Nikolay Krisochenko

RICHARD GLASS
Curator/Display Specialist
El Paso Holocaust Museum & Study Center

I work not only as the Curator and Display Builder for the El Paso Holocaust Museum in El Paso, Texas, but also as an Art and Dance Journalist for the El Paso Times Newspaper and as an independent artist.

During the Fall of 1997 and the Spring of 1998, our community was honored by the presence of two brothers, Nikolay and Pavel Krisochenko, visiting from Kiev, Ukraine. They brought with them a large body of past work which was shown with the work of other Ukrainian artists in two public showings which I had the honor to review for the newspaper. Their work was by far, the best in the show. But not only was their work exceptional when measured against their peers in Ukraine, but I would consider their work exceptional when measured against any other artists in the USA or anywhere in the world. El Paso was further astounded by their work as executed numerous commissions for various clients (portraits, murals, etc.) during their 9 month stay in our country. One of their El Paso works was an exceptionally beautiful painting which they did from a small black-and-white photograph of the Baby Yar monument in Kiev. They donated the finished painting to our museum where it has become a permanent and cherished exhibit in our Memorial Room.

I have enormous respect for these two men, Nikolay and Pavel. Their artistic talents are nothing less than genius and their acquired skills, which have obviously come from a life-time of training and discipline, are unsurpassed. I would apply the title of "true Master" to both of them. But they are not just great artists, they are also beautiful people-emotionally and spiritually advanced and sensitive to Jewish issues and the horrors of the Holocaust. We were surprised, but genuinely grateful for their generous gift. I was also amazed at their body of knowledge concerning such things as Architecture and History. (Perhaps this comes from a superior education in the former Soviet Union, unlike the twaddle that passes for education in this country).

For any job opportunity that may come up for these two men, I give the highest recommendation on their behalf. There is probably no artistic job too difficult or impossible for them to figure out and execute. When I shared with them some of my own personal techniques, they learned instantly. So long as they are working, the WORLD will be benefiting from their efforts. I wish to again thank them for making our El Paso world richer and more enlightened while they were here.

Sincerely,
Richard Glass

April 5, 2000