Konstantin Melnikov

Who was Konstantin Melnikov?

Konstantin Stepanovich Melnikov was a Russian architect and painter. His architectural work, compressed into a single decade, placed Melnikov on the front end of 1920s avant-garde architecture. Although associated with the Constructivists, Melnikov was an independent artist, not bound by the rules of a particular style or artistic group. In 1930s, Melnikov refused to conform with the rising stalinist architecture, withdrew from practice and worked as a portrait painter and teacher until the end of his life.