Ershov, Igor' Aleksandrovich

Igor' Aleksandrovich Ershov was a Soviet painter, graphic artist, and a decorator. Born into a musician's family, Ershov entered Saratov Art College in 1925 where he studied for five years with teachers Pavel Kuznetsov, Pyotr Utkin, and Boris Milovidov. During his studies, Ershov participated in exhibitions. After graduating, he moved to Moscow. Throughout his life, the artist had an interest in Central Asia. In particular, he spent time in Tajikistan where he admired the culture and lives of the Tajiks and Uzbeks. During the 1930s, Ershov visited Bukhara (capital of the Uzbek SSR) to create paintings of the city and of Uzbek life.

During the Second World War, Igor Ershov served as a military artist and correspondent. His work took him to the front where he created sketches and made combat illustrations for newspapers and posters. In 1941, the artist took part in the “Exhibition of Fine Arts of the Tajik SSR” that was held in Moscow. The works Ershov presented at the exhibition were, "Birth of a Son" (a large thematic painting) and the titles "Tajik Woman" and "Partisan”.

After the war, Ershov worked for the All-Union Chamber of Commerce of the USSR where he decorated trade and industrial exhibitions. From the 1950s to the 1960s, he worked in the field of industrial graphics and created advertising and political posters, brochures and calendars. In addition, Ershov was engaged in the illustration of children's books.

He participated in All-Union and republican exhibitions in the USSR and he had solo exhibitions in Saratov (1930) and in the Tajik SSR cities of Dushanbe (1941, 1949, 1957) and Leninabad (Khujand) (1954). During his life, the artist took part in over 80 exhibitions. For his creative work, Igor Ershov was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor in 1940. The award was conferred on citizens of the USSR for their achievements in cultural activities.

In 1932, Ershov became a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. He also was a member of the Saratov Society of Constructivists (a.k.a. the Volgo LEF) and he designed its magazines. In addition, the artist was a member of the Saratov branch of OMAKhR (United Youth Association of Artists of the Revolution). In 1968, Igor' Aleksandrovich Ershov was bestowed the title of Honored Artist of the Tajik SSR.