The People’s Artist of Russia Igor Alekseyevich Soldatyonkov was born on October 23, 1934 in the village of Novoye Khoroshovo near Kolomna. His father worked at a locomotive factory, and his grandfather sold timber and was engaged in haulage. His great-grandfather Averyan was a cousin of the prominent Russian publisher, philanthropist, and owner of an art gallery Kozma Terentyevich Soldatyonkov.
Igor Soldatyonkov turned out to be a worthy successor of his ancestor’s work. He was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the towns of Borovsk and Maloyaroslavets: with the direct participation of the artist, the Borovsk Art Gallery and the Maloyaroslavets Museum and Exhibition Center were opened.
Igor Soldatyonkov donated to Maloyaroslavets his own collection of paintings, as well as ancient Russian utensils, national costumes, photographs, books, religious objects and tiles, which formed the main collection of the local museum and exhibition center.
From an early age, Soldatyonkov was left an orphan and was raised by his aunt’s family. He graduated from the Ryazan Art College and the Surikov Moscow Art Institute. Later, he taught at this educational institution for many years.
The artist inspired and initiated plein-air painting sessions that took place in different regions of Russia. From 1949, he participated in more than 200 exhibitions, 15 of which were personal.
The artist’s work “The Water Subsides” is painted in an unusual manner. A fascinating combination of colors and images gives the spring landscape a fairy-tale quality, which is enhanced by the church visible in the distance. The painting is inspired by the beauty of the Kaluga land, which gave Igor Soldatyonkov new and creative ideas for more than four decades.
The ardent love for Borovsk and the Kaluga region, which nourished the artist’s skills, allowed him to find his multifaceted theme in this area. Igor Soldatyonkov traveled all over the Kaluga region. His trips were reflected in a series of works that depicted Russian Orthodox shrines — churches and monasteries, including the St. Paphnutius of Borovsk Monastery, the Chernostrovsky Monastery, the Optina Pustyn and the Tikhon of Kaluga Hermitage.
