Viktor Kobzev

The son of a shoemaker is a shoemaker, and the son of a submariner is a submariner. Viktor Kobzev jumped to the conclusion and he went honestly through six combat services on the K-424 missile submarine cruiser. But then, with the rank of captain-lieutenant, he went ashore and began to paint.

In 2007 the Baltic Shipyard solemnly launched a new nuclear-powered icebreaker “50 Years of Victory”. And former colleagues invited Victor to ride it to the North Pole. Kobzev took an easel and paints just in case.

- That's when I first was at the North Pole. But once before in this area I surfaced in a submarine. But this does not count, - Kobzev jokes.

Since then he has been there more than three dozen times - every year there were several “trips”. Now Kobzev has an official position, his task is to draw the ice of the North Pole. After all, he is an expeditionary artist, but simply the Tube.

He became the Tube in a submarine.

- We knocked in ice, and there was a hole on the cabin. My colleagues took apart the wooden tea boxes and went to paint and boil them up. I hear on the speakerphone: "Kobzev, take brushes, paint and go up." And I still had the last tube of black paint, I reported to the captain. In response, from decent ...

Having lost patience, the Tube gently pulled the gum of her panties underwear.

- Then, when I have already swum, my friends told me that it was Yoko Ono. That's how I “touched” the Beatles story, - Kobzev is laughing.

Kobzev goes to the North Pole only in summer. The rest of the time is completely engrossed in etching. Since its appearance - the beginning of the 16th century - this direction of art has not changed much. The same metal boards, needles and acid etching. New technologies even resist offset printing presses. Perhaps this circumstance of the artist is the most amusing.

Kobzev lives in the village Toksovo, as it is now fashionable to say, in his family estate, which is located on the shore of Lake Kavgolovsky. He even has his own old pier.

From his house one can clearly see who is doing what on the lake. While ice has not frozen, the artist helps the local ranger to drive poachers with nets from the lake. And in the winter several times a season he runs on ice to rescue grief fishermen. Recently, they have completely lost their fear.

Recently, he looked after an abandoned rescue station next to the house. He put things in order and now combines business with pleasure. It looks after the fishermen and equip...