Anna Golubkina

She was raised by her grandfather, Policarp Sidorovich Golubkin, who was a profitable vegetable farmer and probably the head of the local Filippians community.

Despite their total lack of formal schooling, all the children in Golubkin's family were literate and Golubkina's older sister Alexandra later got a nurse (feldsher) diploma.

Anna entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture where she studied from 1890 to 1894 under Professor Sergey Ivanov.

In 1894-1895 she studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg in the studio of famous sculptor Vladimir Beklemishev.

In 1897, she briefly returned to Russia, then became an assistant to Auguste Rodin (1897–1899) taking the position of Camille Claudel (she got an offer from Mark Antokolski as well).

Her bas relief The Wave installed on the facade of Moscow Art Theatre was considered a symbol of Russian Modernism.

She participated in the Russian Revolution of 1905, was arrested and sentenced to one year in prison for distribution of leaflets and was freed due to her bad health.

Golubkina was initially very enthusiastic about the 1917 October Revolution, but refused to work with the Soviet Government (including the Lenin's plan of Monumental propaganda) after the execution of the former members of the State Duma.