Boris Smelov (1951–1998) was a outstanding Russian photographer and one of many key figures of the Soviet underground artwork scene.
His pictures, together with nonetheless lifes, portraits, and concrete landscapes, captured the distinctive environment of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), evoking profound nostalgia. Smelov started pursuing images on the age of 10 and, as a younger man, turned a part of a circle of unbiased artists, collaborating with the Vyborg Palace of Tradition’s photograph membership. His work, usually in comparison with the poetry of Joseph Brodsky, turned an emblem of the town’s unofficial tradition.
Regardless of repression, together with a ban on his exhibitions in 1976, he continued creating and showcasing his work in clandestine house exhibitions. In 1977, he acquired a Gold Medal on the XI Worldwide Photograph Salon in Bucharest, marking worldwide recognition of his expertise. Through the Perestroika period, Smelov’s work gained broader acclaim, with exhibitions held in Russia and overseas. At this time, his pictures are a part of main collections, together with the Artwork Institute of Chicago.
The tragic demise of Boris Smelov occurred on January 18, 1998. He froze to demise in a single day on Vasilyevsky Island, having ended up outdoors with out winter clothes. The circumstances resulting in this tragedy stay unclear.
