DEINEKA Alexander Alexandrovich

May 8, 1899 (Kursk) — June 12, 1969 (Moscow)

Painter, graphic artist, sculptor, monumental artist

Deineka was born to a family of railroader in Kursk. He studied at the railway college, at the same time attended art workshop. In 1915 Deineka moved to Kharkov, entered Kharkov Art College, where he studied under M. P. Pestrikov and A. M. Lyubimov. In 1918 Deineka returned to Kursk. For some time he worked as a photographer in the Criminal Investigation Department, headed the section of the Art at the Regional Educational Department. In 1919–1920 he served in the Red Army, where he headed art studio in Kursk Political Department and Windows of ROSTA (Russian Telegraph Agency): he painted posters, designed campaigned trains. In 1921 Deineka was sent to Moscow in order to continue his art education at the faculty of printing art at the Higher State Artistic and Technical Workshops (VKhUTEMAS). In 1921–1925 he studied under V. A. Favorsky and I. I. Nivinsky. At the same time he met V. V. Mayakovsky. In 1924 Deineka as a participant of the Group of Three (A. A. Deineka, Y. I. Pimenov, and A. D. Goncharov) took part in the First discussion exhibition.

Since mid 1920s Deineka worked a lot in the field of magazine and poster graphic art, collaborated with magazines Bezbozhnik u Stanka (Atheist at the Machine), Projector, Krasnaya Niva (“The Red Field”). In 1925 Deineka was one of the organizers of the Society of Easel Artists (OST). The participants of the society were Y. I. Pimenov, A. D. Goncharov, P. V. Williams, A. A. Labas, D. P. Shterenberg, N. F. Denisovsky and many others. From 1925 till 1928 Deineka participated in four exhibitions of this society in Moscow, in international   exhibitions in Dresden (1926), Leipzig (1927), Cologne (1928), and New York (1929).

In 1929 Deineka left the Society of Easel Artists and joined art society Oktyabr (“October”). In 1931–1932 he became a member of the Russian Association of proletarian artists. Since 1928 Deineka lectured at the Higher Art Technical Institute (VKhUTEIN, 1930) and Moscow Polygraphic Institute at the department of poster art (till 1934). Deineka was engaged in book graphic art; in particular he drew illustrations to the books Bustle by N. Aseev, Fire by A. Barbus and Through the pole to America by G. F. Baidukov.

In 1934 Deineka visited Sevastopol; in 1935 he was sent to the USA, to France, Italy. In 1937 he was awarded a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris for the panel The noble people of the Soviet Union. One year later he created a mosaic series Twenty-four hours of Soviet sky for the metro station Mayakovskaya by L. M. Kaganovich in Moscow. In 1939 Deineka painted the plafond of the restaurant in the Central Theatre of the Soviet Army.

Since 1934 (till 1946) Deineka lectured at Moscow Art Institute named after V. I. Surikov. In 1942 he went to the front, drew a series On the roads of war. In 1943 Deineka created mosaics for the metro station Novokuznetskaya in Moscow. In May 1945 he made a trip to Berlin in order to gather material for his creative work. After the war Deineka was elected a member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1945–1952 he lectured at Moscow Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts, in 1953–1957 — at Moscow Architecture Institute. In 1956 Deineka returned to Moscow Art Institute named after V. I. Surikov, where he headed the workshop of monumental painting.