Le Courrier | 16.07.2026
Portrait: “I love painting lac Léman! ”
Portrait: “I love painting lac Léman! ”
Text and photos by Jean-Louis Emmenegger
Olga is originally from Russia, but it was in Lutry that she finally became the artist she had always dreamed of being, painting the magnificent Lake Geneva.
Born in Cheboksary, the capital of Chuvashia, an autonomous republic located about 600 kilometers from Moscow, Olga has been living in Pully for the past year. Before that, she lived in La Croix.
“I have been drawing and painting since I was a very young child. I even won an award at the age of two. Later, I attended an art school for children, and when I was fifteen, I wanted to enroll in an art college. My parents, however, did not agree. I finished school before entering a university of design and technology. But becoming an artist was always my dream.”
She continued her studies in industrial design for the fashion industry at the University of Moscow. As an independent designer, she created footwear for major international brands and also spent seven years working in this field in China.
An Inspiring Landscape
In 2020, Olga arrived in Lausanne and, seeing that “art is in the city’s very atmosphere, with its exhibitions and museums,” decided to settle there in order to devote herself to art.
She was captivated by the shores of Lake Geneva and found the surrounding landscape extraordinary. In 2021, she made a life-changing decision:
“I want to become a painter.”
She began taking lessons to further develop both her watercolor technique, which she had practiced for many years, and oil painting.
“I’ve been painting in oils for three years now, and it’s my favorite medium because it dries much more slowly than watercolor. That gives you the time to truly refine the colors of a painting.”
Lake Geneva
“This lake inspires me immensely. The water, the air, the mountains, and the sky are like four different layers within my paintings. I always paint outdoors because that’s the best way for me to express my technique,” Olga explains.
She only takes photographs to paint from later at home if her subject involves something moving, such as a boat or a sailing regatta.
She also has favorite times of day depending on the season: early afternoon in summer, midday in spring, late afternoon in autumn, and sunset in winter.
“I Love Lutry!”
What brings Olga the greatest joy is the enthusiasm shown by both the people of Lutry and visiting tourists.
“People stop to watch me paint, they talk to me, and they pay much more attention than anywhere else. Parents are interested, and so are children. There is even a genuine culture of painting here!”
Olga is delighted that her art is so warmly appreciated. The reason is probably that she paints Lake Geneva exceptionally well.
“Thanks to the people of Lutry, I feel like a different person, the artist I always wanted to become. People here respond very positively to my paintings,” she says.
Exhibitions
Olga exhibited her paintings at Villa Mégroz in Lutry in 2025, and this year she will return for another exhibition on October 25.
As she does every year, she will also take part in the two “Expose ton art” events on August 15 and 22, held along the Lutry waterfront, where she will paint live on site.
She is also planning a series of seven paintings, one created each day at exactly 8:20 p.m. The series will therefore be titled “20–20.”
She also has a major project that she plans to submit to the jury awarding grants to artists in the Canton of Vaud.
Besides Lutry, Paris has also fascinated her, just as it has fascinated so many other painters.
“It’s a city that fascinates me and is ideal for artists. Everything is beautiful, and the proportions of its streets, squares, and gardens are wonderfully harmonious.”
Her favorite painters are Édouard Vuillard and Joaquín Sorolla, two Impressionists.
Olga also wishes to thank the person who made her dream of becoming a painter possible:
“I would like to thank my husband, Omer, and his family for their unwavering support. Omer is, in a way, the patron of this project.”
If you happen to stroll along the Lutry waterfront and see Olga painting, stop for a few minutes and talk with her. She will happily and passionately tell you about her painting and her artistic style.
Download Original Article in PDF (French language) Olga is originally from Russia, but it was in Lutry that she finally became the artist she had always dreamed of being, painting the magnificent Lake Geneva.
Born in Cheboksary, the capital of Chuvashia, an autonomous republic located about 600 kilometers from Moscow, Olga has been living in Pully for the past year. Before that, she lived in La Croix.
“I have been drawing and painting since I was a very young child. I even won an award at the age of two. Later, I attended an art school for children, and when I was fifteen, I wanted to enroll in an art college. My parents, however, did not agree. I finished school before entering a university of design and technology. But becoming an artist was always my dream.”
She continued her studies in industrial design for the fashion industry at the University of Moscow. As an independent designer, she created footwear for major international brands and also spent seven years working in this field in China.
An Inspiring Landscape
In 2020, Olga arrived in Lausanne and, seeing that “art is in the city’s very atmosphere, with its exhibitions and museums,” decided to settle there in order to devote herself to art.
She was captivated by the shores of Lake Geneva and found the surrounding landscape extraordinary. In 2021, she made a life-changing decision:
“I want to become a painter.”
She began taking lessons to further develop both her watercolor technique, which she had practiced for many years, and oil painting.
“I’ve been painting in oils for three years now, and it’s my favorite medium because it dries much more slowly than watercolor. That gives you the time to truly refine the colors of a painting.”
Lake Geneva
“This lake inspires me immensely. The water, the air, the mountains, and the sky are like four different layers within my paintings. I always paint outdoors because that’s the best way for me to express my technique,” Olga explains.
She only takes photographs to paint from later at home if her subject involves something moving, such as a boat or a sailing regatta.
She also has favorite times of day depending on the season: early afternoon in summer, midday in spring, late afternoon in autumn, and sunset in winter.
“I Love Lutry!”
What brings Olga the greatest joy is the enthusiasm shown by both the people of Lutry and visiting tourists.
“People stop to watch me paint, they talk to me, and they pay much more attention than anywhere else. Parents are interested, and so are children. There is even a genuine culture of painting here!”
Olga is delighted that her art is so warmly appreciated. The reason is probably that she paints Lake Geneva exceptionally well.
“Thanks to the people of Lutry, I feel like a different person, the artist I always wanted to become. People here respond very positively to my paintings,” she says.
Exhibitions
Olga exhibited her paintings at Villa Mégroz in Lutry in 2025, and this year she will return for another exhibition on October 25.
As she does every year, she will also take part in the two “Expose ton art” events on August 15 and 22, held along the Lutry waterfront, where she will paint live on site.
She is also planning a series of seven paintings, one created each day at exactly 8:20 p.m. The series will therefore be titled “20–20.”
She also has a major project that she plans to submit to the jury awarding grants to artists in the Canton of Vaud.
Besides Lutry, Paris has also fascinated her, just as it has fascinated so many other painters.
“It’s a city that fascinates me and is ideal for artists. Everything is beautiful, and the proportions of its streets, squares, and gardens are wonderfully harmonious.”
Her favorite painters are Édouard Vuillard and Joaquín Sorolla, two Impressionists.
Olga also wishes to thank the person who made her dream of becoming a painter possible:
“I would like to thank my husband, Omer, and his family for their unwavering support. Omer is, in a way, the patron of this project.”
If you happen to stroll along the Lutry waterfront and see Olga painting, stop for a few minutes and talk with her. She will happily and passionately tell you about her painting and her artistic style.