Kyriakos Kostandi

Painter, draughtsman, teacher. Son of Konstantinidi Vasilketi, a Greek émigré from Santorini who fled to Russia after his island was invaded by the Turks. Worked in a grocery store and a wine-cellar in Odessa (from 1861) and as a retoucher in a photographic studio (from 1868). Studied at the Odessa School of Drawing (1870–74) and under Pavel Chistyakov at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1874–82). Returned to Odessa (1885) and visited Western Europe (1887), where he was influenced by the French Impressionists. Academician of painting (1907). Member of the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (1897), founding member (1890) and chairman (1892–1919) of the Fellowship of South Russian Artists. Taught at the Odessa School of Art (1885–1920). Director of the Odessa Museum of Fine Arts (from 1916). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1884). Contributed to the exhibitions of the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions (1884–1914), Fellowship of South Russian Artists (1890–1918), Moscow Society of Lovers of the Arts (1893), Kiev Fellowship of Artists (1895), 36 Artists (1901) and the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1900).