Bogorodskiy Fyodor Semyonovich

Was interested in music and acrobatics (1914-1915) and attended art classes in drawing, water colouring and moulding in clay in Nizhniy Novgorod concurrently. There he acquired the first skills in the fine arts under the supervision of E. F. Geyte. After this he continued his studies in Moscow in the studios of M. V. Leblan and P. A. Baklanov (1914). He studied at the Law School of Moscow University (1914-1916). From 1916 on he served in the Naval Aviation. In 1918 he was discharged and returned to Nizhniy Novgorod, where he worked in the Revolutionary Tribunal of the Extraordinary Commission (CheKa). He was Commissar of the Don and Volga-Caspian Navy, served on the newspaper “Nizhegorodskaya Commune” (from 1919 on). Was a student at the VKHUTEMAS (1922-1924) and worked in the State Circus in Moscow (Clown-pseudonym “Ferri”) and at the same time in the Avant-Garde Theatre of N. M. Fogerreti (until 1924). Staged plays. Visited Germany and Italy on behalf of the People’s Commissariat of Education (1928-1930). Met M. Gorkiy in Sorrento (1930). From 1930 on he lived and worked in Moscow. Taught at the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in the Operators’ Department (1938- 1959), Professor (from 1930 on). Distinguished Artist of the RSFSR (1946), was awarded the Stalin Prize (in 1946); Corresponding Member of the Academy of Fine Arts of the USSR (1947). Was Chairman of the Moscow Branch of the Artists’ Union of the RSFSR (1955- 1958). Author of the book “Memories of an Artist”, (Publishing House “Soviet Artist”, Moscow 1959).