Kugach Yury Petrovich

Yury Petrovich Kugach (1917–2013) was a Soviet painter, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1965), and corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1970). He graduated from the Moscow Art Institute (1936–1942), where he studied under S. V. Gerasimov and I. E. Grabar. Early in his career, he painted portraits (the 'Prominent People of Moscow' cycle, 1949; USSR State Prize, 1950) and worked on historical-revolutionary themes. From the early 1960s, he focused on the life of the modern village, seeking to poeticize traditional Russian everyday life. Notable works include 'Before the Dance' (1961, Tretyakov Gallery), 'Haymaking in the Forest' (1967, Omsk Museum of Fine Arts), and 'Farewell' (1969). He was a laureate of the I. E. Repin State Prize of the RSFSR (1969).