The range of creativity Nikas is extremely wide: cubism, symbolism, abstract art, realistic psychological portrait, surreal landscape ... In addition, he classic Russian icon painter, whose work blesses and accepts its walls Orthodox Church.

Work Safronova adorn many museums of America, Russia, Western Europe. They say more than 700 of his paintings was bought by collectors, which allowed the artist to become the owner of not only its own ancient castle in Scotland, but also a spacious penthouse overlooking the Kremlin in Moscow. However, Nikas - not only getting but also a generous benefactor: he says that the three earned two cents to sacrifice.

Ironically, in Lithuania the name and works Nikas Safronov little is known. But in vain, because it is our land, he is obliged not only to its origin - Nikas mother, Anna, half-Finn, half-Lithuanian, born in Catholic families from the Panevezys, but his first creative insights, and even the first recognition.

First, Nikas studied at Vilnius Art Institute (now the Academy), where the first truly felt like it was a painter. Secondly, in 1978, in Panevezys, he had his first personal exhibition.

Thirdly, it is from Lithuania, then still a very closed Soviet countries, Safronov rapidly broke into the big world - in the first year of study at the Art Institute for two of his works have been selected for exhibition in Paris, the Pompidou Center ...

In general, to all appearances, we got time to get to know Nikas.

- I arrived in Lithuania, primarily to visit places associated with my mom. When she left, but it was in 1976, I served in the Army in Estonia. After this was determined that necessarily'll visit her home, but somehow did not get - not enough time. Now this time has come.

I am pleased that in my blood flowing and Lithuanian. I wanted to here arranged exhibitions of my work, sold my albums, because I lived here, studied. Although he studied also Rostve-on-Don, and Moscow, and Zagorsk, and in Paris and London, and in Holland, where he studied the artists who interested me. However, Lithuania I am full of gratitude, because there has absorbed a lot of useful and necessary for life and creativity.

I gave President Valdas Adamkus now, which is associated with Lithuania. This kind of night in Vilnius. A year ago, when I was in Lithuania last time, I was doing sketches, something remembered, something photographed. Now I have a series of works, which gradually develops. I cook it, perhaps, to the millennium celebration of the first mention of Lithuania, which would take the creative part. I want to show Lithuania and around the world - as my albums sold in the West - as it is beautiful.

- You always know that your mother - a native of Lithuania, Lithuanian. What you mean?

- I would not focus narrowly on ethnicity. I myself, of course, Russian people, Russian culture and education. And as recently as one of my sons who lives in London, his mother, a Buddhist wanted to attach to their faith, I would not: let them grow up first, go to Tibet, he will understand and consciously choose their faith. So Russian can be anyone on the blood: Lithuanian, Jewish, Tatar.

Russian - a system of knowledge, which made this nation in the world. This Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy. This ability to perceive Russian humor. But I myself - a cosmopolitan. I work all over the world - no matter where it is at this time. But I love Russia. Perhaps, as a scout, who, 20-30 years old are forced to live far from the homeland ...

But my homeland - is Lithuania, where I spent seven unforgettable years of my life, my youth, when you're full of energy and life when you meet with women who draw them to communicate, when all the love and expect from a life of something wonderful and unusual .

- And yet, when you felt it and felt it at all - a special interest in Lithuania?

- When I was a kid, I was, 4, mom took me to Lithuania. We stayed in a small village, where at that time were the field work, harvesting. We, too, they somehow involved. And after working in the field of me with all they took the women's bath. And I, four, always remember that struck me the huge body blonde with blue eyes. And as the foam drains on their skin as they slowly wash ... In general, it is according to Freud, I am always struck by the beauty of the completeness of women. Although I later twice married models - a French and Italian ...

So, the feeling of Lithuania came to me from childhood. When lost my mother, I was about 18-19. After serving in the army, I consciously decided to come here, to stay in her homeland, to feel the mentality of this country, the taste of Lithuania. He was pleasant.

- When we arrived, you can easily include in Lithuania on Wednesday, in the local world?

- It is easy. Lithuania was one of the most well-meaning parts of the vast former Soviet state. I served in Estonia - I have something to compare. And then, I think if you go forward with a pure heart, you can not offend and insult.

Nothing of the kind in Lithuania, I have never experienced. And he never barked in response to rudeness, knowing that the villains in Russia completely. In a word, did not feel that I am somewhere not there, not in its place.

- Who were your well-wishers of that period in Lithuania? Whom do you most remember?

- Wishers? First of all, women with whom I then met.

Pirate? Gardener? Pilot? ARTIST!

- When you realize that you can be in this life only an artist?

- I have one picture, which shows the rose, the tail plane, a glass of wine and a pirate ship. I wanted to be a pirate, pilot, gardener, but probably in my heart has always been an artist. When the age of 17 he entered the Odessa Naval College, was sure that I would become a pirate. But a year later realized that this was a thing of the distant past, remained in the 15 century. Just a romantic ...

But the artist clearly aware of his fourth year at the Vilnius Art Institute, when he saw in a dream that I walk through the gallery, where hang my pictures that I have not yet written. I woke up like a man only learns a foreign language, but the dream is already fluent in it. It only remained to draw seen in a dream. Which I did. These works were then sold off almost completely. So I became an artist.

Institute in Lithuania, I never graduated, he went away, but the study did not stop a lot of studying painting around the world. For me it was important: to know the profession thoroughly. To this day I like to read fairy tales before bed, especially the wise Chinese, where a son, a student went to his father, student and together they went to his grandfather, a student. All life - this study.

And the profession need to know well, especially if you earn it. I understand that there are such artists as, say, Jackson Pollack, which sprays paint on the canvas. But when he realized that nothing else can, he committed suicide.

I myself prefer the classics, Technology. In the West this tradition, alas, is lost. There are raised on Kandinsky, Malevich on, to the marriage. It is believed that the architect must know the schedule, and the artist should - the color and everything. Mol, Matisse - velichashy artist, and nothing else ought not to know. But for me the painting - is, first of all, a picture, then - the schedule, then color. And the artist, as a good actor, should own all of this range.

- As a child, drawing an important place in your life?

- I do not think it was something special. When I got home, I painted it in color, but also pencils. And it was then I liked it. Although, of course, it was a children's drawing.

- In various interviews you have mentioned more than once in the Army. This experience is something given to you for life, for artistic impressions?

I personally Army, unfortunately, did not produce anything. But I worked, served, as expected. He served in the Missile Forces, which, in general, he volunteered.

Before the Army I lived in Rostov-on-Don, and my neighbor went to a confident guy, whose belt has always been lowered below the navel, cap cocked to one side ... I thought: probably a good thing - the Army! I learned that the guy served in the Air Force ground troops, came to the draft board and asked to be there too. There zavazhnichali: do first Draw us military enlistment, Red Corner, and we'll see. I did all this, but when he came to the recruiting office, it turned out, I sent all the other troops - in osvyaz. I was terribly upset, but had nowhere to go.

I started something I am happy, but on the tenth to fifteenth album simply crazy, because the soldiers' duties with me has not been removed.

I rebelled. They tried to humiliate and usimirit: sent from a toothbrush to clean the toilets. In the end, I declared a hunger strike. Two weeks of not eating, lying in the medical unit, and then I found a pamphlet about mental illness and began its regular study. Noticing that this booklet I have tried to withdraw. Then I ate it, but managed to slice away.

What was the book, nobody knew, but the suspicions of the doctors begin to suspect it. In the end, I started researching on the subject of mental health, but when I saw the prison hospital of this crazy, that I had to spend two weeks for me to finally freed from Ramiyah, I said: No, better promoted ...

But I continued to paint. Now only for themselves. And found a captain of Valya, a native of a small Belarusian village, which is an addiction, as well as by informers, they tracked down my work and have over 45 kilometers come tearing in part, to find me as risuyuschim, pull out the light of day from a deep missile shathy and my eyes burn my pictures. So the army for me was inextricably linked with this kind of inquisition.

- No. But then another twenty years I have dreamed a dream, I was drafted into the army. It was nightmarish visions. I was forty years old. - In Lithuania, now widely discussed idea of creating a branch of the Guggenheim Museum. What would you advise: Do I need it? Will he gain or Lithuania would be unprofitable?

- I think any social program does not interfere. When I ask whether you want to draw any particular child, I say: yes. While there he draws, perhaps disgusting, it's better draws, plays, dances, than go with a gun, even a toy. Any museum that exists in the world - is good.

- But from a marketing point of view, not whether it will be prohibitively expensive for Lithuania?

- I do not know what to answer ... Two schools are now my name - in Dimitrovgrad and Ulyanovsk, where I was born and where I spent my childhood. I have three brothers, a sister, a few children - and I have all of them help. Mother of my three sons do not work, no matter where they live - in Australia, Italy or England. I pray that I have enough strength so that I can support them further. For this, I pulled up some internal resources.

They all go to sleep, and I - to work. All the rest, but I'm going to Vilnius. Once back, go to Orenburg, write a portrait of the governor. Then, in Odessa, Paris, Switzerland ... I'm writing. I work. Was terribly tired. I say: you have is in Paris! Ecuador! Ommaney! ... But I almost can not see anything - I work.

- How long do you write portraits?

- Sometimes, a month and a half. I write two or three portraits at the same time.

- From nature?

Of course! Only from Nature, of course, if we are not talking about the dead people.

- Do you record their works? How many pictures you have written?

- I think the 90-s began counting. Now they have more than a thousand.

- Usually, artists are extremely appreciated by daylight, and you say that you work at night.

Of course, another part of the time is spent on maintaining relationships with family and with those who helped me. In short, I work only at night. But in the studio, I put daylight.

- When you come to the realization of the first success? And how was it?

- You know, Alsou might wake up famous. In our profession, and recognition of skills accumulated over the years, bit by bit. The artist 10-20 paintings a year. And even if 50, you still can not show every day on TV. So, we have somehow specifically to attract attention, to enter into history.

- For what price, if not secret, was sold to your most expensive painting and whether it was the most difficult?

- No, it was not. And it sold at auction in Hong Kong for 985 000 dollars. True, I got much less - only 25 thousand, because to me the company made an agreement beforehand on exactly the same amount. But very soon, in December, in Hong Kong opened my gallery. And open it will be Jackie Chan, together with the head of the Communist Party Tarabya.

And most difficult of his work I think the one that originally wanted to just throw it away. Are you putting off some now, then come back to it ... And so this old canvas accidentally hit an empty frame, and I saw that the picture moved, twitched. I designed the it, several people wanted to buy it, but I do not sell. Itself not yet fully understand how it reached this magical holographic effect ...