Monaco christmass 2013


Released:October 30, 2013.

Monaco Post issued a stamp celebrating Christmas 2013. A recurring theme in Monaco’s stamps, here the nativity scene is depicted by the Russian artist Gueorgui Chichkine.

Gueorgui Chichkine (born January 25, 1948) was born in Ekaterinburg, Russia. As a child he showed an early passion for drawing, and by his tenth year he was enrolled a fine art school. During his youth, he was deeply influenced by the atmosphere at his great-grandparents’ house, steeped with authentic Russian traditions conserved during the Soviet regime.He was a graduate of the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Arts in his home town, in 1975, then a trainee at the Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry. Gueorgui Chichkinewas a professor of drawing and painting for about 10 years at this academy where he started as a trainee.From 1974 he took part in professional art exhibitions, while remaining at home in Socialist Realism. In the same year, he won the national competition for young creators in Russia and participated in the Prestige Exposition in Moscow.

Experimentation with different techniques led him to favour pastel from 1980 and three years later he created his base preparation under the pastel.

His arrival in France (1993) and in Monaco (1995) led to a meeting with “White Russians” and a new impulse for his cycle.

Living in Monaco since 1998, the artist has participated in many humanitarian and charitable activities.

Gueorgui Chichkine’s works are found in museums and private collections in many countries, notably in the Prince Palace in Monaco, in the collection of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, in the collections of Luciano Pavarotti, Lord Alistair McAlpine, brothers Lords David and Frederick Barklay. The artist has made two series of paintings for the Royal Palace of H.M. Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi.

Invited to design Monaco’s postage stamps in 2005, Gueorgui Chichkinewon the competition for drawing the effigy in profile of H.R.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

In month May, 2009 in Monaco two postage stamps ”Centenary of Ballets Russians of Diaghilev” went out, created by Gueorgui Chichkine. He received a congratulation from Mr. Geoffrey Marsh, Director of Department of Theatre of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.