Sculptor. Born the son of poor Russian peasants, he became one of Soviet Union’s most respected and versatile artists. He attended the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, before attending the St. Petersburg Academy of Art. Graduating in 1897, his artwork combined elements of modernism, realism and symbolism, and was featured widely throughout Western Europe, the Middle East and the United States during the early 20th century. He was a supporter of both the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, drawing inspirations for his early sculptures from anti-government revolutionaries. In 1922 he traveled to the United States for an exhibition of his art which was to last for two months, but he remained in the country for nearly a quarter century, focusing primarily on biblical and religious themes. In 1935 he was commissioned by Princeton University to design a bust of noted scientist and physicist Albert Einstein, before returning to his native Russia in 1944. He was one of the early originators and supporters of Socialist Realism, art designed to glorify and advance the ideology of the state. He was a recipient of the Order of Lenin, and was awarded the titles of Hero of Socialist Labor, and People’s Artist of the USSR. In 2001 his artwork was profiled in the book “The Uncommon Vision of Sergei Konenkov, 1874-1971: A Russian Sculptor and His Times.”  (bio by: Nils M. Solsvik Jr.)  Family links:  Spouse:  Margarita Ivanovna Konenkova (1895 – 1980)* *Calculated relationship