Alexander Deineka is a recognized classic of Russian art of the twentieth century. Everyone knows his canvases, combining pathos and lyricism, glorifying the military exploits and peaceful labor of the Soviet people. Working in a variety of genres—painting, sculpture, mosaic, poster, book illustration—he sincerely served the idea of communism, but was not favored by its priests. All his life he was accompanied by accusations of “formalism” and “cosmopolitanism,” denunciations and gossip. In the first full biography of Deineka, art historian Pyotr Cheryomushkin explores all stages of the artist’s work, not leaving out his active social activities and personal life.