1952, Still life with lilac. Soviet Russian artist Pyotr Konchalovsky (February 21, 1876 – February 2, 1956)

Soviet Russian artist Pyotr Konchalovsky – Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts (1947), People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1946), and Winner of the Stalin Prize of the first degree (1943).
But first of all, Konchalovsky was the famous avant-garde artist, creator and later the head of “The Jack of Diamonds” society of avant-garde painters. And now, he is one of the most expensive Russian artists in the world. Also, he is the founder of the famous Russian-Soviet artistic dynasty of Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky.
Meanwhile, in 1902 he married Olga Surikova, daughter of the artist Vasily Surikov, who highly appreciated the talent and creativity of Petr Konchalovsky. However, when Vasily Surikov first learned that his daughter Olga was going to marry a student of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts Pyotr Konchalovsky, he was cursing and crying all night. Moreover, he even broke furniture and demanded the impossible: to cancel the wedding. But Olga was adamant, because she could not break the oath. Olga and Pyotr vowed to each other to create an extraordinary family. And they did.
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5 March 1953 (on the death of Josef Stalin). Socialist realism painter Fyodor Stukoshin (February 18, 1914 – February 3, 1974)

Socialist realism painter Fyodor Stukoshin was a bright representative of Soviet art, and most of his creative life he spent in Kyrgyzstan. Painter and teacher, he was a Member of the USSR Union of Artists (1949) and veteran of Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).
Born in the village of Razrytoe of Smolensk Province, Fyodor Stukoshin spent his childhood in Siberia. In 1936 he graduated from the Painting Department of the Omsk Pedagogical College of Art of Mikhail Vrubel, where he studied in the workshops of V. Trofimova and S. Feldman. After graduation he worked as an artist in the Omsk theater, engaged in registration of performances, creating costumes and scenery for the dramatic productions. However, In 1940 he moved to Frunze, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where later moved his entire family.
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Lenin at the meeting. 1988. Oil on canvas, painting by Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov

Soviet artist Nikolay Prokofyevich Karacharskov – a member of the USSR Union of Artists, and a member of the Union of artists of Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1967).
He was born February 14, 1935 in the village of Shadrikha of Poretsky district of Chuvash region. Aged five, the boy could count, read and write quite well, and studying in school was easy. Also, everybody noticed his exceptional talent in drawing, when the boy copied pictures from magazines, or photographs. Meanwhile, childhood of Nikolay coincided with the years of the Great Patriotic War, when the children had to work early and grew up before becoming a real adult. This time has left an indelible mark on the soul of a sensitive boy and largely determined the nature and direction of future creativity of the artist.
In 1950, when Nikolai graduated from the seven-year school, there was a question about the choice of profession. After reading ad in the newspaper “Red Chuvashia” about Cheboksary art school, 15-year-old Nikolay immediately declared of his desire to go to Cheboksary.
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Pereslavl-Zalessky. Children. 1963. Soviet painter Viktor Yefimovich Popkov (9 March 1932 – 12 November 1974)

Soviet painter Viktor Yefimovich Popkov was born in Moscow on March 9, 1932. Knowing the way of life of Soviet people in the first half of the twentieth century, you can imagine how difficult it was for one of the four peasant children to choose the way of creativity in life. And it was his mother, who seeing a sincere and serious interest of her son in painting, supported him in this endeavor. In the third grade, he began attending the art studio, located at the Podlipki plant named after Kalinin. Even then he had a clear goal – to learn to paint professionally and to make art his life’s work.
In 1948, Popkov enters the art and graphic teacher training college.
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Self-portrait. Oil on canvas. Soviet portrait painter Georgy Ryazhsky (12 February 1895 – 20 October 1952)

Soviet portrait painter Georgy Ryazhsky (12 February 1895 – 20 October 1952) – Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1944), Full Member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1949).
Georgy Ryazhsky was born February 12, 1895 in the village of Ignatievo of Moscow Province. In 1910-1915 he studied at the drawing classes Prechistenka evening courses, art studio of N. Komarovsky. In addition, he studied in the studio of M. Leblanc, R. Baklanov, and M. Severov. Besides, he took lessons in the studio of Anna Golubkina (1917). In 1918-1920 he studied at the State free art workshops of Higher Art, workshop of Kazimir Malevich. Already in 1922 Georgy Ryazhsky organized a group of New Society of Painters (VAW). He taught at drawing courses, and in 1929-1931 at the Higher Artistic-Technical Institute. Then he worked in the School of Memory of 1905, and since 1934 – at the Moscow Art Institute of Surikov (since 1940 – professor).
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Death to vile traitors (Donbass miner). 1937. The Story of one betrayal in caricatures of Mikhail Khrapkovsky, Soviet graphic artist (April 5, 1905 – February 17, 1959)

The Story of one betrayal in caricatures of Mikhail Khrapkovsky

Cartoons by Soviet graphic artist Mikhail Khrapkovsky (April 5, 1905 – February 17, 1959), depict, and even mock the political path of the Soviet party and state leader, Georgy Pyatakov (1890 – 1937). Besides, this is a series of cartoons created during the open Soviet trial of 1937. The main character of the cartoons – Georgy Pyatakov, who, alongside with others, was accused of conspiring with Trotsky, and connections with Parallel anti-Soviet Party Centre, aiming to overthrow the Soviet Government. And even more – in a conspiracy with the Nazis with the intent of seizing power in the Soviet Union, promising to reward the Germans with large areas of Soviet territory. On January 30, 1937, he was sentenced to death and executed. However, was rehabilitated posthumously (1988) during Gorbachev’s perestroika.
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Firstborn. 1963. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet artist Nikolai Ovchinnikov (14 October 1918 – 18 February 2004)

Soviet artist Nikolai Ovchinnikov can be called a pillar of socialist realism in art of Chuvash republic. With all his achievements and contradictions. His 1950-1960s paintings always impressed contemporaries with picturesque worshiping of ordinary workers and the powers, nature and heroes transforming it.
graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin in 1951, the studio of R. Franz. Candidate of Arts (1955). Among his honors – People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1984) and the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1968). He was Professor, Head of the Department of Fine Arts of the Chuvash State Pedagogical Institute. The long-term chairman of the Union of Artists of the Chuvash ASSR. Member of the Board of the Union of Artists.
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