Nikolaï Popov: Russia Illustrator

It seems to me that if children can understand the senselessness of war, if they can see how easily they can be sucked into a cycle of violence, they may become a force for peace in the future...

Nikolaï Popov

Nikolaï Popov was born in Saratov, Russia in 1938. As a boy, Popov dreamed of being a doctor. When an illness of his own caused him to be bedridden for a year when he was a teen, he began drawing. His father saw his talent and was able to get him enrolled in an art academy. He became a graphic artist, after graduating from the Moscow Printing Institute in 1962. Since then he has worked in the area of graphic arts, becoming a member of the Artists' Union of the Russian Federation in 1967, and emerging as one of Russia's most highly regarded picture book artists and graphic designers.

Popov's first publication was a series of lithographs for an edition of the classic story Robinson Crusoe, published in 1974. This was followed by art for an illustrated edition of a collection of Arabian Nights fairy tales. Popov has since created illustrations to accompany many folk and fairy tale collections from many different countries. His complex style reveals the touch of a master engraver and etcher. His street scenes and rural views, beautiful women and misbehaving children, strolling musicians and circus acrobats channel the pedagogical thread derived from the Russian artistic tradition.

Popov's childhood experiences with war influenced his most famous work, the wordless picture book, Why?, first published in Salzburg as Warum? The book is widely recommended as a starting point for discussion on the ineffectuality of war. In simple watercolor illustrations, heightened by his usual attention to small, but significant details, a battle between mice and frogs is played out against a pastoral background. The pictures feature non-threatening characters who when put into certain situations, can do senseless things. Critics noted, "A strong anti-war message and lithe, incandescent artwork propel this affecting wordless book … The Russian artist's delicate, misty watercolors, with their droll animal characters and tranquil palette, provide a vivid foil to the cautionary theme … Even the youngest reader will quickly grasp the point of Popov's forceful allegory."

Nikolaï Popov is a talented artist who is skilled in multiple media: illustration, painting, and sculpture. He has also worked as an animator on many films. Popov's work has been viewed internationally in exhibitions throughout the world and is widely respected.