Lidiia Aleksandrovna Ilina
Il’ina, Lidiia Aleksandrovna
Born Feb. 14 (27), 1915, in the city of Mikhailov, in present-day Riazan’ Oblast. Soviet graphic artist, People’s Artist of the Kirghiz SSR (1963).
Il’ina studied in the Moscow Art Institute (1933–39). Since 1939 she has worked in Kirghizia. Using a lyrical and epic style, she creates illustrations, easel series, and individual engravings on modern subjects. Her works include the series of illustrations for the books Abai by Auezov (1950, 1957, 1959) and the Forest Song by Lesia Ukrainka (1960), both wood engravings; the Native Lands easel series (wood engraving, 1957), Tale of a Kirghiz Woman (color line engraving, 1958), The Youth of Kirghizia (1966), and Motherhood (1967; the two last series being line engravings, awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1971); and individual engravings, including The Beet Girl (1956–57) and The Return (1963), both color line engravings. Il’ina has been awarded two orders and a medal.