Finogenov, Konstantin Ivanovich

Konstantin Ivanovich Finogenov was a noted painter, draftsman and art instructor in the USSR. He began his artistic studies in 1924 in his home town of Tsaritsyn (now, Volograd). In 1925, he joined the A.Kh.R.R. (Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia). Finogenov furthered his artistic education at the Leningrad VKhUTEIN [Higher Art and Technical Institute] in their graphic department. After the Institute moved to Moscow, Finogenov continued his studies at the Moscow Polygraphic Institute (now, Moscow State University of Printing Arts of Ivan Fedorov) where he graduated in 1932. That year, he also became a member of the Moscow Union of Artists.

During the World War II, Finogenov worked in the TASS Windows (Soviet Union Telegraph Agency of poster art) division and served as a front-line artist for the newspaper, Pravda. During the war, the artist also worked with the publishing house Isskustvo [Art] designing numerous posters with themes centering on the war effort. Konstantin Finogenov was part of a cadre of artists sent to the front lines by the Red Army Committee for Arts. The artist was sent to his native city (then called Stalingrad) to sketch one of the bloodiest and most important battles of World War II. Finogenov was reportedly in the city of Stalingrad during the infamous winter of 1942 to 1943 when soldiers not only died in battle but also froze to death. The artist kept a diary during the wartime period and it was published in 1948 in the USSR.

In 1949, Finogenov was awarded the Second-Degree Laureate of the Stalin Prize, and in 1951 he was bestowed the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1947. In the post-war era, Konstantin Ivanovich Finogenov worked primarily as an art instructor. In October 2020, the Kaluga Museum of Fine Arts held an exhibition of works spanning the artistic dynasty of Finogenov, his wife Vera A. Orlova (1904-1993), their daughter Mlada Konstantinova Finogenova, and extended members of the family.