15 . Afghanistan (1989-2001)

      The first tour to Afghanistan took place in 1989, after the conclusion of our armies. Then Gennady himself vaguely understood, why this country broken, destroyed, blood-stained may be of interest to him... Everybody felt sorry for our soldiers. He felt sorry for them too. But, after all, there were also Afghans. In the war there are victims from both parties.
      Everything he saw in Afghanistan, shocked him. The scale of destruction. Wounded old men. The crippled children. Inconceivable poverty of the population. And explosions, explosions, explosions every day.
     He drew in hospitals, in streets, on roads...

 Series"Prayer about the World"

      The Afghan people won his heart. It seemed to him that it was the only people on the Earth, not spoiled by civilization. Purity of relations, deep religiousness, children's trustfulness - he couldn’t stop surprising. "Love the Neighbour" - Gennady called the sketches about Afghanistan ("The Moscow Artist", 1990, 12 January. 7-14-21 Dec. )
       The artist visited Afghanistan for 5 times. The  penultimate trip in the spring of 2001 proceeded for more than 3 months. One, without translators and protection, with improbable adventures the artist made the way to the gorge Salang where our soldiers fell more than 10 years ago. This mountain landscape was the last that caught then their growing dull look. But it seemed to Gennady that they were still looking at him by the eyes of rusty armored carriers and overturned KAMAZ...
      Afghan Gennady's travelling notes can argue with the famous adventures of "Baron Munchhausen". For 6 times with a small lamp in hands he passed the half-ruined multikilometer tunnel under the pass Salang. He drew in the gorge Pandzhsher. He made a sketch portrait of Ahmad Shah Masoud (shortly before his death). He had breakfast with President Rabbani (shortly before his resignation). He prayed for the country dying in internal conflicts.        

"I often thought why Afghanistan so pulls me. And finally I understood. It reminds me post-war Omsk - the city where my childhood passed. The same dust, dirt, poverty, the disabled people sitting in the markets. And at the same time trustfulness, openness of people from which in our life practically remained nothing".

  (From interview to the newspaper "Megapolis-Express” No. 4 of 2002)

       
      The Afghan embassy in Moscow prepared the edition of drawings of the artist. But new terrible events interfered, and yesterday of Afghanistan turned at once into history.
      In 2001 in Moscow 2 personal exhibitions took place. For a series of the Afghan drawings "Prayer about the World" (about 100 works) the rank "The Honored Worker of Arts of the Russian Federation" was appropriated to the artist.