Nikolay Punin
| Nikolay Punin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nikolay Nikolayevich Punin November 28 [O.S. December 11] 1888 Helsingfors, Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Died | August 21, 1953 (aged 64) Gulag, Vorkuta, Soviet Union |
| Occupation | scholar, writer, political prisoner |
| Subject | contemporary art, art history |
| Notable works | Diaries |
| Spouse | Anna Arens (1917–?) |
| Partner | Anna Akhmatova |
| Children | Irina |
Nikolay Nikolayevich Punin (Russian: Никола́й Никола́евич Пу́нин; November 28 [O.S. December 11] 1888 – August 21, 1953) was a Russian art scholar and writer. He edited several magazines, such as Izobrazitelnoye Iskusstvo among others, and was also co-founder of the Department of Iconography in the State Russian Museum. Punin was a lifelong friend and common-law husband of poet Anna Akhmatova who is famous for writing the poem Requiem.
Nikolay Punin was born in Helsingfors (now Helsinki), Grand Duchy of Finland, into the family of Nikolay Mikhaylovich Punin, a Medical Doctor of the Imperial Russian Army stationed in Helsingfors. Young Punin moved to St. Petersburg and attended the classical gymnasium where he first met young student Anna Akhmatova. From 1907 to 1914, Punin attended the St. Petersburg University, studied history of art under professor Dmitry Aynalov, graduating in 1914, as an art historian, and began a career as an art critic and editor. Punin's involvement in such schools as Acmeism, Constructivism, Formalism, and other developments in art and culture, eventually made him one of the key figures in the Russian art world.
Punin was among the first art critics who focused on the emerging new trends and styles. Punin's own multi-cultural exposure, as well as his diverse education and broad vision, made him the leading ideologist of the "Left Art," embracing and representing many innovative and experimental movements. Punin was nicknamed a "Futurist" and a "Leftist" by both artists and historians. His circle of friends included artists Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, Vladimir Lebedev, Lev Bruni, Nikolai Tyrsa, and others.
...
Wikipedia