The works of this artist are devoted to the Russian North, which is a true reserve of Russian culture, where the most beautiful monuments of wooden architecture that stand in harmony with the reticent and austere nature have been preserved. More remarkable still is that the old lifestyle has also remained unchanged in some places there. Thus, the sculptor Syukhin, a native of the Pichuga Village in Verkhnetoyemsky District of Archangelsk Region, had no need to turn to reference books or dictionaries to create images associated with local folklore. He once admitted that he “extracted them practically from his soul”. Such are his “Archangelsk Peasant”, “Former Most Popular Village Lad”, and “Alexander Borisov – Artist of the Russian Arctic”. The characters of these sculptures reflect certain features of the national character: one is a daredevil in an open coat ridding on a gigantic burbot with his hat on one side; the other, who had sinned in his youth, is crushed by misery in his old age; while the third, despite harsh circumstances, has preserved the strength of his spirit and creativity.
Key words: S.N. Syukhin, sculpture, the Russian North, “Archangelsk Peasant”, “The Former Most Popular Village Lad”, “Alexander Borisov – Artist of the Russian Arctic”.