Otreshko Alexey (04.04.1922 - 09.05.1991)

Information provided by the artist's son Otreshko Zurab Alekseevichem. email for communication lizanka71105@yandex.ru

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 I was born in Tbilisi in 1922 in the family of the employee. Draw began in early childhood. In our family, since my grandfather Ulyanov Athanasius Ivanovich, my mother and her brothers, all were engaged in painting. A grandfather knew many of the artists who lived and worked at that time in Tbilisi, had a close relationship with the famous creative artist akvaleristom I.N.Zankovskim (1832-1919), a graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1863, served in Tiflis in the Military Topographical Department of the Caucasus Military District.
 My uncle, Ulyanov Afanasevich Andrew graduated from the studio Mose Toidze. I was at the center of his attention.
 My childhood drawings are very encouraged, they were collected for storage (part of the surviving drawings are housed until now). Next - the years of school. In all decoration works in the school took an active part. Namely, designed the school plays, wall newspapers, posters.

Later, as a high school student, I was an ardent participant and winner of the national competition in gymnastics from society "PISCHEVIK." Also, my favorite activity was the radios, I carefully attended radio club of the city. But the lesson of Arts, I always had in the foreground.

In those years, I - cabinet member for children's art education TOHO (Department of Education), the initiator and leader of which was everyone's favorite artist Leonid Potapov (later the first teacher of painting and drawing open in 1943 at Tbilisi Nakhimov Naval School), a born teacher, unchanging fan of realistic art.
 Through his hands passed a lot of talented young men, some of whom later became well-known artists of the country.

 All my plans and dreams for the future were suddenly interrupted by the war in 1941. Mnya drafted into the Red Army at the age of 19 years. I "with distinction" I finished the Tbilisi School of Infantry and the young officer was sent to the Stalingrad Front (Kalach-on-Don) in the summer of 1942 a liaison officer command 196 Infantry Division (Division Commander Colonel Ivanov VP) 62 Army Staff (Army Commander Lieutenant General VI Chuikov) Stalingrad Front (a member of the Military Council of the front NS Khrushchev). The war ended in 1945 in Berlin, participated in the Berlin operation as part of the 1 Ukrainian Front (picture "ruined Reichstag", written in watercolor after the capture of Berlin, is in a private collection in Russia). He was wounded twice - in the back and in the leg.

 After the Victory until 1946 service was held in Germany and Poland. Only in 1946, returning home in Tbilisi, I was able once again to continue the dream - to become an artist. But it was not so easy. Family circumstances of the postwar years, related to the lack of sufficient means of subsistence, were not conducive to my admission to the Tbilisi Academy of Arts. There was only one way out - a persistent and hard work on themselves. Theory, practice and work for material balance.

 Was a favorable environment for the development of my abilities. Beauty of the landscape of Georgia, its ancient historical monuments, urban landscape, I loved since childhood. Independent life and creative activity began at me since 1947 when I went to work in the Central House of Culture of Georgia decorator, where he worked until 1958. During this period, I made a huge and varied work. I designed 40 productions. Was an intern at the Opera House and Theatre Mardzhanishvili under the guidance of experienced decorators. Along with the main work and creativity led a major public work required of the Kirov district committee of the party in Tbilisi on registration area as a whole, as well as a festive decoration of the area, columns and other vehicles for demonstrations of workers, district festivals, registration of scenes in various activities, writing-portraits banners, etc.

 In the House of Culture, I was a member of the Circle of Fine Arts, where the head was then, the former chairman of the Union of Artists of Georgia Shalva Mamaladze. At that time, I have received seven awards and a diploma from the Minister of Culture of the USSR, the few times I've been noted in the press.

 Many times seconded to the cities of the country to become familiar with museums and exhibitions of artists.
 In 1951, the House of Culture had my first solo exhibition of watercolors.
 In 1952, I participated in the Republican exhibition of creativity and office workers in the city of Tbilisi.
 In 1954, I was a member All-Union Exhibition of workers and employees in the city of Moscow, which was seconded by the delegate from Georgia where he met with the People's Artist of the USSR KFYuon .
 in the same year was admitted a member of the Georgian section of young artists at the Union of Artists of the USSR.
 in 1957 - Member Exhibition of Young Artists of Georgia in Moscow.
 In 1958 I had my second solo exhibition at the club of artists, presenting work done in watercolor and oil.
 After the show I was adopted as a candidate for membership of the Union of Artists of the USSR on the recommendations of Honored Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor Lado Gudiashvili, Honored Artist of Georgia I.Vephvadze, a professor of the Tbilisi Academy of Arts V.Dzhaparidze. After the second solo exhibition, in 1960, I become a member of the Geographical Society of the USSR (Georgia's Office), has acquired more than 30 of my works.
 since 1964 - I am a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR and the Art Fund. Once in the Union of Artists of the USSR, I worked long and hard, I participate in many annual exhibitions.

 My works are in museums in Georgia, Russia, the three works are in the museum of the city of Sumy, in an art gallery in Leipzig in Germany, as well as Vietnam, Czechoslovakia, India, Israel, Greece and private collections in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tver, Tambov, Kiev, Lvov, Tbilisi.
 I am a regular member of the All-Union art lotteries, which are regularly taken my job.
 Prior to 1972 often appeared in the press articles about my work, art work, essays about exhibitions (the newspaper "Dawn of the East", the newspaper KZakVO "Lenin Banner ").
 huge benefit to my work brought a personal acquaintance with many well-known artists of the USSR:
 - the first President of the USSR Academy of Arts, People's Artist of the USSR AMGerasimov - with the People's Artist of the USSR KFYuon ;
 - a member of the Union Artists of the USSR, Ukrainian artist-painter, Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR Semen Guetskim;
 - a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR, People's Artist of Russia, Academician, laureate of the State Prize. Ilya Repin Stanislav Mikhailovich Nikireevym and their work.

 October 1976, Tbilisi