Along with the theater and concert life of Zhytomyr at the beginning of the 20th century, fine art was also rapidly developing. This created a special, unique color of culture in the city, thanks to which the world became famous artists, who began their creative path here.

Painters rallied around the notable cells – the school of drawing Kazanovsky, art classes of Yanshinov. The organizers of art exhibitions were “Mutual Credit Society” and “Artistic Society”, which had their premises on the corner of the streets of Mikhailovskaya and Velyka Berdychivska (now – the City Council). With the participation of art lovers, collectors, wealthy Zhytomyr people were organized events that became a notable event, helped to prove themselves gifted and talented artists.
Maria Kazanovska (in the Virginity Class) was born in 1857 in a noble, poor family. The place of birth can not be reliably established: perhaps in Zhitomir, in another unconfirmed version – in the village of Kovnat in Poland. Maria graduated from Kharkiv Gymnasium, after which she went to Warsaw with her parents and entered the school of painting, where she studied under the guidance of the famous artist Professor Wojciech Gerson.
According to his advice in 1881, she successfully passed the competition for the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, which she graduated with a silver medal. At one of the exhibitions, her work “Idyll” was purchased for the artistic collection of the Academy, which was the recognition of the perfect talent of Mary. At this time the mistress met with her future husband, artist Vladislav Kazanovsky, with whom he left for Zhytomyr, where they founded a private school of drawing.
Painting of Kazanovsky – realistic everyday scenes, landscapes and beautiful architectural constructions of Zhytomyr and Volhyn. Especially Maria loved to draw flowers, in this genre she achieved a great deal of skill.
Her floral compositions were deliciously redeemed by Zhytomirans. Landscapes of Kazanovsky – as if studying “nature, often written on one breath and without sketches. The artist sent his work to participate in the exhibition events not only in Zhytomyr, but also in Kiev, Kharkiv, Warsaw, and St. Petersburg.
Mary’s creative life was short-lived, went to school in Zhytomyr in 1898, buried in a Catholic cemetery. Strangely enough, its grave has survived to this day. The death of a personal exhibition and sale of Kazanovska painting took place in Warsaw in 1899. The proceeds from the sale of paintings purchased by museums and individuals were used as a scholarship for young artists, students of the Kazanovsky school.
Vladislav Kazanovsky, a husband of Mary, a talented artist, also took an active part in the artistic and cultural life of Zhytomyr. His works were exhibited at the first urban art exhibition in 1899. The wonderful canvas of Kazanovsky is a portrait of Georgy Machetta, a writer, a public figure, and still remains in the collections of our museum of local lore.
The private art school of Kazanovsky has become a prestigious educational institution, where the talented young beginners become professional. It was quite difficult to enter here, not everyone was willing to enroll: not more than 20 students were studying there. The artistic elite institution was subordinated to the Directorate of Public Schools. The founders invited to teach at the school invited talented teachers, artists of Zhytomyr Alexander Kantserov, Hnaat Raus, Dmitry Antonov and others. Each of the named – a person with his own, creative and unique handwriting. About Kantserov has already been told, but a story about Dmitry Antonov ahead, it’s worth saying only that he studied at the Paris workshop of the famous Fernan Korman, together with world-famous artists Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Roerich and others.
In the turbulent years of the Civil War, after the 1917 coup, the teacher of drawing in the gymnasium of Zhytomyr, Dmitry Antonov was the organizer and tireless savior of priceless artistic works, which later became part of the artistic collection of the Zhytomyr Museum. Not all current visitors to the art gallery know who to thank for the opportunity to see world-class masterpieces.
For some time, the Kazanovsky school was located at the corner of the streets of Ivan Franko and S. Richter (in the past of the Gymnasium and Bazarna), now there is the music school № 2 named after Svyatoslav Richter. Having survived the difficult times of the first world and other tragic events, it lasted until 1917.
A talented spouse initiated a school that contributed to the formation of many famous artists. And though his beloved wife had died early, Vladislav continued their common cause for many years.
Sergey Sobchuk
Member of the National Union of Local History of Ukraine
Anna Sobchuk, co-author
Translated by Aliona Matushevich