Spring day

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 studied at the Moscow Art Institute (1936–1942) under S. V. Gerasimov and I. E. Grabar. Early in his career, he painted portraits (the 'Notable 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, aiming to poetize traditional Russian daily 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).