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Painter, graphic artist, theatrical designer, teacher. Born in the Ukrainian town of Elizavetgrad (now Kirovohrad) in the family of Alexander Osmyorkin (1892). Studied at the School of Drawing of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (1910), under Nikolai Pimonenko, Dyadchenko, Menk and Makushenko at the Kiev School of Art (1911–13) and at Ilya Mashkov’s studio in Moscow (1913–15). Fought in the First World War (1915–17). Worked as a theatrical designer (1918). Designed town decorations on Communist holidays. Member of the World of Art (1920) and Existence (1925), founding member of the Moscow Painters (1925), Wing (1926) and the Society of Moscow Artists (1927–32, secretary). Worked for TASS (1941). Invited by Pyotr Konchalovsky to teach painting at the State Free Art Studios (1918–19). Taught at the Higher School of Military Camouflage in Kuntsevo (1919–20), VKhUTEMAS (1920–27), VKhUTEIN (1927–30), Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Leningrad (1932–47, professor (1933)) and the Moscow Institute of Fine Arts (1937–48). Accused of Formalism and expelled from all his teaching posts (1947–48). Died of a brain haemorrhage in Pleskovo near Moscow (1953). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1913). Contributed to the exhibitions of the Knave of Diamonds (1914), World of Art (1917–18, 1920–22), Union of Russian Artists (from 1918), Exhibition of Pictures (1923), exhibition organised by the Russian Red Cross (1924), Moscow Painters (1925–26), Existence (1926–27), Wing (1927–28), Society of Moscow Artists (1927–32), Venice Biennale (1924, 1930) and a joint exhibition with Igor Grabar, Pyotr Pokarzhevsky, Georgy Ryazhsky and Grigory Shegal at the Union of Artists Organising Committee in Moscow (1940).