Mikhail Zakharievich Rudakov’s "February Revolution" (1970) presents a haunting meditation on military duty and personal crisis during the February Revolution of 1917. The drawing depicts a soldier, identifiable by his military attire and ceremonial sword at his belt, in a moment of profound despair. Created during a period of retrospective examination of Soviet history, this work captures the specific trauma faced by military personnel during the revolution, when many were torn between their oath to the Tsarist regime and the emerging revolutionary order. Rudakov's adoption of Cubist fragmentation serves to emphasise the psychological and social fracturing of the period, while the soldier's dual armament - traditional sword and modern firearm - symbolically bridges the old and new orders at this pivotal moment of Russian history.
The composition centres on the soldier holding a gun to his head, rendered through Cubist-inspired geometric forms that splinter and reconstruct the figure in angular planes. The traditional sword at his belt suggests his formal military status, while the modern pistol turned against himself creates a powerful commentary on the crisis of loyalty faced by Tsarist officers during the revolution. The fragmented, multifaceted treatment of form reflects both Cubist influences and the splintering of identity during revolutionary upheaval. The spatial ambiguity, created through overlapping geometric planes, enhances the psychological complexity of the moment, emphasising the fragmentary nature of personal crisis within historical transformation.
The artist's choice of charcoal as medium, executed with bold, aggressive strokes and intense cross-hatching, creates a stark contrast between light and dark that amplifies the drawing's emotional impact. The rough, sketchy quality of the marks suggests both urgency and violence, while areas of untouched paper create moments of stark brightness that pierce through the darkness. This technique, combining German Expressionist intensity with Cubist fragmentation, reflects Rudakov's own military experiences, infusing the historical subject matter with personal psychological depth. The monochromatic palette strips away any romantic glorification of military duty or revolution, presenting instead the raw, unembellished crisis of conscience faced by military personnel during political upheaval.
Mikhail Zakharievich Rudakov (1914-1985) brought a unique perspective to this subject through his own experiences of military service and personal hardship. His training at the Kharkov Art and Industry Institute, followed by wartime service, German capture, and imprisonment in the Vorkuta labour camp, profoundly influenced his artistic vision. After his rehabilitation in 1957, Rudakov's work often explored themes of conflict and transformation, earning him recognition as an Honoured Artist of the RSFSR in 1982. This particular drawing exemplifies his mature style, which combined technical mastery with deep metaphorical resonance, making him a significant figure in Soviet artistic circles. His works are now held in major collections including the State Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, cementing his legacy in Russian art history.
