Jazep Drazdovič (1888–1954, Belarusian: Язэп Нарцызавіч Драздовіч, ) was a Belarusian painter, archaeologist, and ethnographer. Born in the present day Hłybokaje District in the family of a landless nobleman, Drazdovič studied in

Dzisna Dzisna (; ; ) is a town in Miory District, Vitebsk Region, in northern Belarus. It is located on the left bank of the Daugava River, near the confluence of the Dysna. Dzisna is located northwest of Vitebsk. In 2017, its population was 1,500. ...

Vitebsk Region, after that in

Vilnia The Vilnia (also Vilnelė; , ''Vilnia'' ; ) is a river primarily running through Eastern Lithuania. Its source is near the villages of and , 6 km south of Šumskas, nearby to the A3– M7 Medininkai–Kamenny Log border crossing complexes ...

under Ivan Trutnev.Drazdovič's biography on the website of Belarusian National Arts Museum (in Belarusian).
/ref> Today Drazdovič's works are preserved in Belarusian National Arts Museum, Belarusian National History Museum and National Museum of Lithuania.

Early life

Jazep was born on October 13, 1888, in the village of Punki, Dzisna County, Vilna Province, in the family of an impoverished nobleman. When he was two, his father died; Jazep and his five brothers were raised by their mother, and soon the family was left without land and a home. The family often had to change their place of residence, renting land. Drazdovich began his studies with a private teacher, then he studied at the Dzisna Gymnasium, and in 1906 moved to

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, where he entered the art school of the famous Russian painter Ivan Trutnev, which he graduated in 1908. Drazdovich worked in art workshops and planned to go abroad to earn money. Drazdovich was greatly influenced by the Belarusian national revival. At this time, he made his first steps in art: he created a series of graphic works with landscapes of the Dzisna region, decorated the cover of the "First Belarusian Calendar for 1910", published by

Nasha Niva ''Nasha Niva'' (, lit. "Our field") is one of the oldest Belarusian weekly newspapers, founded in 1906 and re-established in 1991. ''Nasha Niva'' became a cultural symbol, due to the newspaper's importance as a publisher of Belarusian literature ...

. In 1910 he was drafted into the Russian army. After two years of service in Saratov, he graduated from paramedic courses and began working in a clinic. Drazdovich met the First World War in the active army, with a reserve battalion on the Western Front. Due to difficult working conditions, Jazep Drazdovich fell ill with typhoid fever and was hospitalized for two months. After a seven-month vacation to visit his homeland, he returned to the army.

Gallery

Historical-themed works

Drazdovicz Usiaslau.jpg, Усяслаў Полацкі ў парубе пад палатамі кіеўскага князя ( Vseslav the Sorcerer), 1923 Я. Драздовіч Пагоня.jpg, Пагоня ( Pahonia), 1927 Я. Драздовіч Друкарня Францыска Скарыны ў Вільні.jpg, Друкарня Францішка Скарыны ў Вільні ( Francysk Skarynas printing house in

), 1940—1943 Я. Драздовіч Князь Усяслаў Чарадзей пад Гародняй.jpg, Усяслаў Чарадзей пад Гародняй (Vseslav the Sorcerer near

Grodno Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman, Neman River, from Minsk, about from the Belarus–Poland border, border with Poland, and from the Belarus–Lithua ...

), 1944

Architecture

Hiermanavičy. Германавічы (1917).jpg, Германавічы. Касцёл (Hiermanavičy, Catholic church), 1917 Miensk, Trajeckaja hara, Bazylanski. Менск, Траецкая гара, Базылянскі (J. Drazdovič, 1919).jpg, Менск. Выгляд са Шпітальна-Траецкага завулка (Minsk, view from Hospital-Troitskae street), 1919 г. Miensk, Zamčyšča. Менск, Замчышча (J. Drazdovič, 1920).jpg, Менск. Абрыў Замкавай гары і прыбярэжная грэбля на правым беразе ракі Свіслач (Minsk, near Castle Hill and the Śvisłač river), 1920 Hłybokaje, Karmelickaja. Глыбокае, Кармэліцкая (J. Drazdovič, 1925).jpg, Глыбокае. Кармеліцкі касцёл і кляштар ( Hłybokaje, Carmelite Catholic church), 1925

Cosmos

Я. Драздовіч Над безданню.jpg, Над безданню (Upon abyss), 1931 Я. Дроздович. Обсерватория на кольце Сатурна. 1931.jpg, Абсерваторыя на кальцы Сатурна (Observatory on the ring of Saturn), 1931 Я. Драздовіч Сустрэча вясны на Сатурне.jpg, Сустрэча вясны на Сатурне (Welcoming spring coming on Saturn), 1931 Я. Драздовіч Агляд зімовых пячораў сатурнянамі.jpg, Агляд зімовых пячораў сатурнянамі (Saturnians watches their winter caves) Язэп Драздовіч. Cosmopolis. «Порт нябеснага прастору» на кольцы Сатурна.jpg, Cosmopolis. «Порт нябеснага прастору» на кольцы Сатурна (Cosmopolis. "Port of the sky" on the ring of Saturn) Я. Драздовіч Вечар у пустэльні на Марсе.jpg, Вечар у пустэльні на Марсе (Evening in the Martian desert) Я. Драздовіч Мінулае.jpg, Мінулае (The Past) Jazep Drazdovič. Kosmas, 1940—1943.jpg, Космас (Cosmos), 1940—1943

Sceneries

Я. Драздовіч Далёкая краіна.jpg, Далёкая краіна (A Far-Away Land), 1933 Я. Драздовіч Краявід з цягніком.jpg, Краявід з цягніком (Scenery with a train), 1936 Я. Драздовіч Ляскова.jpg, Ляскова (Laskova), 1936 Я. Драздовіч Гара Гараватка.jpg, Гара Гарватка (Harvatka mountain), 1952

Carpets

Дзве дзяўчыны на мастку.jpg, Дзве дзяўчыны на мастку (Two girls on a bridge), 1930s Дыванок з замкам над возерам (Накцюрн).jpg, Месяцовая ноч (Moonlit night), 1937 Красналюдка-казачнік-бай.jpg, Красналюдка — казачнік-бай (Krasnaludka - storyteller), 1948 Язэп Драздовіч. Як мужык з панам цягаецца.jpg, Як мужык з панам цягаецца (How a man competed with a landlord), 1930s

References

Belarusian painters 1888 births 1954 deaths Soviet painters {{Belarus-painter-stub