Kostandi, Kiriak

Born Sept. 21 (Oct. 3), 1852, in the village of Dofinovka, near Odessa; died Oct. 31, 1921, in Odessa. Ukrainian painter.

From 1870 to 1874, Kostandi studied at a drawing school in Odessa. From 1874 to 1882 he was a pupil of M. K. Klodt at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Kostandi was a founding member of the Society of Artists of Southern Russia (1890; chairman, 1902-21). In 1897 he became a peredvizhnik (a member of the “wanderers”—a progressive art movement). Beginning in 1885 he taught at an art school in Odessa. His pupils included I. I. Brodskii, M. B. Grekov, and A. A. Shovkunenko.

Kostandi primarily painted genre scenes that dealt with democratic subjects and expressed sympathy toward working people (Visiting a Sick Comrade, 1884, Tret’iakov Gallery; To Become a Housemaid, 1885, Museum of Ukrainian Fine Art of the Ukrainian SSR). He also painted landscapes and portraits. Under Soviet rule he participated in the work of Gubnarobraz (Province Department of Public Education) and in the organization of exhibitions.