Sychkov Fedot Vasilyevich

Fedot Vasilyevich Sychkov was a prominent Russian and Soviet artist, Honored Art Worker of the Mordovian ASSR (1937), Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR (1950), and People's Artist of the Mordovian ASSR (1955). Born into a poor peasant family in the village of Kochelaevo, he entered the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in St. Petersburg in 1892 with the support of General I. A. Arapov. After graduating in 1895, he became a non-degree student at the Higher Art School of the Academy of Arts. Sychkov's primary themes focused on peasant life and rural festivities. The largest collection of his works (approximately 600 pieces) is held at the S. D. Erzia Mordovian Republican Museum of Fine Arts. In 1970, a memorial house-museum dedicated to the artist was opened in his home village of Kochelaevo.