# Grekov Odesa Art School

46°29′16″N 30°44′0″E﻿ / ﻿46.48778°N 30.73333°E﻿ / 46.48778; 30.73333
The Grekov Odesa Art School (Ukrainian: Одеське художнє училище імені Митрофана Грекова; abbreviated ОХУ) is a secondary education institution in Odesa, Ukraine. It is the oldest arts school in the country.

## History

The Grekov Odesa Art school was founded as a "drawing school" on May 30, 1865. Frederick Malman was its first principal. He drafted the rules of the school. It was an open Society of Fine Arts under the patronage of wealthy citizens of Odesa and the Russian Empire. Its patrons included S.M.Vorontsov, Governor-General Paul Demetrius von Kotzebue, Odesa's mayor N.A.Novoselsky, knyazes Gagarin, Manuc Bei, Tolstoy family, Italian General Consul Castile, as well as famous architects F.Boffo, O.I.Otton and F.V.Gonsiorovsky.
For twenty years, the school survived on donations and had no permanent address. The Vice President of Odesa Society of Fine Arts Franz Morandi became involved in its funding. The first plaster casts, prints, models were discharged to him from the Milan Academy of Fine Arts, with which he had good relations.
On May 22, 1883, outside Preobrazhenska str., the cornerstone of the art school was laid. In 1885 the school moved to its current premises. On December 30, 1899, the sponsor approved the charter and the state of the Art School. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich was a sponsor of the school for 25 years until he died in 1909. Until 1917, the Odesa Art School had the name of Grand Duke. In 1924 the school was renamed the Polytechnic College of Fine Arts, which prepared muralists, printers and potters. In 1930, Polytechnic College was renamed again to an Art Institute (high education), but in 1934 the Odesa Art Institute once again became a secondary education school.
In 1965, in honour of the school's 100th-anniversary, it was renamed for Mitrofan Grekov; one of its former pupils.
In 1993, the school caught fire, and an assembly hall and a library burned.
In 1997, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine issued a decree "On improvement of higher vocational education." It was based on the former art school created by the Odesa Theatre and Art School, which presents separation: artistic, educational, theatrical and folk art.

## Education

Today the Grekov Odesa Art school has a fine art focus with 4 departments: Paintings (живопис), Sculpture (скульптура), Art decoration environment (ceramics, batik) (художнє декорування середовища) and Design (artwork) (дизайн).
In 2015 the school had 259 students. They form groups from 6 to 10 people.
The course lasts 4 years of full time study.

## Notable alumni

* Nathan Altman
* Boris Anisfeld
* Joseph Barsky
* Isaak Brodsky
* David Burliuk
* Yakov Chernikhov
* Stanisław Chlebowski
* Lucien Dulfan
* Samson Flexor
* Vladimir Gorb
* Wassily Kandinsky
* Valentin Khrushch
* Kyriak Kostandi
* Sasha Krasny
* Iosif Langbard
* Oksana Mas
* Michael Matusevitch
* Lev Meshberg
* Leonid Mezheritski
* Pyotr Nilus
* Amshey Nurenberg
* Abel Pann
* Leonid Pasternak
* Vasyl Ponikarov
* Aleksandr Razumny
* Franz Roubaud
* Vasiliy Ryabchenko
* Yuri Salko
* Sergey Savchenko
* Nikolay Sednin
* Iosif Shkolnik
* Oleksii Shovkunenko
* Alexander Stovbur
* Stanislav I. Sychov
* Alexander Telalim
* Oksana Zhnikrup