The Memorial Studio of the People’s Artist of the USSR Andrey Kurnakov was opened on May 6, 2014, in the building of a merchant’s mansion built in the early 20th century. The exposition is based on paintings, as well as documents, personal belongings, and painting tools of the famous Oryol artist. The information kiosk has a rich variety of archive materials. Andrey Kurnakov was a professor, a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, the winner of the State Prize named after Ilya Repin, and an honorary citizen of the city of Oryol. He belonged to the generation of artists who began their careers after the Great Patriotic War.
Kurnakov is also known for his monumental complex and dramatic multi-figure dioramas, exhibited in the Oryol Museum of Local Lore and the Oryol Military History Museum. Kurnakov’s adherence to the traditions of Russian realism is what brought him fame. He painted portraits and still lifes and was also a renowned landscape artist. The unfeigned love for the nature of his homeland was an endless source of inspiration for him.
The museum studio stands out from similar institutions in the city: it is dedicated to only one person — the painter Andrey Kurnakov — and it contains more than 1,500 exhibits that used to belong to the artist, including over 300 of his works.
Andrey Kurnakov’s devoted work for the benefit of Russian art was highly praised. The Russian Academy of Arts awarded him with Silver and Gold medals with the inscription “To the Deserving”. As a teacher, he received the Krupskaya and Ushinsky prizes. Kurnakov was also active as a public figure, and for that he was awarded the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland”, 4th class, the Badge of Honor, and the title of an Honorary Citizen of the city of Oryol. For his service in the war, Kurnakov received the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class, and the medal “For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.” In 1999, Andrey Kurnakov received an award from the Artists’ Union of Russia named after Ivan Shishkin for his landscape paintings that participated in the prestigious All-Union, Russian and international exhibitions.
Kurnakov is also known for his monumental complex and dramatic multi-figure dioramas, exhibited in the Oryol Museum of Local Lore and the Oryol Military History Museum. Kurnakov’s adherence to the traditions of Russian realism is what brought him fame. He painted portraits and still lifes and was also a renowned landscape artist. The unfeigned love for the nature of his homeland was an endless source of inspiration for him.
The museum studio stands out from similar institutions in the city: it is dedicated to only one person — the painter Andrey Kurnakov — and it contains more than 1,500 exhibits that used to belong to the artist, including over 300 of his works.
Andrey Kurnakov’s devoted work for the benefit of Russian art was highly praised. The Russian Academy of Arts awarded him with Silver and Gold medals with the inscription “To the Deserving”. As a teacher, he received the Krupskaya and Ushinsky prizes. Kurnakov was also active as a public figure, and for that he was awarded the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland”, 4th class, the Badge of Honor, and the title of an Honorary Citizen of the city of Oryol. For his service in the war, Kurnakov received the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class, and the medal “For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.” In 1999, Andrey Kurnakov received an award from the Artists’ Union of Russia named after Ivan Shishkin for his landscape paintings that participated in the prestigious All-Union, Russian and international exhibitions.
