Garri Rokchinsky’s art as a visualization of Kalmyk history and culture

The structure and content of the monograph album of a well-known art historian specializing in the study of Kalmyk fine art is discussed. The book presents the creative heritage of the outstanding Kalmyk artist Garri Rokchinsky (1923-1993). It was published to the centenary of the artist’s birth. The reviewer states that the format of the book made it possible to reveal the stages of the artist’s creative path, the most significant topics for him related to the history of the Kalmyks, Kalmyk culture, and its spiritual basis - Buddhism. The importance of the canvas Mother Earth and the female image in it is noted both for the creative heritage of the artist and for the entire visual art of Kalmykia in the second half of the 20th - early 21st centuries. The reviewer consistently analyzes various thematic perspectives of Rokchinsky’s works, touched upon in the monograph album: the artist’s approach to the theme of labor heroes, his historical and philosophical reflections, his artistic interpretation of key moments of ethnic history, the spiritual foundations of the culture of the Kalmyk people. The attention the author of the book pays to the disclosure of the images of the Kalmyk national epic Jangar and the performers of epic tales ( dzhangarchi ) in the artist’s works is emphasized. The section of the monograph devoted to the painter’s embodiment of symbols related to the religious and philosophical ideas of Buddhism is characterized, Rokchinsky’s attention to the personality of the Kalmyk educator Zaya Pandita (the artist painted his several portraits) is noted. The reviewer positively evaluates the selection of the artist’s works presented in the reviewed book. Some of them are unknown to the general public as they are parts of private collections. The content and structure of the monograph album is highly rated, and its scientific value is noted. The target audience of the publication has been identified, which is people interested in fine art; scientists studying Kalmyk culture, the history of the people, issues of identity and ethnicity; specialists in the field of education, especially school education. According to the reviewer, the relevance of the book lies in the fact that it visualizes the history of the Kalmyks and the spiritual foundations of Kalmyk culture, and opens new horizons for the preservation of historical memory, the formation of the identity of the younger generation. The review ends with critical remarks that are not fundamental in nature and do not reduce the quality of the work.