[1] In 1872, he began auditing classes at the Imperial Academy of Arts and was accepted as a student a year later.

[2] In 1905, following the death of Konstantin Savitsky, he was named to succeed him as Director of the art college in Penza, near Moscow.

He resigned (some sources say he was dismissed) four years later and returned to his position as teacher at the Imperial Society.

[3] After 1912, he provided drawings for several satirical, humorous and literary periodicals, including Fragments (Осколки).

From 1894 to 1897, along with Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and other well-known painters, he participated in decorating the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, creating drawings for numerous mosaics.