Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov became renowned not only for his artistic works but also for his dedication to teaching. He devoted nearly fifty years to educating and mentoring hundreds of young men and women in the arts. In 1908, he moved to Penza on the recommendation of Ilya Efimovich Repin and began teaching at the local art school.

The staff of the institution included the sculptor Konstantin Aleksandrovich Klodt and the painters Alexander Ivanovich Vakhrameyev, Nikolay Karlovich Grandkovsky, Aleksey Fyodorovich Afanasyev, and Pyotr Ivanovich Korovin. A little later, the graphic artist and painter Nikolay Filippovich Petrov also joined the teaching staff.

Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov approached his educational work with great enthusiasm. He taught painting, drawing, and etching. He even established a small engraving workshop. Many of his students later became prominent Soviet artists. During the Great Patriotic War, he was appointed head of the art school and the art gallery. In 1943, in recognition of his contributions to educating young specialists and in celebration of his 70th birthday, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR and received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

From the very beginning of his artistic career, Ivan Goryushkin-Sorokopudov was committed to the realistic traditions of art, emphasizing the national features of Russian life and nature in his work. This approach significantly influenced his students, including notable artists such as Pavel Sergeyevich Aniskin, Vasily Matveyevich Belikov, Alexey Grigoryevich Vavilin, and Stanislav Mikhailovich Nikireyev. The latter became a renowned etcher, recognized in the Guinness Book of Records for fitting the maximum number of details (78) on a single square centimeter.

In this portrait, Ivan Silych Goryushkin-Sorokopudov depicted his colleague Alexandra Ivanovna Smirnova. She recalled the artist’s generosity during the first year of the war, stating,