BURCH VASYL

Honored teacher of Ukraine. He was granted the state awards: 2 orders and 6 medals. Vasyl Burch devoted his life to teaching and art, in both spheres he achieved significant success, proved himself as a patriot and humanist. He belonged to the generation, whose formation occurred in the favourable Czech period in the history of Transcarpathia (1919-1939), to the generation that, under conditions of a democratic system, was able to reveal its potential and acquire the values of a democratic world. It was the reason he took care of public education, of his deep interest in culture, music, and fine arts.

Vasyl Burch was born on January 2, 1919 in Smolohovytsia village of Irshava district. Since 1935 he studied at Mukachevo Teachers' Seminary, where his desire for drawing was supported by the Czech teachers. In 1947 he graduated from painting courses, which were conducted by Bokshai and Erdeli. In 1952 he graduated from the Faculty of Russian Philology of Kyiv Pedagogical Institute.

He taught in all districts of Transcarpathia and everywhere he organized rural choruses, instilled in children love for art. He was a wonderful musician - he played the violin, wrote musical folklore, wrote songs of the Transcarpathian poets’ lyric. He had been working for 15 years as the deputy and the head of the regional department of education. He cared for the construction of schools, education for orphans. He did not stick to the office style of work, travelled to remote villages, worried about the material base of schools. From 1975 and until his retirement, he headed  Mukachevo Pedagogical College.

Wherever his educational road led, he drew everywhere. Like many other artists, he preferred the landscape genre, although he also performed still lifes and portraits. He worked in oil and watercolour. He was acquainted with all known Transcarpathian artists, he was friends with many of them. Communication and participation in plein airs and exhibitions (since 1949) contributed to the improvement of mastery, and in 1969 Burch became a member of the Union of Artists.

Personal exhibitions of the artist were held in Uzhhorod in 1964, 1967, 1969. The visual art was, evidently, the greatest passion of the all-roundly gifted Vasyl Burch. Perhaps his muse is somewhat modest, but following the tradition of local painting, the artist found his picturesque intonation. His best works belong to the valuable art achievements. They delight the eye in the best albums dedicated to the art of Transcarpathia and supplement the picture of Transcarpathian art achievements.

Vasyl Burch died on July 5, 1993, but for always remained in the pleiad of artists of the twentieth century.