Biography: Ivan I. Garikow 1918-1982, Classically trained Russian Artist.
Revised and Updated by Steven M. Nesbit, January 2010. Updated July 2012, August 2012
On June 12, 1918, in the village of Belaya Glina, county of Krasnodar, in the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union, Ivan Ivanovich Garikow (The Russian spelling, Iwan Garikov, appears on some of his paintings) was born, the first son of Anna (nee-Tschaiczkina) and Ivan Garikow. He had one brother,Mikhail.
World War I ended but civil war continued to rage throughout Russia. Through all of this turbulence, Ivan spent his youth on a small, impoverished farm and attended one of two schools in Belaya Glina at that time.
Upon completion of his primary education, his artistic ability was noticed, and Ivan was sent to painters’ school. At the age of eighteen, Garikow submitted his art work for consideration to REPIN ACADEMY OF PAINTING, SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE in Leningrad. Ivan was accepted.
In 1937, Ivan made the thousand-mile pilgrimage to Leningrad from Belaya Glina to study art. This trip was quite a challenge for a young man who had no money.
Eventually, he arrived at REPIN ACADEMY. While he attended the Academy (1937-41), there were many times he had no food. Soup and an occasional piece of bread were the extent of his meals. Academic life was not easy for Garikow.
Ivan completed his studies at REPIN ACADEMY in the late spring of 1941. He was one of the last students to successfully complete his formal classical art training at the original REPIN ACADEMY. Unfortunately, during the months that followed, the Nazi regime destroyed and demolished the ACADEMY, including all of the school's records and documents were also destroyed.
On Jun 22, 1941, Adolph Hitler’s armies invaded the Soviet Union and the siege of Leningrad ensued. Along with hundreds of thousands of other Slavic people, Ivan Garikow was taken prisoner. As we now know, these people were designated to be exterminated as undesirables by the Nazi regime.
Garikow was assigned to a compulsory slave labor camp in Krems, Austria, rather than be shipped immediately to a concentration camp and sure death. Ivan spent the next four years of his life there as a POW. In March of 1945, U.S. troops liberated the prisoners and Ivan escaped his captors.
World War II finally ended. Ivan survived the early post-war years by painting people’s portraits, farms and homes. His big break came between August 14-19, 1948, when his oil painting, SALZBURG, was exhibited in the very first art exhibit of it’s kind following World War II.
While in Salzburg, Austria, his reputation as one of the town's most popular artists grew. During the ensuing months, he became enamored with Lilli’s beauty. On April 6, 1949, just 2.5 months shy of his 31st birthday, an old world “arranged” marriage took place. Lilli was just sixteen.
Two months later, on June 4, 1949, Ivan registered at the Assembly Centre Hellbrunn as a displaced person, in hopes of going to the United States "where the streets were paved with gold.". However, a new person now entered Ivan’s life. On February 17, 1950, Lilli and Ivan’s only child, Arnold, was born. Even with a new baby, the incompatibility of their ages and other irreconcilable differences forced their divorce on December 1, 1950.
Ivan’s passage to the United States, along with thousands of others, was arranged by the International Refugee Organization, in accordance with the Immigration Act of 1924 and the Displaced Persons Act of June 25, 1948. Among the others accepted for relocation to the United States at this time were his former in-laws, his ex-wife and his son.
In August of 1951, confirmation arrived and the immigrants prepared to depart for their new country. However, one surprising turn of events occurred: Lilli decided NOT to depart for America and to keep her son with her in Europe. Even this turn of events did not dissuade Ivan from emmigrating to America.
On August 21, 1951, Ivan Garikow sailed to the United States from the German port of Bremenhaven aboard the USNS General Harry Taylor (T-AP145). He arrived in New York City on September 10, 1951 and disembarked on American soil at Ellis Island as passenger #126.
Ivan did not stay in New York. He went to Philadelphia, PA and found a job at Newman Galleries where he worked until his death. Ivan joined the Art Talents Association of Philadelphia. With this, his painting, LETTER, was accepted for exhibition in New York City at the Barbizon-Plaza Art Gallery (106 Central Park South) from May 8 to May 20 of 1954.
With success and encouragement, he saved his money and opened his own studio/gallery in Philadelphia at 530 West Girard Avenue on April 23, 1955.
On February 16, 1962, as he was walking along the Philadelphia streets, Ivan was mugged and all his money and personal identification cards were taken – an omen of things to come.
By April 5, 1962, he saved enough money to place $500 down on his own house at 1238 North 5th Street. This move, a joyous occasion for him at the time, proved to be disastrous and his undoing. Ivan kept on working for Newman Galleries, but his personal habitat was one of squalor, constant vandalism and degeneration.
In March and April of 1978, the break-ins continued and his home suffered continued vandalism. Finally Ivan became totally despondent and reclusive. In the early 1980’s, paranoia had increased and he became delusional. No one was welcome into his home, with the exception of his son, Arnold.
On April 26, 1982, at the age of 63, hopelessly defeated and completely bed-ridden from ill health, Ivan Garikow died in his sleep. Although the death certificate cited “dehydration and malnutrition” as the cause of death, some say he died of a broken heart.