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NEWS
• 2016 - Article "Vom Traum, der narrte bis zum Irresein" (From the dream which fooled till misconception) by A. Volpert was published in the philosophical journal Berliner Debatte Initial 27 (2016) 2, pp.107-125. The article tells about Bauhaus artists and communists
Gerhard Moser und Erich Borchert in the USSR.
• 06.12.12-17.02.2013 – In the main building of the Museum of fine arts named after A.S. Pushkin in Moscow, the exhibition "IN CAPTIVITY OF TIME". ERICH BORCHERT (1907-1944). GRAPHICS FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST'S FAMILY >>
An album-catalogue to the exhibition >>
Biography
• Erich Borchert was born in Erfurt, Germany, on the 16th of February 1907
• 1921-1923 – Borchert studied at the machinery plant technical school in Erfurt and attended the evening course at the town Art School where Prof. Karl Heine taught (until 1925)
• 1926-1930 – Borchert joined Wall Painting department at the Highest Architectural Institute BAUHAUS in Dessau, Germany (teaching in the Institute at the time were: Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger, Oskar Schlemmer, Alfred Arndt, Hinnerk Scheper and others). During this time, Borchert participated in more than 20 exhibitions, took part in common installations of "Bauchaus Young Painters" in Germany and other European countries (also in the USA from 1931). Borchert sold some of his works and now they are represented in museums and private collections in Europe, USA, Japan. He joined the communist party in Bauhaus
• In February 1930, Borchert was first invited by his teacher H. Scheper and then by the Soviet National Economy Supreme Council to move to Moscow. His teacher, H. Scheper, started working in Moscow not long before, and Borchert decided to follow him. In Moscow, he signed a contract and became the chief of the art group in the state enterprise "Malyarstroyproyekt" (shortly "Malyarstroy"; later renamed – "Gosotdelstroy"), the developer of painting standards for Soviet building industry. In Moscow Borchert fulfilled many architectural and designer projects, but there is a lack of records on them. He published 8 articles on Wall Painting in "Malyarnoye Delo" journal in 1931-32. During this time, he produced paintings and graphic works and held a personal exhibition in the State Museum of New Western Art in Moscow (now – the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts) in April-June 1933, later several works were bought by the museum
• 1931 – Borchert married Sofia Matveyeva, a Russian painter who graduated from VHUTEIN (Moscow State Highest Art Technical Institute) and worked with Borchert
• From 1939 until June 1941, Borchert worked with his wife, Sofia, in the Moscow Painter and Sculptor Union. After the aggression of the Nazi Germany he volunteered to go to the front but got refused. He recommenced painting caricatures against Nazis as he had already done in 1930-1934
• 25.12.1941 Borchert was summoned into the Red Army building battalion No.671 and dispatched to Kamensk-Uralskiy in Ural. Soldiers, mostly foreigners, were utilized in construction of the Ural Aluminium Plant "UAZ". Later, in April 1942, the battalion was dissolved. The ex-soldier Borchert had to find a job and worked in various places as a painter, decorator, ticket controller, etc. During this time he created many caricatures and small graphic sketches. His correspondence with his wife and daughter as well as some of his works of that period have been preserved
• 19.11.1942 Borchert got arrested on charges of "preparation of a subversive act" on the central heating station and "plans on illegal going across to the side of German-Nazi troops". He was kept under investigation for 13 months. 15.01.1944 Borchert was sentenced by "Special Meeting" at People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs to 20 years of labour camp and was sent to "KARLAG" (Karaganda labour camp) in Kazakhstan. 24.09.1944 Borchert died in KARLAG at the age of 37
• 06.07.1962 By the decision of Ural Military Tribunal, Erich Borchert was rehabilitated and pronounced not guilty
• 1964 A personal exhibition was organized by Borchert’s wife, Sofia, at the Central Architect’s House in Moscow.
• 1978 Artist’s works were displayed again in Germany in the exhibition "Revolution and realism" in the National Picture Gallery of East Berlin (Catalogue, pp. 12, 202), as well as in the exhibition "Moskau-Berlin 1900-1950" in 1995/96.
• In November 2007 biographic data on Borchert were presented and an exhibition was organized in the International Conference "BAUCHAUS in Ural: from Solikamsk to Orsk" at the Ural State Architectural and Art Academy in Ekaterinburg (in Soviet time named Sverdlovsk)
• 2008 – The first short catalogue "Erich Borchert in Russia" was completed and issued in Moscow under financial support of the Rosa Luxemburg Fund Russian Branch
• 2009 – His 3 works are installed at the exhibition "From Duerer to Klee" - German, Austrian and Swiss drawings of XIV-XX centuries from collection of the Pushkin State Museum of fine arts, Moscow
• 2009, September 5. - A memorial plaque mounted on the house where Erich Borcherts lived in his youth was opened (Friedrich-Engels-Strasse, 67) >>
Further information about exhibitions and publications you can find on the respective site pages
With your questions and suggestions on the heritage of Erich Borchert please contact Ms. Astrid Volpert (astrid_volpert@gmx.de).
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Erfurt (watercolour)
E.Borchert (1930)
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Sofia Matveyeva
Botanical Artist
(Wiki: Botanical Illustration)
Photo-report about the concentration campKARLAG
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E.Borchert's investigation file is demonstrated to his daughter Erika Kolchenko for the 1st time (KGB, Moscow, 1996)
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E.Borchert's documents at the exhibition of his works in the library of UralGAA (Ekaterinburg, 2007)
Photo: Nikolay Bochenin
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