Kopchenov Mikhail

1913 — 2005

Mikhail Kopchenov was born in 1913 and grew up in the town of Gremyachevo situated in Kulebaky region of Nizhegorodskaya area. His passion for art showed from the early years so after leaving school he stayed there to teach art.

In 1938 Kopchenov moved to the town of Navashino where he took the post of the head of the design department of a shipbuilding plant and later he headed an artistic workshop. His extraordinary talent was noticed by well-known Murom's artists among which were academician of art I. S. Kulikov and V. А. Afanasiev. Mikhail Kopchenov started exhibiting his works in Navashino and Murom. In the 1960s Navashino turned into the artistic and cultural center of the region; a lot of famous artists came to speak and exhibit their artworks at the local House of Culture: Morozov father and son from Murom, Vlaskov father and son from Kulebaky, Kamanin father and son from Gorky, painters from Navashino such as Y. N. Obukhov, I. P. Markov, I. Y. Scheglov, V. V. Gubkin and many others alongside Kopchenov.

Throughout his long creative life the artist produced more than 150 artworks half of which were presented at his personal jubilee exhibition in Navashino dedicated to his 65^th anniversary. Mikhail Kopchenov created the design for the museum devoted to the history of “Oka" shipbuilding plant in Navashino, the memorial complex opened in the town on the 30^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War as well as pioneer and tourist camps all over the area.

In 2003 Mikhail Kopchenov was awarded the title of the “Honorary Citizen of Navashino region". His artworks are presented at the regional museum of local history as well as in the private collections around Russia and abroad.