Alexander Deineka

Painter, graphic artist, sculptor, designer, teacher. Born in the family of a railway worker in Kursk (1899). Studied under Alexander Lyubimov at the Kharkiv School of Art (1914–18), served with the Red Army in the Civil War (1918–20) and studied under Vladimir Favorsky and Ignaty Nivinsky at the State Free Art Studios/VKhUTEMAS in Moscow (1920–25). Founding member of the Society of Easel Artists (1925–28), October (1928–30), Russian Association of Proletarian Artists (1931–32) and the Union of Artists (1932). Visited the United States, France and Italy (1934–35). Designed mosaics for the Mayakovsky (1938–39) and Novokuznetskaya (1943) underground stations in Moscow and the foyer of the Palace of Congresses in the Kremlin (1960–61). Drew posters for TASS during the Second World War (1941–45). Taught at the VKhUTEIN (1928–30), Moscow Institute of Polygraphy (1928–34), Vasily Surikov Institute of Art (1935–46, 1957–63), Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Art (1945–53, director until 1948) and the Moscow Institute of Architecture (1953–57). Vice-president of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1962–66), People’s Artist of the USSR (1963), winner of the Lenin Prize (1964). Died in Moscow and buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery (1969). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1924), including My Collection by the Elena Zenina Gallery of Arts in the Central House of the Artist at 10 Krymsky Val in Moscow (2011).