"The Afghan refugee journalist Vorosta". Hodzhebautdin. 2001.
"Fresh wounds". Afghan
field hospital.
Tajikistan. 2001.
"Field Commander Baba Dzhalandar with burnt
eyes". Hodzhebautdin. 2001.
"How to
console the crying? - To cry together
with him…” Priest Alexander
Elchaninov.
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...
"Song of Russia". Salang Pass. Afghanistan. 2001.
"Ahmad Shah Masood interviewed March 30, 2001". Hodzhebautdin. 2001.
"Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani".
Faizabad. October 2001.
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.
Russian artist among the Mujahideen. Photos of Afghanistan in 1989.
With older Afghans. Photos of Afghanistan in 2001.
With Afghan militias. Photo 2001.
"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.