Andrey
Osipovich Nikulin

Studied in TSUTR Baron Stieglitz (1898-1903). In BRU led drawing class plaster ornament and a live nature (animals and birds), and the class of decorative painting (1906-1917).

He was born in 1878 in the village of Kamyshlovsky Davydovskaya parish Kurgan uyezd of Tobolsk province, where the family moved in search of a better life under Vladimir. In the birth certificate, a copy of which is preserved in the Russian state historical archive in St. Petersburg, date of birth 18 Aug 1878 (Sazonov V. V., 1989). However, the artist himself has set another date – August 14.

Nikulin was just a child when his parents moved again, this time to Siberia, Barnaul.

From an early age, the future artist was accustomed to work: in a village of rural, city, older, he entered the service of the pharmacist. Since childhood a lover of art, Nikulin a lot of drawing. One day, the artist says in his biographical notes, the master, seeing his picture, was quite surprised that the boy, anywhere not specifically studied, draws well, and as an educated man, took his work to the local intelligentsia. Praise abilities Nikulina expressed by the latter, played a crucial role that parents (thinking of another fate for their child) gave him to study in the district of the Barnaul mining school, the only educational institution in the city, where he conducted the teaching of drawing. While studying at the undergraduate level, Nikulin began to take part in the design of theatricals and charity concerts held in the people's house (the people's house was built on public donations collected by members of the Society for the care on primary education in the city of Barnaul). With the aim to give an opportunity to talented youth to professional art education Society was given to the performance, the funds from which the money received from the wealthy residents on the subscription sheet was passed Nikulin.

In 1898 A. O. Nikulin was admitted to the Central school of technical drawing of Baron Stieglitz in theatrical-decorative Department.

In December 1903 the school Board A. O. Nikulin, perfectly completed the full course, was recognized as worthy of the title academic painter and sent as a pensioner of the school abroad to further improvements in their specialty.

A. O. Nikulin visited Lemberg, Vienna, Venice, Milan, Ravenna, Rome, Palermo, Florence, Naples and spent two months in Switzerland. He was actively interested in the latest themes in European painting, attended exhibitions of the Impressionists. In 1905 he arrived in Paris, in the famous private Academy Julien.

Even while abroad, A. O. Nikulin received an invitation from the Bogolyubov drawing school in Saratov to work there as a teacher. His dream is to find the position of a teacher of drawing in his hometown went awry. And returned to Barnaul in the summer of 1906, and in 1907 he went to Saratov. However, every year for a few months, come to the Altai.

In the summer of 1908 in Barnaul held his first solo exhibition with the city's big success with the audience.

At the end of this year, the participation of the known scientist and public figure G. N. Potanin exhibition A. O. Nikulin was featured in Tomsk. Part of the proceeds from the sold works of Alexander O. Nikulin transferred the drawing school, which wanted to open in Tomsk Society of art lovers, of which by this time he becomes.

Not only in Siberia, but also in Saratov, A. O. Nikulin quickly and organically is part of the creative environment. In December 1909, in the halls of Radischevskaya Museum opens a personal exhibition. He works on the sets and costumes for local theater. In the journal "Polygon" by publishing his stories with illustrations by the author, he was elected to the Board of the founding members of the Society of plastic arts.

In addition to the Siberian and Saratov exhibitions A. O. Nikulin in these years involved in the capital and overseas. In 1913 he was among the representatives from the Russian school receives an invitation to participate in the Munich international exhibition. A well-known critic of that time Sergei Glagol wrote: "At the exhibition "Free creativity" interest only Nikulin in love with the blue expanse of Altai".

After the revolution, A. O. Nikulin moved to Barnaul and becomes a member of the Altai art society, together with E. Korovay, by M. Kurzidem, V. Gulyaev and other artists involved in the exhibitions, manages the art Studio.

In 1923 A. O. Nikulin moved to Novosibirsk, where he manages all Novosibirsk artists.

Since 1924 he lives in Moscow and works at the factory "Sovkino" ("Mosfilm"), participates in exhibitions in Moscow.

In the 1930-ies in Moscow held two solo exhibitions, a tour guide they were the author, visitors remember the huge sizes of watercolor with the types of Barnaul, Altai and Crimea.

During these years, A. O. Nikulin gave many forces to work in film, working as an artist-fonovisa. He participated in the design of all the paintings produced by "Mosfilm": "Warm company" (1924), "the New Gulliver" (1935), "Thirteen" (1937), "Ruslan and Lyudmila" (1938), "Vasilisa the Beautiful" (1940).

In 1944, A. O. Nikulin was awarded the title of honored art worker of the RSFSR.

September 13, 1945, A. O. Nikulin died in Moscow.