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Painter, graphic artist, illustrator, photographer, theatrical and cinema designer. Studied at Proletcult studios and worked with his father Pyotr at a jewellery factory in Veliky Ustyug (until 1924). Studied under Paul Mansouroff and Nikolai Dormidontov at the Leningrad Technical College of Art and Industry (1924–26) and worked in Pavel Filonov’s studio (1926–40). Member of the Masters of Analytical Art (1926–41). Contributed to Exhibition of Masters of Analytical Art: The Filonov School and designed the sets for Igor Terentiev’s production of Nikolai Gogol’s satire The Government Inspector at the House of Printing in Leningrad (1927). Expelled from the Union of Artists for Formalism (1935). Director and designer at Lenfilm Studios (1935–41). Fought in the Second World War (1941–45). Collaborated with various publishing houses (from 1950). One of the first Soviet artists to work in coloured photography.