Yuri Annenkov

Who was Yuri Annenkov?

Yury Pavlovich Annenkov; 23 July [O.S. 11 July 1889] 1889 in Petropavlovsk, Russian Empire – 12 July 1974 in Paris, France, was a Russian artist mostly known for his book illustrations and portraits. He also worked for theatre and cinema. A member of Mir Iskusstva.

In his essay "On Synthetism", Yevgeny Zamyatin writes that "[Annenkov] has a keen awareness of the extraordinary rush and dynamism of our epoch. His sense of time is developed to the hundredth of a second. He has the knack--characteristic of Synthetism--of giving only the synthetic essence of things."

Yury Annenkov was born into a well-known family; his father, Pavel Annenkov was involved with revolutionary activities that led him to exile in Siberia. The Annenkovs moved back to St. Petersburg in 1892.

In 1908, Annenkov entered the University of St. Petersburg and attended Savely Seidenberg's studio classes, together with Marc Chagall. Next year, 1909, he attended Jan Ciaglinski's studio. In 1911-1912, Annenkov moved to Paris to work in the studios of Maurice Denis and Félix Vallotton. In 1913, Annenkov worked in Switzerland. Upon his return to St. Petersburg in 1914, Annenkov mostly contributed to magazines and worked for theatres.