[Вивьен]

When I was a baby, and was still alive Vladimir Sinitsky (son K. Kostandi), in our family was a tradition: every summer evening at the cottage, which is located right on the beach, behind the monastery, a little further from 16 stations Great Fountain, the sound of ocean surf, we sang the song "Evening Bells ....".
   And every time, while singing in front of my eyes would get up one and the same picture, which, now I can watch for hours. This "Lilac" KK Kostandi.

   In 2002, in Odessa, came the publication of a circulation of 300 copies - priceless, illustrated with family photographs and works of his father, memories of a son, Michael Kiriakovich Kostandi. The book is designed for a very narrow circle of readers - this is art, artists, collectors, museum professionals and ordinary fans KK Kostandi.

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Michael Kiriakovich was the last of the ninth child in a large family Kostandi. Immediately after the 1917 revolution Kyriakos K. was appointed curator of the Art Museum and the family settled in the right wing of the building on a street. Sophia. When in 1921 his father died, Michael, at the age of twenty years, took office. In 1929, Michael Kostandi together with his wife left Odessa and went to work in Moscow. More than fifty years, having worked in Moscow and burying his wife in 1978, Michael Kiriakovich returned to Odessa, where the last ten years of his life dedicated work on the manuscript of "Memoirs of his father."
The manuscript was released by Andrei Nikolayevich Hrshanovskomu (Kostandi grandson, son of Lyubov Kiriakovny, daughter of the artist) and his wife Piotrovskaya Vikentievna Peacock, who are the guardians of the family archive.
Michael Kiriakovich hoping that time will come when the art of his father's will require a more careful and thorough study, and his memories will help future researchers to more in-depth, scientific study and understanding of his work.

  Kyriakos K. Kostandi born 3 (15) October 1852 near Odessa in the village Dofinovka. His father, Konstantin Vasilketi, a Greek by nationality, a native of the island Santarino, fled to Russia, fleeing the Turkish invaders of his homeland. In Dofinovke he married the daughter of a Greek fisherman with a Great Fountain - Fatima Filiolota. Kyriakos was the sixth child of nine children in the family spoke in Russian, although the father and mother had a poor command of Russian.
Sam Kyriakos K. wrote: "What actually triggered my love for painting is definitely hard to tell, but I think that the popular prints, who loved the family uveshivat wall.
At nine years old boy lost his father, former relative affluence of the family changed the need and Kyriakos was compelled to the service of "boy" in a grocery store, but the rare moments of rest he had time to drawing.
Images Kostandi attracted the attention of well-known at that time in Odessa photographer Billow, who took the future of the artist to his photo studio and asked him to retouching and coloring oils enlarged portraits.
In 1870, unable to get permission to attend the evening classes of a free school of drawing the Odessa Society of Fine Arts. The first teachers were: Iorini, Bauer and Mallmann, which Kyriakos K. retained brightest memories.
Modest and shy, he persisted in carrying out his cherished dream - the desire to continue their studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, which had left his comrades at the end of the school. And only a lucky chance helped to fulfill this dream. This is how the artist wrote in his autobiography: "At this time, passing through Odessa, was visiting his daughter OI Latri, IK Aivazovsky. Through the good Bertrand, owner of foundry, and the Greek Consul IY Vutchina, I was presented Aivazovsky, who spoke approvingly of my work, and this affected the IJ Vutchina who have given me the initial financial support. IK Aivazovsky wrote a letter to the conference secretary of the Academy of Fine Arts, PF Isaeva, requesting the latter to draw attention to the "works" ... a young man from Odessa Greeks Kirilo Kostandi of great ability. "
While still in the Academy Kostandi, on the advice of PP Chistyakov, a lot of copying the old masters in the Hermitage, including Titian and Rubens. Executed copy of the portrait painter Elena Fourmen Rubens, was subsequently acquired by the Odessa Museum of Western and Oriental art. In the years of Nazi occupation, she disappeared.
After leaving the Academy in late 1882, KK Kostandi more than two years he lived and worked in St. Petersburg, before 1885, when he received the post of senior lecturer in drawing school in Odessa and moved to Odessa.
The first pictures of Odessa - not "pure" landscape, and landscape, genre painting, which in 1880 became one of the leading trends in Russian art. The unique beauty of the suburbs of Odessa - Bolshoy Fontan - a source of inspiration coloristic gifts Kostandi. And with love and deep penetration depicted in his art, its modest, timid beauty. And do not be an exaggeration to judge one of the students Kyriakos Konstantinovich, artist AM Nuremberg - "Kostandi first discovered the subtle beauty of the hot Odessa landscape. And now all Odessa nature though bears the stamp of his wonderful light eyes, an emotional heart. "
In the last years of his life Kostandi often turned to the image of evening, imbued with subtle sadness, motives.
Kostandi not write still lifes. In the Russian art of that time were the predominant genres of history, home, and then - the landscape of home and landscape. Still life as an independent kind of painting did not attract artists.
In early 1920, the state Kyriakos Konstantinovicha significantly deteriorated and doctors advised him not to overload themselves with work and relax in the summer at the dacha. It was last summer, which the artist has at his dacha Great Fountain, the nature of which he loved, and so feelingly portrayed in his work. This summer, he wrote many sketches - it was summer landscapes. As usual, these sketches are written in small tablets - Kostandi favorite materials.

Autumn, Kostandi markedly strengthened, proceeded to their occupations. But not for long. Heavy feelings associated with the reform at the Art School, which he considered detrimental to the education of future artists, the complex political situation and material deprivation again sharply worsened his health.
He sent to a sanatorium in the French boulevard, where he wrote his last sketch-landscape garden with views of the building of the sanatorium, and in the evenings in his room, drawing pencil sketches of his small self-portrait.

Returning again to painting, the artist, perhaps hoping to force his inner passion for art and life, to overcome serious illness. He wanted to believe that as long creates - he seemed to brush aside the inevitable end. But the disease won, and after a sharp deterioration in health in autumn 1921 Kyriakos Konstantinovich died.

And I, like many of his disciples and admirers are this good and noble man, found myself on the fact that the blossoming gardens looking eyes Kostandi.