Sur'ianinov, Vasilii Vasil'evich

Vasilii Vasil'evich Sur'ianinov began his general studies at the State Free Art Workshops (GSKhM) in the village of Koz’modem’iansk. He graduated in 1922. Thereafter, he studied at VKhUTEMAS (Higher Art and Technical Studios) in Moscow where he studied under the tutelage of noted Soviet artists, Sergei Vasilievich Gerasimov and German Vasilievich Fedorov. After graduating in 1928, Sur'ianinov worked professionally as a graphic designer and spent a majority of his career working in the field of poster design. As a graphic artist, Sur'ianinov also illustrated books, produced etchings, and he worked as a staff artist for the State Publishing House.

During the Second World War, Sur'ianinov was evacuated to Yerevan, Armenian SSR. In that period, the artist designed satirical drawings for front line newspapers and created a number of posters such as "Close the Gates of Our Native Caucasus!" (1942) and "Happy Holidays, Comrades!" (1944). After the war, Sur'ianinov returned to Moscow where he designed posters for the publishing houses of Transzheldorizdat (All-Union Publishing and Printing Association of Railway Transport) Izogiz, Iskusstvo (art), and Plakat (All-Union Poster).

Over a fifty-year period, Vasilii Sur'ianinov designed numerous posters. Some of his noted designs include: "Let's Use Our Savings to Fulfill the Five-Year Plan in Four Years” (1930); "Torn Shoes", a cinema poster (1933); "Soviet People Have Something to Defend, and They Have Someone to Defend It..." (1937); "I, the Son of the Working People..." (1938); "Let's Mark Stalin Railway Worker's Day with a Powerful and New Upsurge in Transport Work!" (1945); "Forward to New Successes of Socialist Competition!” (1949); "Be a Worthy Son of the Motherland!" (1950); "The Soviet Court -- Court of the People!" (1951); "Love books - a source of knowledge. A. M. Gork’ii" (1952); "How are you fulfilling your plan?" (1953), "A Good Library for Every Collective Farm!" (1954); "The Will of the Party is the Will of the People" (1955); "Don't be Late with the Harvest!" (1956); "Long Live the Unity of Workers and Peasants!" (1957); "Live, Work, and Fight as Lenin did!" and "Collect scrap metal!" (both 1958); "Youth, to the New construction Sites of the Seven-Year Plan!" (1960); "Glory to the Women of our Fatherland - Builders of a Joyful Life!" (1961); "Let us Work with a Clear Conscience!" (1962); "Fulfilling our Duty to the Country is a Matter of our Labor Honor!" (1971); "In the Final Year of the Ninth Five-Year Plan - Every day is a Shock Work Day!" (1975); "The Honor of the Team is also your Honor!" (1976); "Build Well, Build Economically, and on a Modern Technical Basis!" (1980); and, "You Taught Him Skill and Craftsmanship, Kindly Count Him Among Your Sons" (1984).

Vasilii Vasil'evich Sur'ianinov was a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. In 1974, he was bestowed Honored Artist of the RSFSR Sur'ianinov was the father of Soviet poster artist Ruben Vasil'evich Sur'ianinov.