Zhirnov, Andrei Ivanovich

(1918 – 1990)

Moscow painter Andrei Zhirnov was born in the village Kuyash, Orenburg region.

He studied at Sverdlovsk Art College in 1947-1951 under F.K. Shmelyov. Then in 1951-1958 at the Moscow Surikov Art Institute under F.I. nevezhin, A.M. Solovyov and P.P. Sokolov-Skalya.  The latter directed Zhirnov’s diploma project – “The Soldiers’ Friendship” painting which was purchased by the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR in Moscow.  He started exhibiting his work in 1953 and joined the Union of Artists in 1959.  He mainly worked on genre compositions.  In 1956-1961 he taught art in the studio of the Culture Palace of Builders in Moscow.  In 1965-1972 he was a professor of the Moscow Higher Art Industrial School.