Belovezhskaya Pushcha
The painting Białowieża Forest conveys the grandeur of one of Europe’s oldest relic forests. Towering spruces and pines dominate the composition, reaching skyward and evoking a sense of sacred, almost cathedral-like space. Light filters through the canopy, illuminating patches of moss, bark, and forest floor, lending the scene a vivid, breathing quality. Deep within the woods, faint human figures may be discerned — here, man seems to dissolve into nature, reinforcing its majesty and timelessness.
The artist eschews decorative effects: the painting is imbued with a natural warmth and reverence for the environment. The color palette is restrained, with ochre-greens and browns prevailing, which aids in conveying spatial depth and the soft diffusion of light. This is more than a landscape; it is a vision of quiet power, of eternal natural time, embodied in the dense forest shade and the massive tree trunks.
Vasiliy Shikin
Born on December 28th, 1914 in the village of Tserkovniki (now Brest Region, Belarus). A Great Patriotic War Veteran. Studied at the Vitebsk Art School (1939-1941). Since 1948 he took part in art exhibitions. Worked in the field of easel painting in genres of a picture and landscape. The works are in museums and picture galleries of Minsk, Brest, Pinsk, in private collections in different countries. One of the founders of the Brest regional branch of the Belarussian Artists' Union (1946). A member of the BAD since I960. Died on February 23th, 1998.