Audio tour Workshop of the People's Artist of Russia, Honorary Citizen of the City of Irkutsk, V.S. Rogalya

Vitaliy Sergeyevich Rogal was born in the Ukraine in the village. Snegirevka of the Kiev region August 9, 1915 Early started drawing. In 1934, his school drawing "The construction of a power plant in the village. Lebedyntsi "was placed on the pages of the newspaper" Pravda ".
In 1929 the family of V. Rogal as special settlers was exiled to Eastern Siberia, in the Nizhneudinsky district of the Irkutsk region. In 1935, V. Rogal came here. In 1936, he entered the Irkutsk isopedechnicum, on the course to AI. Vologdin. Communication with interesting and creative people determined the fate of the artist. In 1937, V.S. Rogal first became a participant in the regional exhibition. In the spring of 1941, for his thesis "The Arrival of Collective Farmers-Migrants to Eastern Siberia", V.S. Rogal was awarded "excellent" and received a referral for further studies at the Academy of Arts.

November 19, 1941 V.S. Rogal was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army and sent to the Trans-Baikal Military District (Tsugolsky Datsan), then after military training in 1943 - to the Western Front. Here he was constantly on the front lines. For showing courage and resourcefulness in the battles for Vitebsk, he received his first military award - the Order of the Red Star. During the Great Patriotic War, he swore himself "While I'm alive, but a day without a picture, I'll be at the front both a fighter and an artist." In between battles, he creates a series of portraits of fighters, writes pictures, arranges exhibitions of his works, participates in the preparation of combat leaflets and posters. Vitaly Sergeevich took part in the battles for the liberation of Dukhovshchina, Vitebsk, Minsk, Lithuania, Koenigsberg, and was wounded. He finished his military way in 1946 in Port Arthur. For participation in the battles with the German and Japanese invaders V.S. Rogal was awarded two Orders of the Red Star, the Order of the Great Patriotic War II degree, military medals.

In 1946, after the demobilization of V.S. Rogal returned to Irkutsk. Siberia attracted the artist - a painter of its rich and distinctive nature. The main theme of his work is the unique nature of Baikal, the beauty of the Angara, the greatness of the mountains. In 1965 A. Fatyanov wrote about V.S. Rogala - "The main idea of Rogalev's works is simplicity. It is understandable to everyone, showing us how beautiful the nature around us is, how good the Siberian land is, how you want to live and enjoy the miracle nature "[Art. A. Fatyanov "Vitaly Sergeevich Rogal" 1965.].

A special place in the work of V.S. Rogaly occupies Irkutsk. Possessing a natural taste, Rogal in his works attains a high intensity of feeling, deeply expressing thereby the nature of the peculiarity of the Siberian city.

In the late 50's and early 60's. V.S. Rogal creates works in the style of an industrial landscape. He creates a whole series of paintings dedicated to the construction of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station:
"The storming of the Angara" (1956), "Transformers of the Irkutsk HPP", "The Conquest of the Angara" (1957), "Irkutsk HPP is under construction" (1955), "Dawn over the Angara" (1955). The latter was highly appreciated at the exhibition, which was held in Moscow and was timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Academy of Arts. People's Artist of the USSR Sergei Gerasimovich said VS. Rogal - "Consider that this is your diploma of the Academy of Arts." [Vitaly Rogal. A.I. Alexeyev. - Irkutsk: East Siberian Publishing House, 1987, - P. 42]. At the same time, two paintings by V.S. Rogal "Dawn over the Angara" and "Evening at Lake Baikal" were published in a mass print in postcards.

In the 1970s. In the works of V.S. Rogal appears a new topic - Mongolia. The artist repeatedly visits this country, the result of the trips were numerous works reflecting the rich culture and history of Mongolia.

In the last years of his life the artist dedicated work on the big picture "Pantheon of Siberia", dedicated to the memory of the victims of political repressions.

VS died. Rogal December 4, 2004

Vitaly Sergeyevich passed many roads, but the most important of them was the road of the soul to his human and creative perfection. Happy is the man walking this road - dear service to his homeland, its prosperity and happiness.