Biography

Valentine Reshchikov was born in 1954 just 7 days later than Christmas Day in a large patriarchal family. His native home is a wonderful land of Russia - Meshchera. A wight Russian stove in an old house of Valentine`s grandfather became the first months shelter of a boy. Here, Valentine recalls, he would investigate designs of uncovered wooden ceiling and listened to cricket warbling while long winter evenings. All the surrounded world of his childhood formed creative mind of the artist. For instance child fantasy concerned to Russian bania reflected in such a composition like Navii. Meeting with a wolfs gave birth to Adjuring. A popular legend narrating about a Church frequently seen at the bottom of a local lake turned to be comparable with the legend of Kitedg Town (sunken ancient city in Russian epos) in Reflection. Though Valentin saw reflection of his future not in the magic lake mirror, but with a help of an ax. The point is that Valentin`s villagers prophesied destiny of their relatives using an ax. An ax handle was revolved quickly while uttering appropriating words and the word while which the ax stopped meant the following fate and mission of a person. Valentine was to become a master for it was the very word the ax indicated. It turned to be the truth. Valentine Reshchikov entered The Bogorodsk Handicrafts College near Moscow. Tavromahia became his main theme while leaning woodcarving. It was a sculpture of a bull that he presented for the entering commission in The Vera Mushina High School of Arts and Design in Leningrad. Having become a student of The School of Arts in 1984 Valentine set aside wood for a time devoting himself to modeling totally. As a result a final project presented was a huge two-figured statue The Unforgettables regarding to ancient Russian ballad Tale of The Igor people. He created this work in a windowless vault of the School building where a cloakroom used to be. Arched sealing, candle fire, incense smell and a nonstop playing record of motet composed an atmosphere of a cathedral. Today this accommodation is actually a student church of Saint Lucka. This way myth transforms into reality.

One more such a transformation happened near The Varlaam The Hutonskiy Tomb. Valentine happened to be in The Hutonskiy monastery (near Novgorod) as he was a member of an archeological expedition under the head of a prominent historian of ancient Russian art V. A. Bulkin. And there in Novgorod land the artist got blessing from The Saint for fulfill the greatest dill of his life - foundation of a monument. This monument proved to be a big memorial cross devoted to Ledovoe Poboishche, a fateful battle in Russian history happened in winter of 1242 on the ice of Chudskoe lake. Probably it was the Saint how helped him realize this fantasy. It was a real wonder that the artist was able to do the imposable. In 9 days and nights he made The Cross covered with carving. In this time he left the outer life having deepen himself completely into the work. He was so exhausted that he looked to be crucified himself. 5 meters wooden construction had to transported with the help of military aircraft. The whole pile of boulders picked up near the lake was heaped for its base. The monument was erected at the road leading to a church as the Russian orthodox tradition says. Today this place is a place of pilgrimage. People come here to bow before The Cross. In orthodox holidays religious procession with firing candles goes towards it. Thus in the will of fate and people The Cross became not only sign of victory but also bowing one.

The Memorial Cross is not the only thing of cult by Valentine Reshchikov. In 2000 he executed 4 sculptures for the Saint Catherine cathedral in Nevskiy in Saint-Petersburg.

New stream in the artist life became his teaching activity. Since 2003 Valentine Reshchikov teaches sculpture in Saint-Petersburg Stare Academy of Panting, Sculpture and Architecture.

Having entered The Union of artists in 1994 Valentine Reshchikov shows his work at many exhibitions of the city. The general theme of his creative activity is myth. It is myth, which he devoted at all his person shows - Images of Antique in Valentine Reshchikov Plastic Art (1994, Saint-Petersburg), The world of Antiquety (1998, Moscow), Mysteries of Antiquety (2000-2001, Saint-Petersburg), The tree of Myth (2002, Saint-Petersburg), In the World of Myth (2002, Novgorod). The works by Valentine Reshchikov exhibited at these shows excellently reflect the world of our ancestry. If displayed together with archeological items you would never say that a modern sculptor made them. This is understood because the very process of Valentine work looks like an ancient ritual. The first - the choice of material is not evident. Usually Valentine use lime, honey-tree possessing many good qualities. The second - creating of a sculpture is frequently accompanied by bloodshed, as profession of a carver is rather dangerous. The third - the artist gives great dill of energy to a sculpture while polishing it with wax by his own hands. As a result Valentine Reshchikov`s works are vane-sided and mystical. Many people say that his sculptures radiate warmth. Made of coniferous trees sculptures secret tar so that effect myrrh floating is done. So these works focused together in a museum or gallery consist the tree of myth, the tree of life and the tree of artist's life.