Boris Ivanovich Volkov

Born Mar. 13 (26), 1900, in Moscow; died there Dec. 23, 1970. Soviet theatrical designer. People’s Artist of the USSR (1965).

Volkov studied at the Stroganov School (1913-18) with F. F. Fedorovskii and in the studios of the People’s House (1913-16) with V. D. Polenov. From 1918 to 1923 he studied in the State Higher Arts and Technical Studio with A. V. Lentulov, V. E. Tatlin, D. P. Shternberg, and other artists. He was a member of the Society of Painters. From 1924 to 1940 he was principal artist at the Moscow City Soviet of Trade Unions (MGSPS) Theater (presently the Mossovet Theater). From 1941 to 1949 he worked as principal artist at the K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater and in 1951 became principal designer at the Malyi Theater. His early works expressed the influence of constructivism—for example Bill’-Belotserkovskii’s The Storm (1925) at the MGSPS Theater. In the subsequent years, Volkov turned to a combination of spatial and pictorial scenery and assigned an important role to lyrical landscapes. Among his works are the set and costume designs for Kabalevskii’s The Family ofTaras (1951; State Prize of the USSR, 1952), staged at the K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater; Surov’s Green Street (1948; State Prize of the USSR, 1949) and Mal’tsev and Venkstern’s Second Love (1950; State Prize of the USSR, 1951), both produced at the Moscow Art Academic Theater; and Marshak’s Clever Things (1965), staged at the Malyi Theater. Volkov has been awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and various medals.