Igor

The nationally and internationally renowned portrait and figurative artist, scholar and spokesperson for the traditional school of classical art was born in 1965 in the town of Glazov, Russia into a family of academics. Inspired and morally supported by his parents, Igor painted his first portrait at the age of four and began his formal art education at the age of nine. At the age of thirteen in a nationwide competition, he was the only person out of thousands of applicants to fill one opening at the prestigious school for gifted children - Surikov College of Fine Arts in Moscow.

He is a recipient of national and international awards and honors and received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the world acclaimed Surikov Academy of Fine Arts, a leading Russian art academy that attracts and educates art students and talented artists from around the world.

His fine art education (1974-1990) belongs to the Russian - European Academic school. He is a third generation direct descendant student of the world famous painters I. Repin and V. Serov, and is proud to continue and to represent the Renowned School's traditions as passed on to him by his famous teachers.

Honored with the title "Living Master" by the Art Renewal Center (ARC), he is an accomplished artist with outstanding credentials. He has attained the highest level of fine art education and painted some of the world's most important and influential leaders. Over the past 20 years, he has painted numerous commissioned portraits of social, business and political elite. His notable portraits and figurative paintings are in important official and international collections including those of Pope John Paul II, Vatican, President George W. Bush, Jr.'s Presidential Collection, The White House; Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York, Collection Giuliani Partners, N.Y.C., President V.V. Putin of Russia, Collection of The Kremlin; Nelson Mandela, Collection of the Mandela's South Africa; Senator Hillary R. Clinton, Collection Clinton Presidential Library, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Collection of the House of Commons, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Regis Philbin -TV Celebrity, Frank Military, Warner Chappell Music in NYC; Byron Janis, America's most brilliant pianist, commissioned by his wife Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of film star Gary Cooper. The portrait of Frederick Hart, America's greatest figurative sculptor was recently unveiled along with his sculpture, for the induction into Hermitage Museum, at the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC and the portrait of James Gandolfini - award winning actor, was officially unveiled at the Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom in New York City. Steven Spielberg's "Starlight Starbright Foundation" recently commissioned Igor to paint a portrait of Akira Kurosawa, Japan's beloved, world famous film director.

Painting multi-figured Murals is traditionally recognized as the highest achievement of artistic expertise. Besides being a portraitist, Igor's uniqueness as an artist is also evident in his large-scale mural size works such as the historical painting of Columbus' Voyage to the Americas, entitled "For Gold, God and Glory", which is permanently featured in the Peruvian Encyclopedia (Empresa Editora Il Comercio, S.A.) His multi-figured composition "BELIEVE", official historical portrait of Pope John Paul II, was commissioned in commemoration of the World Youth Days and is in the Collection of Vatican.

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