2010 - Paris. Demi-season - State Center for Photography ROSPHOTO, St. Petersburg.
• 2008 - Three days in August 1991 - The State Museum of the Political History of Russia, St. Petersburg.
• 2007 - Multum, non multa - photographic museum "Metenkova House", Yekaterinburg
• 2006 - Berlin in half an hour — Central Museum of Railway Transport, St. Petersburg.
• 2005 - Traveling the World - State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg
• 2004 - Nude. Body Versions — Krasnoyarsk Museum Center, Krasnoyarsk
• 2003 - St. Petersburg and the magic of Peterhof Gardens — La Fabbrica, Lozone
• 2001 - Mount Athos and its inhabitants - Tikhvin Museum of History, Memorial, Architecture and Art, Tikhvin
• 2000 - The involuntary line of the landscape. International Month of Photography in Moscow “Photobiennale 2000” —Central House of Artists, Moscow
• 2000 - Between heaven and earth ... - Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl
• 1999 - 10 years with St. Petersburg — State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg
• 1998 - Views of the Mount Athos — New Academy of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg.
• 1996 - Amsterdam through the eyes of Alexander Kitaev — Petrozavodsk, Pskov, Kaliningrad, Vologda, Cherepovets
• 1996 - Images of St. Petersburg - “Photosynkyria'96”. 9th International Meeting, Endos ton technon, Thessaloniki
• 1996 - ST PETERSBURG as seen by Wubbo de Jong, AMSTERDAM through the eyes of Alexander Kitayev — Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Central Exhibition Hall (Manege), St. Petersburg.  

Group exhibitions (optional)

• 2012 - Outpost of Russian photography - Gallery of classical photography, Moscow
• 2012 - Perestroika, Liberalization, Experiment (1980s-2010) - Houston, USA
• 2012 - Silver City. Petersburg Photography of the XX-XXI Centuries — Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography, Moscow
• 2010 - Moscow - Paris. (International Month of Photography in Moscow “Photobiennale 2010”) - Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow
• 2005 - Photogram. Projection. Silhouette. - State Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow
• 2004 - Paul I through the eyes of 20th century photo artists - State. Russian Museum (Mikhailovsky Castle), St. Petersburg.
• 2003 - St. Petersburg in Black and White - Grand Gallery, New York
• 2003 - Modern Petersburg through the eyes of photographers - State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
• 2002 - Black and White Petersburg - The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg
• 2001 - Abstraction in Russia. XX century. - State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
• 2000 - Icons of the Russian Ballet - The Royal Opera House Studio Covent Carden, London
• 1999 - Russia in Transition: 1978-1998 - Leica Gallery, New York; ' Columbia University, Washington, USA (2000)'
• 1999 - Lyubov Dostoevskaya: S. Petersburg-Bolzano - Literary and Memorial Museum of F.M. Dostoevsky, St. Petersburg.
• 1997 - Photo relay: from Rodchenko to the present day — Municipal Gallery “A-3”, Moscow
• 1996 - Russian photographers Renewal & Metamorphosis From The Late Soviet Era To The 1990 is. - The MIT Museum; Fichburg Art Museum (1997), USA
• 1995 - The latest photo art from Russia - Frankfurt-Dusseldorf-Karlsruhe-Gannover-Gerten, Germany
• 1994 - Self-identification. Positions in St. Petersburg Art from 1970 until Today — Kiel-Berlin-Oslo-Sopot; State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
• 1993 - Photopostscriptum - State Russian Museum (Marble Palace), St. Petersburg.

• Neva font. (Festival "Myths of St. Petersburg". Together with A. Chezhin ). Gallery "Fedor", Sestroretsk. 1996.
• Shift: from Leningrad to St. Petersburg. (Together with A. Chezhin ). The State Literary and Memorial Museum of F. M. Dostoevsky, St. Petersburg. 1997.
• One model. (V St. Petersburg biennale Autumn Photomarathon). Gallery "Art College", St. Petersburg. 1998
• Photographers. (Festival of Arts "Master Class'98"). Exhibition Center of the Union of Artists. St. Petersburg. 1998
• The old guard. (Festival "Anatomy of Contemporary Art of St. Petersburg"). Gallery "Art College", St. Petersburg. 1999
• The Russian Nude XX th, Centory Photography. (Together with A. Loginov). Luke & A Gallery, London. 2002. Catalog. SPb, 2002
• Black and white Petersburg. (Jointly with Yu. Demidenko). State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. 2002; House Museum of Lord Leighton, London. 2003. Catalog. SPb, 2002 [1]
• Silver photograph. (Together with V. Valran) - Art College Gallery, St. Petersburg. 2003
• Petersburg 1903 in the photographs of K. K. Bulla. State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. 2003. Catalog. SPb. 2003 [2] . [3]
• Crossroads. Raskolnikov Gallery, St. Petersburg. 2004-2005.
• Ivan Bianchi is the first St. Petersburg painter (together with Yu. Demidenko). State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. 2005. Catalog. SPb, 2005 [4]
• The poetry of the gardens. (Together with O. Korsunova). State Museum of Urban Sculpture, St. Petersburg. 2006. [5]
• WE. (Together with I. Lebedev). Central Exhibition Hall "Manege", St. Petersburg. 2010. [6]
• Metromania. State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. 2010. [7]

• State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
• State Museum of Fine Arts Pushkina, Moscow
• State Center for Photography ROSPHOTO, St. Petersburg.
• State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg
• State Russian Museum of Photography, Nizhny Novgorod;
• Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow
• Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow
• Museum of Non-Conformist Art, St. Petersburg.
• Yaroslavl Art Museum
• Photographic Museum "Metenkov House", Yekaterinburg
• St. Petersburg State Museum of Musical and Theater Art, St. Petersburg.
• Russian National Library, St. Petersburg.
• Literary and Memorial Museum of F.M. Dostoevsky, St. Petersburg.
• Museum of the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House), St. Petersburg.
• St. Petersburg State Theater Library, St. Petersburg.
• Museum "V.V. House Nabokova ", St. Petersburg.
• Museum of the History of Photography, St. Petersburg
• Museum of Organic Culture, Kolomna
• Foundation "Free Culture", St. Petersburg.
• Foundation for Historical Photography Karla Bulla, St. Petersburg.
• Ruarts Foundation, Moscow
• Foundation “Presidential Center B.N. Yeltsin ", Yekaterinburg
• Lumiere Brothers Photography Center, Moscow
• Harry Ranson Humanitarian Research Center, Ostin, Texas, USA
• The Navigator Foundation, Boston, USA
• The Norton and Nancy Dodge Collection, USA
• The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers
• The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswik, NJ, USA
• Mendi Kaszier Foundation, Antwerpen, Belgien
• Centro culturale Il Rivellino LDV, Svizzera