The Most Approachable Artist Of The Nation

Meretukov Davlet was born on the 13th of November 1929 in the Adygian village of Hakurinokhabl, to the family of a nobleman. His father was arrested and shot in 1932; he was rehabilitated in 1997. The family moved to Maykop in 1943. During the Great Patriotic War Meretukov, a teenager at the time, worked at the Frunzhe Machine-Tool Factory. He became involved in artistic creativity at the young age. After finishing secondary school, he worked at the Adygen Art Workshops. In 1951-53 he served in the Soviet Army, then finished military college and was demobilized as a lieutenant. He returned to the Art Workshops, but he had a dream - to become a professional artist. Later, in 1955, Meretukov Davlet entered the 1905 Moscow Art School. He studied there for five years and then continued his education in the Moscow Surikov Art Academy, in the Faculty of Easel Painting. During his study there, he became keen on monumental art.

In 1967, after graduating from the Academy, he was accepted to the Moscow Plant of Monumental-Decorative Art. He worked there until he returned to Maykop in 1992.

During these years he created many works - mainly of monumental character - in Moscow, Maykop, Sevastopol, Cherkessck, Zagorsck and in many other cities. His monumental works received high professional marks. Many times he took part in exhibitions of Moscow artists-monumentalists.

The culture of the Adygians took a special place in the creativity of Meretukov. A great number of monumental and graphic works, made in Maykop, are evidence of this.

These include: stained-glass windows(1,2), the wall relieves at the Autostation and in the House of Consumer Services, the large mosaic decorative panel at the Music College, the monument at the entrance of Maykop, the decoration of the restaurant "Adygey", the monument to victims of the Great Patriotic War,