Kulikov Ivan Semyonovich (1875-1941)
Russian artist, master of portraits and everyday scenes of Russian provincial and rural life. He was born in the village Afanasovo, Murom uyezd of the Vladimir province. Kulikov studied at the Murom Uyezd School, where his abilities were already evident. He received his art education at the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, and then at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. His teachers were V.E. Makovsky, I.E. Repin. After a trip abroad from the Academy of Arts (1903-1905) Kulikov received recognition and professional awards, but he returned to Murom to live and work. In 1915, for a series of paintings about Murom, the artist was awarded the title of academician of painting. Kulikov devoted a significant part of his life to teaching painting and gathering the collection of the Murom Historical and Art Museum, the first director and scientific employee of which he was.