He studied at the Petrograd art-industrial workshops (1919-1920) A. R. Eberlinga and AH (1921-1926), M. V. Dobuzhinsky and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. In 1923 he met with Filonov, in 1924, became the emerging team of MAI and soon became one of the leading members of the "core" of the school, its "ideology". Before 1930 participated in all performances. Was, according to eyewitnesses, one of the initiators of the schism of MAI, which came from the team. After retiring from Filonov, worked in the city Committee of artists, was the designer of the Museum and exhibition interiors, in particular of the USSR pavilion at the International exhibition in Paris (1937). In 1938 it was mostly a graphic designer in the theatres of Leningrad, Moscow, Kiev, Donetsk, continuing to engage and easel painting.