Bubnov, Aleksandr Pavlovich

Aleksandr Pavlovich Bubnov began his artistic studies at a school in Atkarsk, Russia during the 1920s. When the school was closed during the Russian Civil War, Bubnov continued his studies in the private studio of his teacher, N.I. Fedorov. In 1926, Bubnov moved to Moscow and enrolled in VKhUTEIN (Higher Art and Technical Institute) and during that time he became an active member of AKhRR (Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia).

After graduating, Aleksandr Bubnov moved to Novokuznetsk in southwest Siberia and worked two years as a junior architect before returning to Moscow in 1932. While the artist’s early paintings focused on sociopolitical themes, Bubnov admitted he had little talent in depicting nature, though landscapes would eventually find their way into the body of his work. The artists was showcased at the exhibition celebrating the 15th Years of the Red Army (1933, Kharkov) and at the exhibition of Young Artists in Moscow (1934). In 1939, he took part in the elaboration of a panel titled “Notable People of the USSR” for the Soviet pavilion at the World’s Fair in New York. During World War II, Bubnov created leaflets and drawings for war effort.

The artist was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1948 (for his 1947 historical painting “Morning on Kulikovo Field”), and he was accorded the title of Honored Worker of the Arts of RSFSR in 1955. Aleksandr Bubnov was a corresponding membership of the Artists' Union of the USSR. His works have been exhibited in Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and they are in museums across Russia including the State Tretiakov Gallery and State Russian Museum, both in Moscow.