Georgii Georgievich Riazhskii

Born Jan. 31 (Feb. 12), 1895, in the village of Ignat’evo, in present-day Moscow Oblast; died Oct. 20, 1952, in Moscow. Soviet painter. Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR (1944); member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1949). Became a member of the CPSU in 1924.

Beginning in 1912, Riazhskii attended private art studios in Moscow. From 1918 to 1920 he studied at the State Free Art Studios (Vkhutemas). Riazhskii joined the New Society of Painters in 1922 and the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia in 1923. Between 1934 and 1952 he taught at the V. I. Surikov Moscow Art Institute (Vkhutein).

Riazhskii primarily painted portraits of women, reflecting the essence of the new people of the Soviet era and revealing the distinctive features of women who are active in public life. Riazhskii also painted landscapes and thematic works. His paintings include The Student of the Worker’s Faculty (1926), The Delegate (1927), The Chairwoman (1928), and Kolkhoznitsa—Brigade Leader (1932). All the above-mentioned works are in the Tret’iakov Gallery.