Mstera artist Yuri Ikonnikov was born in the small village of Mstera 18th of November 1934. In 1956 he graduated the school "Proletarian Art", now named Mstera art school which trains artists in the techniques of painting lacquer miniatures. Ikonnikov worked actively and received several prizes and honored medals. He also has worked on illustrations for books. Notable original works include the "Tale of Dragon Gorynych", "Solovey-Razbojnik", and "Swan- Princess". Ikonnikov likes to choose themes from fairy tales and folklore for his miniatures. Yuri is interested in history and loves to read historical novels. Reflections of this pasttime can be seen in his creative works. Living in a very picturesque Russian region, Yuri Ikonnikov is touched by the unique beauty of the nature and as an artist he considers landscapes as his strength. Ikonnikov lives with his wife in Mstera and is still a lover of chess.