Tair Salakhov, Soviet-era painter known for 'severe style' realism, dies at 93

Tair Salakhov, a notable Soviet artist celebrated for his raw industrial scenes, recently passed away. He was born in 1928 and attended Azimzade Art College and the Surikov Art Institute. In the 1950s, he emerged as a key proponent of the 'severe style,' realistically depicting workers. For his series on oil workers, he spent three months in Neft Daşları. His 1957 work, After Watch, illustrates laborers against a backdrop of frigid waves. Salakhov's To You, Humankind! premiered at the Azerbaijan Republican Exhibition on April 11, 1961. He was awarded several state honors, including the Order of Lenin in 1989 and the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1973. His residence in Baku is now a museum. Art historian Alexander Rozhin remarked on his ability to both represent and critique his time.