Curatorial project: "Petrov-Vodkin's Circle"

Painter, graphic artist, theatrical designer, author of papers in art history, teacher. Studied in the Physics and Mathematics (1911) and History and Philology Faculties, St Petersburg University (1912–1918, completed 4 courses), simultaneously attended the School of Drawing, Society for the Encouragement of Arts; for some time worked in the private workshop of Lev Dmitriev- Kavkazsky and in the New School of Dmitry Kardovsky; studied at the First State Free Art Studios/VKhUTEMAS in Petrograd (1918–1922, from 1919 under Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, received certificate of completion in 1923). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1921).

Member and exhibitor of the Union of New Trends in Art (1922); Community of Artists (1924–1929, the member from 1923). Member of the Union of Artists (1932). Published drawings in magazines. Worked as an assistant designer at the Theatre of Music Drama (1916–1917); designed performances Stenka Razin,Le Bourgeois gentilhomme and The Barber of Seville for the Theatre of New Drama (1920–1921). Completed works commissioned by the Decorative Institute (Petrograd, 1919). Taught at the Higher State Free Art Studios (1921– 1922, drawing); VKhUTEMAS/VKhUTEIN/Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (1922– 1959), Professor (from 1925), headed the administrative unit (1932–1933), Dean of the Painting Faculty (1935–1937), engaged in organization of the Special Graphic Faculty (dean from 1948).

Associate professor, Ph.D. in Art History. In 1929 together with his wife Stella Vengerovskaya was named in a case of the “Voskresenie” right intellects conspiracy (“Alexander Meyer case”), exiled to Arkhangelsk. In 1932 was allowed to return to Leningrad and reinstated in a job at the Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. Sergei Priselkov is the closest thing to a successor to Petrov-Vodkin’s pedagogical activities. From 1922–1925 he taught the general (preparatory) course using Petrov- Vodkin’s programme, and in the 1925–1926 academic year developed a 1st year course in a special discipline for the main section “Colour in painting materials: its rules and depictive effect. Subjects of observation”.