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Portrait Artist Igor Babailov: About, Biography, Portrait Expertise, Doctoral degrees, Official Portrait Painting Unveilings, his Nobility, Master Lineage, Awards & Honors Anchor 1 About the Artist UP RU IGOR V. BABAILOV , Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA (Ph.D), D.Litt. (Hon.Causa) For Media Inquiries ~ Short Bio ABOUT THE ARTIST IGOR V. BABAILOV , Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA(Ph.D), D.Litt.(Hon.Causa) , world-renowned portrait and figurative artist, recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2022), Honorary American Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757), Knighted Chevalier of the Order of St. Anne (est.1735), scholar and spokesperson for the traditional school of fine art, was born on February 9, 1965 in the city of Glazov, Udmurt Republic of Russia, into a family of academia. His father, V alery Babailov , was a portrait and landscape painter, and co-founded the very first preparatory fine art school in Glazov. He was also poet and composer. Igor's mother, Rosa Kudasheva Babailova, was an acclaimed and award-winning teacher of biology & chemistry. In the family of cultured and academic intelligentsia, Igor and his brother Vladislav, grew up in an environment of high professional ethics and inspired creativity. Art Career - The Beginning Igor painted his first portrait at the age of four (4). Child prodigy, he began his formal fine art education at the age of nine (9) at the preparatory art school. At the age of thirteen (13), he entered into a nationwide competition of thousands of applicants, to compete for the only opening at the most prestigious and one of only two schools of its kind in the world, the school for gifted children, specialized in classical visual art education - Moscow Secondary School of Fine Arts (later renamed The Moscow State Academic Art Lyceum under the Russian Academy of Arts). Upon strict and disciplined art exams for twenty five pre-selected children, Igor Babailov was honored to be the one to fill that special vacancy and was accepted into the school, where four years later he graduated with honors. High Art Education - The Academy Having been awarded a rare recommendation by the art professors of the Art Lyceum and after successfully completing nine entry exams, Babailov was accepted into the world acclaimed Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute (aka Surikov Academy) representing the Russian Academy of Arts, est.1757, which taught and gave the world many outstanding Masters, including the great American artist Whistler . "Portrait of a Gypsy man" Painting by Valery Babailov, Igor Babailov's father by Valentin Serov by Ilya Repin Famous Teachers Since the early age in his formal academic education, Igor Babailov studied under some of the finest artists in art history, and belongs to the DIRECT Academic Lineage of world-famous portrait painters, Serov and R epin . Babailov's fine art education (1974 -1990), rooted in the curriculum of Classical Realism, especially contributed to his unparalleled skill in academic drawing (or drawing from life ) , which today is a fundamental challenge for many painters. Major Portrait Commissions Igor Babailov is one of the most sought after portrait artists of the historic academic tradition. Deemed Living Master by the Art Renewal Center and recipient of national and international awards and honors, his commissioned portraits of world leaders, celebrities and distinguished individuals are in official public, private, corporate and museum collections, including those of: President George W. Bush (Bush Presidential Library), former First Lady Hillary R. Clinton (Clinton Presidential Library); U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito (Supreme Court of the United States); General David Petraeus - United States Army Commander and CIA Director (West Point Museum), historic new portrait of George Washington (George Washington’s Mount Vernon Museum); Pope Francis (Vatican), Pope Benedict XVI (Vatican, Rome), Pope St. John Paul II (Vatican, Castelgandolfo); Nelson Mandela (Presidential Collection, SA); Prince Andrew The Duke of York (Buckingham Palace, London); President Vladimir Putin of Russia (The Kremlin); Justice Joseph P. Sullivan (Supreme Court of New York); Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York (Giuliani Partners, NYC); Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Kirill (Moscow Patriarchate); Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Parliament Hill, Canada); Prime Minister Jean Chretien (Collection of POWER Corporation.); Col. Christoph Graf, Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard (Vatican); Gov. Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England ; Canadian Senator Michael Pitfield ; Inventor of AK-47 Mikhail Kalashnikov ; TV personality Regis Philbin ; actor James Gandolfini ; Isadore Sharp , Founder & CEO (Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts); Dr. Wayne Streilein (Harvard University); pianist Byron Janis and Maria Cooper Janis , (daughter of film star Gary Cooper); Ted Lazenby (The Board, Kennedy Center, by Presidential Appointment); hockey legends Bobby Hull and Vladislav Tretiak , American football stars Boomer Esiason and Tiki Barber ; Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson , world-renowned Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa (Steven Spielberg’s Starlight Starbright Foundation, Japan) and many others . Vatican Splendors museum tour In 2010, Vatican Curator and scholar of Michelangelo, Monsignor Roberto Zagnoli, acknowledged Igor Babailov as Maestro when his Vatican portrait of Pope Benedict XVI was selected by the Pope for the Vatican Splendors international museum tour. Babailov was honored to be the only living artist in the exhibition, as his papal portrait hung alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto and other Great Masters of the Renaissance. Multi-Figure Grand-Scale Paintings The ability to create multi-figure murals is traditionally recognized as the highest achievement of the artistic expertise. Besides being a prolific portraitist, Mr. Babailov’s uniqueness as an artist is also evident in his large-scale Old Master-like compositions such as the historical painting, “For God, Gold and Glory” , depicting the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas ( permanently featured in the Peruvian Encyclopedia Empresa Editora Il Comercio, S.A.). His multi-figured composition “Be Not Afraid” , the official historic portrait of Pope John Paul II, now a Saint, was commissioned in commemoration of the World Youth Days. It is in the Collection of the Vatican Museum and by the personal decree of the late Pope, it is displayed in Castel Gandolfo, the Papal summer residence. His epic painting “MERCY - Who has to suffer…and Why?” , portraying a crowd of diverse children of various cultural and religious backgrounds together, is currently underway and it is dedicated to the timeless issue of ongoing global humanitarian disasters (many of which are man-made) and to its innocent victims, children. Member of the National Arts Club, in 1996 he organized the very First Official delegation visit of American artists to post-Soviet Russia and has taught at the Florence Academy of Art, Italy in 1999. For Gold, God and Glory CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Fine Art Education ( 1974 - 1990 ) Igor Babailov's fine art education (1974-1990) belongs to the acclaimed Russian-European Academic school of art. In the Direct Teacher-Student Academic Lineage of the Academy he is a third generation student of Russian Masters: Repin, Serov, Korovin, Arkhipov and Favorskiy. They taught Kulikov, Yuon, Kardovskiy, Grabar, Deineka, S.Gerasimov, Korin - world-renowned artists, who taught Mr. Babailov's professors. Igor Babailov studied directly under Zabelin, Danilichev, Chirkov, Andriaka, M.Kugach, O.Pavlov, Valery Babailov, Shatskiy, Sherbakov, Zavgorodniy, Gorbunov, legendary art historian Mikhail Alpatov and other distinguished artists and professors of Fine Art. Human Anatomy (The Anatomical Studies of the Human Form, as the fundamental of the most challenging form in visual art). The Laws of Perspective Composition: The Master Rules Studio Life Painting: Still-life, Cast, Portrait, Torso, Nude Figure, Clothed Figure, Group Modelsetting, concepts of colors and tonal values Studio Life Drawing: Still-life, Cast, Portrait, Torso, Nude Figure, Clothed Figure, Croup Model setting, exercises in anatomy, proportions, chiaroscuro. Plein-Air Practice (national and international travels, outdoor Portraits, Landscapes, etc. all from life) Technology of Painting and Painting Materials (studied under professor O.B. Pavlov, great-grandson of the 19th century famous Russian landscape painter Alexei Savrasov. Studies of the Masters' Techniques Official Museum Copies (official permission from the Russian Ministry of Culture was obtained to make identical copies from the original works of art in major museum collections ) World Art History: Painting , Sculpture, Architecture from Pre-historic Art to Contemporary Curriculum of studies ( 1974-1990) included intensive training in: ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS and Honorary Degrees 2019 - Doctor of Literary Letters (Honoris Causa) - Honorary Degree - Awarded by Cumberland University, USA (Founded in 1842) 2016 Academician - Honorary Degree - The International Academy of Culture and Art 2012 - Honorary Academician of Painting - Elected by the Russian Academy of Arts (est. 1757) 1983 - 1990 Master of Fine Arts Degree - MFA / official Ph.D . equivalent in the U.S. - CAA, NASAD. Surikov State Academic Art Institute (a.k.a. Surikov Academy of Fine Arts) of the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts (est.1757). Painting Studios of A.Danilichev and V.N. Zabelin . 1979 - 1983 Fine Arts Diploma and High School Diploma, Moscow Academic Lyceum of Arts under the Russian Academy of Arts. (Honors graduate, received Professors' Recommendation to the Surikov Academy) 1974 - 1978 Fine Arts Certificate and Diploma, Preparatory School of Fine Art, Glazov, Russia (Honors graduate). AWARDS and HONORS AWARDS and HONORS (selected list) 2023 Official Vatican Pontifical Swiss Guard Seal - presented by Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Col. Christoph Graf - Vatican, Rome 2022 Congressional Record - Tribute to Igor Babailov - 07.13.2022, Washington, DC 2022 Awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor that ranks as one of the most prestigious awards in America. 2020 Granted Hereditary Nobility and official Coat of Arms by Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria, Head of The House of Romanov 2019 Distinguished Fellow - The Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 2019 Awarded Honorary Doctorate from Cumberland University (USA). 2018 Awarded the Presidential Award on behalf of President George Washington, by the President of Mount Vernon Museum, Mount Vernon, VA 2017 Knighted Chevalier of the Order of Saint Anne. (Malta, 2017) 2016 Awarded the title of Academician by the International Academy of Culture and Art 2016 Award of Apreciation -"The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution" 2015 Official Unveiling of the Portrait of Pope Francis . 2015 Official State Recognition by the TN Senate and Governor 2012 Elected Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757) 2012 Awarded State Title "Honored Artist of Udmurt Republic", by the President (Governor) of Udmurtia. 2012 Official Portrait of Patriarch Kirill of Russia unveiled at the historic Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow 2010-2011 Igor Babailov's Vatican Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI selected by the Pope for the Vatican Splendors museum tour, exhibited alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto, Vasari and other Masters of the Renaissance. 2011 ~ Official Major League Baseball ~ Award for Portraiture, Presented at Yankee Stadium, New York City 2010 Commemorative Medal from the Archdiocese of St.Louis, MO presented by Archbishop R. Carlson 2009 NEW portrait of George Washington inducted into the George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum collection, Mount Vernon, Virginia 2009 Awarded Order "Service to Art" ("The Golden Star") by the International Academy of Culture and Art 2009 General David H. Petraeus Award "For Excellence", awarded by U.S. General David H. Petraeus 2006 Honored by the Vatican with the special sitting with Pope Benedict XVI for the Papal Portrait. 2005 Pontifical Medal of Pope John Paul II, presented by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Luigi Ventura 2004 Portrait of Pope John Paul II, now a Saint, by the personal decree of Pope John Paul II, is displayed in Castel Gandolfo, Vatican 2004 The painting "For God, Gold and Glory" is permanently included in the Peruvian Encyclopedia, Empresa Editora Il Comercio,S.A 2003 Honorary Member, Drawing Society of Canada 2002 Honored with the title "Living Master" by the Art Renewal Center (ARC) 2001 Honorable Mention – Portrait Competition, International Artist Magazine, Australia 1999 Honorable Mention – Portrait Competition, The Artists Magazine, U.S.A. 1997 The Merit Award – “Realism '97 International Art Competition, Parkersburg, WV 1994 Grand Prize Winner – American Society of Portrait Artists Competition 1993 Award “For Outstanding Achievement in Portrait Painting” – National Portrait Seminar and American Artist Magazine 1992 Selected to create a Cover for the book "From East to West" 1990 Selected by the National Academic Committee to be one of the few students to represent the Russian Academic school in the Exhibition in Scotland. Participants included the graduates of the Surikov Academy, the Repin Academy and the Stroganov Art Institute. 1989 First Prize Winner – Annual All-students Graphic Works Competition, Surikov Academy of Fine Arts 1989 Selected to draw the portraits of Russian Celebrities, such as: A.Rosenbaum, I.Resnik, L.Dolina, E.Shifrin, B.Moiseev, to name a few. 1988 Surikov Academy presents Babailov's academic drawing to Vietnam Academy of Art, to symbolize the friendship between two Academies. 1983 Honors Graduate, Surikov College of Fine Art. Professors’ Recommendation for special admition to the Surikov Academy of Fine Arts. 1981 Top Prize Award for portrait "Egorka" in the prestigious Soviet Art Colleges' National Competition, judged and presented by the celebrated Russian Artist Fyodor P. Reshetnikov. 1979 Selected out of thousands in the Nation-wide competition for the only vacancy at the prestigious Surikov College of Fine Art in Moscow. LECTURED & DEMONSTRATED (selected list) Present The Russian-American Academy of Art / The Igor Babailov Institute of Realism – Master Workshops 2019 - 2016 Cumberland University 2019 - 2018 Catholic University of America - Washington, DC 2018 International Cultural Forum - St.Petersburg, Russia 2018 Legatus Club - Washington, DC Chapter 2018 George Washington's Mount Vernon - Fellowship with Igor Babailov 2017 Rotary Club (Lebanon, TN; Brentwood, TN) 2016 The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution 2015 Vanderbilt University 2014 Pope John Paul II High School, 500+ lecture attendance, Tennessee 2012-2013 Legacy High School (for challenging children), New York City 2011 St. Thomas Aquinas College, Nashville, TN 2010 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 2010 Monmouth University, New Jersey 2009 Ave Maria University - Master Workshop, Lecture, Demo 2009 Portrait Society of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 2009 Dominican Sisters, the Congregation of St.Cecilia, Nashville, TN 2006-2010 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists (Stage Painting Demonstration & Lecture, critiques) 2005 Tennessee Arts Academy, Belmont University (Lecture) 2005 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists (Stage Painting Demonstration & Lecture) 2004 Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists (Stage Demonstations, Workshop & Judging of the Portrait Show with Dr. Marcus Burke, Curator, Museum, Hispanic Society of America, New York City) 2003 Bellport Art council, Long Island, NY (Master Workshop / Demonstration) 2002 Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (Stage Portrait Demonstration, Canadian Society of Portrait Artists Festival) 2000 Preparatory Art College, Glazov, Russia, (“Mastering yourself” Lecture) 1999 Florence Academy of Art - Florence, Italy (Instructor of Figure Painting in Oil, Summer Program) The International attendance of students included the art students from Four Continents. 1999 Cincinnati Art Club, 2nd oldest Art Club in the USA (Demonstration for at least 100 people & a Master Workshop) 1999 Private instruction to Sayaka Yamaguchi, the student from Tokyo, Japan 1999 West Coast Portrait Society – Sacramento, CA USA (Master Workshops, Demos) 1997 West Coast Portrait Society – Sacramento, CA USA (Master Workshops, Demos) 1996 West Coast Portrait Society – Sacramento, CA USA (Master Workshops, Demos) 1995 American Society of Portrait Artists – USA (Lecture/Painting Presentation) 1994 Ontario College of Art - Canada (Lecture & Slides Presentation) 1990 -1993 Master Workshops, Loyalist College, Ontario SELECTED LIST OF PRESENTATIONS & EXHIBITIONS 2026 Portrait Unveiling - Free Library of Philadelphia 2025 Portrait of legendary American pianist Byron Janis officially inducted into Yale School of Music, Yale University, New Haven, CT. 2024 Official portrait of Justice Clarence Thomas, unveiled to the clerks at the U.S. Supreme Court, Washington, DC 2023 Official portrait of Col. Christoph Graf, Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, officially unveiled at the Vatican 2022. Official U.S. Supreme Court portrait of Justice Samuel A. Alito, Washington, DC 2020 Portrait of Judge Seth W. Norman - official unveiling, Nashville, TN. 2019 Portrait of HIH Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich - official unveiling, Madrid, Spain. 2018 George Washington's Mount Vernon - Fellowship with Igor Babailov 2017 Painting presentation at the San Anton Presidential Palace, Republic of Malta 2016 Multi-figurative painting "CREDO" unveiled at the National Shrine of St. John Paul II, Washington, DC 2016 Exhibition in Malta, International Academy of Culture and Art 2015-2016 Igor Babailov's Vatican Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, exhibited in the "Vatican Splendors" North American exhibit, alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto and other Masters of the Renaissance. 2016 The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, CA - Vatican Splendors 2015 The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA - Vatican Splendors 2015 Official Unveiling of the Portrait of Pope Francis 2014 Portrait unveiling - Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England 2013 Portrait of His Royal Highness Prince Andrew The Duke of York, unveiled. 2012 Official Portrait of Patriarch Kirill of Russia unveiled at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow 2010-2011 Igor Babailov's Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, exhibited in the "Vatican Splendors" North American exhibition, alongside the works of Michelangelo, Bernini, Giotto and other Masters of the Renaissance. 2010 Portrait presentation to Gen. David Petraeus - AEI, Irving Kristol Award presentation event 2010 Unveiling of the portrait of Albert G. Lowenthal, Oppenheimer Holdings Inc., New York City 2009 Unveiling of the portrait of Michael Novak, Ave Maria University 2009 Unveiling of the portrait of George Washington, Mount Vernon Museum, Mount Vernon, VA 2009 Unveiling of the portrait of Reggie Jackson, Baseball Hall of Famer, New York 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Justice Joseph P. Sullivan, The Supreme Court, New York 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, Washington, DC - Vatican, Rome 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Tiki Barber, American Football Star, New York City 2007 Unveiling of the portrait of Frederick Hart and his Cross of the Millennium, collection Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, Washington, DC 2007 Unveiling of Portraits of Bob Costas and Bill Gallo, Waldorf Astoria, New York City 2006 Solo Exhibition, The Gallery at Summerlin, Las Vegas 2006 "The World Celebrities Art Fair", Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Tokyo, Japan 2006 Presentation of preliminary sketches to Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican 2006 Unveiling of the portrait of Isadore Sharp, Founder&Chairman, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts 2006 Unveiling of the portrait of Boomer Esiason, New York City 2006 Unveiling of the portrait of John Bello, New York City 2006 Unveiling of two portraits at the Indiana University Art Museum. 2006 Regional Museum Exhibition on Life and Works of Igor Babailov, Glazov, Russia 2006 Unveiling of Portrait of Dr. J.W. Streilein, The Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard 2005 Unveiling of James Gandolfini's portrait, Waldorf Astoria, New York City 2005 Official presentation of Frederick Hart's portrait, Russian Embassy, Washington, DC 2005 Unveiling of the Portrait of Byron Janis, Steinway Hall, Steinway & Sons, New York City 2004 State Portrait Presentation to Pope John Paul II, Vatican 2003 Portrait Presentation to Regis Philbin, New York City 2003 Portrait Presentation to Gouvernor Yves Fortier, Hudson’s Bay Company 2002 State Portrait Presentation to President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC 2002 Portrait Presentation to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, New York, NY 2002 State Portrait Presentation, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Parliament Hill 2002 State Portrait Presentation to President V. Putin, Moscow, Russia 2002 State Portrait Presentation to V. Tretiak, Moscow, Russia 2001 State Portrait Presentation to Nelson Mandela, Ottawa, Canada 2001 Portrait Presentation to Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien 2001 Solo Exhibition and Launch of the Russian Sponsored Book, Russia 2000 State Presentation of the Portrait of M. Kalashnikov, Central Armed Forces Museum, Russia 2000 Unveiling of the Portrait of Dr. R. Kilmura, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1999, 98, 97 Art Auction, Alzheimer Society (Benefit) 1999 Solo Exhibition, Ogilvy’s Ltd., Montreal (Benefit for Emmanuelle Masson School for disabled children) 1999 Art Auction, Unicorn Children’s Foundation, Palm Beach, Florida (Benefit) 1999 Annual Exhibition of Portrait Brokers of America, Inc. (Conference) . 1996 Joint American-Russian Art Exhibition, Kolomna (dated 1078), Russia. 1996 "Vernisazh" Solo Exhibition, HEIM America at Fisher Island Gallery, Florida 1995 Solo Exhibition, Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto 1995 Art Auction, Shaw Festival, Toronto (Benefit) 1993 Solo Exhibition, Portraits Inc. Montreal 1992 International Foundation for Peace Through Culture, Ottawa 1989 Glasgow College of Art, Scotland INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL RELATIONS (Selected list) 2018 International Cultural Forum (Speaker) - St. Petersburg, Russia 2016 Exhibition in Malta, International Academy of Culture and Art 2015- 2016 Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI exhibited at the Vatican Splendors museum tour in North America. 2012 Elected Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757) - Life Membership 2010-2011 Portrait of Pope Benedict XVI selected by the Pope to represent His Papacy at the Vatican Splendors museum tour in North America. 2009 International Academy of Culture and Art - 2008 Unveiling of the portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, Washington, DC - Vatican, Rome 2006 "The World Celebrities Art Fair", Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Tokyo, Japan 2003 Pre-Unveiling tour of the portrait of Pope John Paul II (New York-Montreal-Toronto-Vatican) 2002 State Portrait Presentation to President V. Putin, Moscow, Russia 2002 State Portrait Presentation to V. Tretiak, Moscow, Russia 2001 State Portrait Presentation to Nelson Mandela, Ottawa, Canada 2000 Preparatory Art College, Glazov, Russia, (“Mastering yourself” Lecture) 1999 Florence Academy of Art - Florence, Italy (Instructor of Figure Painting in Oil, Summer Program) The International attendance of students included the art students from Four Continents. 1996 Organized the very First Official delegation of American artists to Russia in conjunction with the DUMA (Russian Parliament) and the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation. The agenda included trips to the Art Museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg and Plein Air painting with the group of prominent Russian artists, resulting in the joint Art Exhibition, featured in print media. 1992 International Foundation for Peace Through Culture, Ottawa 1989 Selected by the Surikov Academy to represent the Russian School of Drawing at the exhibition in Scotland. COLLECTIONS Igor Babailov created over 2,000 portraits and other works. More than half of these are in official public, private and corporate collections around the world. They include: CORPORATE & OFFICIAL (Selected list - alphabetical order) Albert College - Ontario, Canada Ave Maria University - Naples, Florida Bank of Canada Boston Eye & Ear Hospital Buckingham Palace, London, England Bush Presidential Center - Dallas, TX Catholic University of America - Washington, DC Central Armed Forces Museum, Moscow, Russia Clinton Presidential Center - Little Rock, Arkansas Consulate General of Russia - Montreal Contrans Corporation Corporate Planning Associates -Toronto Cramer, Rosenthal, McGlynn, LLC - New York City Essroc Cement, Inc. - Portrait of Harvey McFarland - Picton, ON Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts (HQ) - Full-length portrait of Founder and CEO, Isadore Sharp - Toronto Free Library of Philadelphia George Washington's Mount Vernon Museum - Mount Vernon, VA Giuliani Partners, LLC - New York City Gambrinus Company, San Antonio, Texas Harvard University, Medical School, Cambridge, MA House of Commons, Parliament Hill, Canada - Heritage Collection, Gallery of Prime Ministers - Canada Hudson’s Bay Company (est. 1670) - Hall of Fame, Portraits of Gouvernors - Toronto, Canada Hummingbird Communications - Toronto, Canada Imperial House of Romanov - Madrid, Spain Indiana University Art Museum Indiana University Foundation Justice A.A. Birch Court Building, Nashville, TN. Kremlin, Moscow, Russia - Presidential Collection Kurosawa Productions, Tokyo, Japan McDonald's Corporation Monmouth University - Seven portraits displayed at the University's Portrait Gallery, New Jersey National Bank of Canada Nelson Mandela Presidential Collection, South Africa Oppenheimer Holdings Inc., New York City Patriarchate, Russia Presidential Foundation, Presidential Palace - Republic of Malta Power Corporation of Canada Reitmans Inc., Montreal Rhone - Poulenc Rorer Inc., France - U.S.A,, Philadelphia, PA Russian Nobility Association in America, New York City San Anton Presidential Palace, Republic of Malta Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School Somiper Inc. Canada Starlight-Starbright Children's Foundation, Tokyo, Japan Steinway & Sons, New York City Supreme Court of the United States - Washington, DC Supreme Court of the State of New York - New York City Synergistics Industries Ltd.- Toronto The White House, Washington, DC Vanderbilt University Medical School, Children's Hospital - Nashville, TN Vatican Museums, Vatican Vatican, Castel Gandolfo Vatican Nunciature, Washington, DC Vatican Collection of Commanders of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Vatican, Rome Vietnam Academy of Art West Point Military Academy Museum, New York Yale School of Music, Yale University, Connecticut WORLD LEADERS, DISTINGUISHED FAMILIES, PERSONALITIES (Selected list) His Holiness Pope Francis His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI His Holiness Pope St. John Paul II Nelson Mandela, President, South Africa George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States of America Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court of the United States General David H. Petraeus, Commander, United States Central Command, CIA Director George Washington - NEW Portrait (Collection: Mount Vernon Museum) H.E. Vladimir V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation Patriarch Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Brian Mulroney, 18th Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chretien, 20th Prime Minister of Canada Hillary R. Clinton, First Lady of the United States His Royal Highness Prince Andrew The Duke of York Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich H.E. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, former Governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada Cardinal Christophe Pierre - Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Cardinal Mario Grech, Vatican Senator and Mrs. Douglas Henry, United States Senator Michael Pitfield, Canada Senator Herman Moore, North Carolina, United States Senator A.P. Torshin, Vice-Speaker - Federarion Council of Russia Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York Justice Joseph P. Sullivan, the Supreme Court of New York Amb. Michael Novak - U.S.Ambassador to UN Human Rights Com., American Enterprise Institute Governor Y. Fortier - Hudson's Bay Company (est.1667) Archie W. Dunham, CEO, ConocoPhillips, Houston,TX Dr. C. Wright Pinson, CEO, Vanderbilt Health System - Nashville, TN Dr. Billy K. Hudson and Dr. Julie H. Hudson, Nashville, TN Dr. Cyril Geacintov - President, Russian Nobility Association in America Prince & Princess Vladimir Galitzine, New York Prince Ivan Obolensky, New York Fred "Ted" W. Lazenby, Kennedy Center, Advisory Board, Washington, DC Madame Lucie Vanier Vincent, niece of The Rt.Hon. Georges Vanier, The Governor General of Canada Frank Military, Legendary Music Publisher, Vice-President, Warner Chappell Music, NYC Byron Janis - American Pianist Maria Cooper Janis - daughter of Film Star Gary Cooper Isadore Sharp, Founder & CEO of The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Regis Philbin - TV Personality, Creator of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" James Gandolfini - Actor Tony Lo Bianco - Actor Mikhail Kalashnikov - Legendary Inventor of AK-47. Dr. Allan Sniderman - Renowned Cardiologist Boomer Esiason - American Football Star John Bello - Founder of SoBe beverage Reggie Jackson, Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza, owner of "Detroit Tigers", Founder of city of Ave Maria, FL Dr. Wayne Streinlein, Harvard University Medical School, Cambridge, MA Dr. Jeff Balser, MD, Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Julie K. Hudson, MD, Vanderbilt University Dolph von Arx, Naples, FL Gerald Cramer - New York City Dr. Robert Kimura, Leading U.S. Researcher of the Inner Ear, Boston, MA Peter McConnell, Montreal R. Regelbrugge, Charlotte, NC Tiki Barber - American Football Star Maria Bartiromo - TV host, FOX Dr. R. Blackwell, Charlotte, NC David & Julia Bianchi, Miami, FL Bob Costas - 17 Emmy Award recipient George Cohon, CEO, McDonald's Corporation, Toronto Steven Ross, Toronto Bennett Lebow, Fisher Island, FL Mr. & Mrs. Andre Lemire, Montreal Mr. & Mrs. Louis Desmarais, Montreal Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence D. Glaubinger, New York City Mr. & Mrs. Ben Sawatzky, British Columbia, Canada Joseph Steinberg, New York City Aziza Mustafa-Zadeh - Jazz Maestro, Germany Robert "Bobby" Hull - Hockey Legend Peter Quaife - "The Kinks", UK Vladislav Tretiak - Hockey Legend, Moscow, Russia Ms. Natasha - granddaughter-in-law of Nikita Khrushchev Boris Moiseev - Entertainer, Moscow Ilya Resnik - Songwriter, Moscow Larisa Dolina - Russian Pop Star Efim Shifrin - Russian Comedian Vladimir Vinokur - Russian Entertainer Ignat Solzhenitsyn - son of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, portraits of children FEATURED IN (Selected List) Present Marquis Who’sWho in America 2017-2018 Catholic University of America - media 2017-2018 Features in Russian newspapers about Igor Babailov's Knighthood. 2017 "Times of Malta" - Republic of Malta 2015-2016 Vatican Splendors - Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA ~ Ronald Reagan Presidential Library - Exhibition Catalogue 2014-2015 Media news about the Portrait of Pope Francis. 2013 Cassone , The International Art Magazine, United Kingdom 2013 The Tennessean 2013 Magazine Antikvar, Kiev, Ukraine 2012 Russian print-media and TV, re: Patriarch's portrait and State Award "Honored Artist of Udmurtia" 2011 Fine Art Connoisseur 2010-2011 Vatican Splendors - St.Louis, MO ~ Pittsburgh, PA ~ Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Exhibition Catalogue 2009 "Hunger for Beauty" (MercantorNet, online publication) 2008 "Portraits de Famille" (Le Temps, leading Swiss magazine, Switzerland) 2008 "Reviving the Renaissance; A President With Leadership" - ZENIT publication (Rome) 2008 Associated Press - National and International Print Media 2008 National Review's feature by Michael Novak 2008 Vatican Insider with, EWTN 2008 New York Daily News 2007 Illustrated bestseller Book "Ford and the American Dream -Founded On Right Decisions" 2007 "AskMen - Fine Living Top 10 Portrait Artists" 2006 Life Interview with TV Channel 3 News, Las Vegas 2006 "The World Celebrities Art Fair" , Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Japan 2006 Global news about the portrait of Pope Benedict XVI, newspapers, interviews 2006 TV news about infringment of the copyright of Igor Babailov's paintigs. 2006, 2005 The Russian Nobility Ball, New York City 2005 "Quest" Magazine, New York City 2005 A Taste of Thailand, Washington, DC 2004 Peruvian Encyclopedia , Empresa Editora Il Comercio,S.A 2004 "In Focus" Magazine 2004 EWTN Global Catholic Radio (live interviews), U.S.A. 2004 Moscow Times, Russia 2004 Robb Report Magazine 2003 New York Family Magazine - U.S.A./International 2003 "Live with Regis & Kelly" TV Show 2003 Dan’s Papers – Long Island/Manhattan 2003, 2002 New York Times, Brooklyn Papers, New York – U.S.A. 2002 Globe and Mail - Canada 2002 National Post - Canada 2002 Magazine Art - Canada 2001 PRIMO (Italian-American) Magazine - U.S.A. 2001 "Udmurtia", book about the Udmurtia Region, Russia 2001 “Contemporary Russian Realists” 2001 International Artist - Australia 1999 The Finer Things in Life – U.S.A. 1999, 98 The Artist Magazine – U.S.A. 1998 Focus Magazine – U.S.A. 1997 Classical Realism Journal – U.S.A. 1997 Selecta Magazine – U.S.A. 1996 CJOH TV News 1996, 95, 94 Portrait Signature – U.S.A. 1995 Solo Exhibition, National TV News, Canada 1995 Featured in the film-documentary about Alla Pugachyova, Russian Pop Star 1992 Selected to create a Cover for the book "From East To West" by Antonina Demczyna 1989 "Moskobskiy Komsomolets", National Newspaper (featured with the portrait of the Winner of the international Jazz competition in Washington, Aziza Mustafa-Zadeh), Russia 1989 Glasgow College of Art Exhibition Catalog, Scotland ESSAYS by Igor Babailov 2017 Resurrection of Realism - Beauty will Save the World 2007 Letter to Artists and Art Students 2005 The SEVEN Essentials to Commissioning A Portrait 2002 Italian Influence in Art - PRIMO Italian-American magazine 2001 Why We Must Keep The Traditions Alive ‘International Artist’ - Australia 1999, 98 ‘The Artist’s Magazine’ – USA 1997 Keeping the Academic Tradition - ‘Classical Realism Journal’ – USA 1996, 95, 94 ‘Portrait Signature’ – USA 1982 Before Impressionism and after. FILMS on the Artist DVD “Igor Babailov” directed and produced by Matt Bush Productions – nationally televised in Japan for the World Celebrities Art Fair – Starlight Starbright Foundation (Steven Spielberg – Chairman Emeritus) BOOKS The Last Homily (Book Front Cover) , by Mary Eberstadt, 2018 The 13th Disciple (Book Front Cover) , by Paul Stutzman, 2017. Book Greatest Portrait Moments - Published, 2012. Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art (2010 - 2016) "Veritas I" (book cover), by Peter Quaife, The KINKS , United Kingdom, 2010 "Return to Greatness - Driving the American Dream" - Illustrated by Igor Babailov "Four Seasons:The Story of Business Philosophy" (Igor Babailov's portrait featured on the back cover), by Isadore Sharp,CEO 2009 Kids Meet the Presidents (features Babailov's portrait of President George W. Bush) - by Paul Rodhe and Paul Beatrice (Mar.31, 2009) "The World of Igor Babailov" , by V. Zakharov , sponsored by the business and political elite of the Udmurt Republic, Russia. Published in 2001 Bestseller Book "Ford and the American Dream -Founded On Right Decisions" Illustrated by Igor Babailov ‘Paulina the Sky Girl’ co-authored and illustrated by Igor Babailov – a children’s fiction novel on fighting bullying in schools. 2003 From East to West - book cover. By Antonina Demczina, 1992 HONORARY DEGREES 2019 Honorary Doctorate - Cumberland University (USA). 2016 Honorary Academician - International Academy of Culture and Art 2012 Honorary Academician - Russian Academy of Arts (Founded in 1757) MEMBERSHIPS & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Ellis Island Honors Society ( members-only Society) - Member Order of Saint Anne (founded in 1735) - Dynastic Order of Knighthood (Chivalry) - Awarded Doctor of Literary Letters (Honoris Causa) - Cumberland University (USA) The Russian Academy of Arts ( est.1757 ) - Honorary Life-time Member, Hon. Academician (Hon.RAA) Distinguished Fellow - Catholic University of America American Academy of Catholic Scholars and Artists The Igor Babailov Institute of Realism - Master Classes National Arts Club, New York - Elected Member Art Renewal Center - Living Master™ Russian Nobility Association (Russia) - Full Member Russian Nobility Association in America - Member The Foundation for Sacred Arts - Washington, DC The Drawing Society of Canada - The Drawing Master (Honorary Member) International Academy of Culture and Art - Honorary Member, Academician Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists - Advisory Board Member Portrait Institute, New York, Charter Member Portrait Society of America, Inc., Patron Member (2000-2012) Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists, Senior Member Canadian Society of Portrait Artists, Member

Portrait Artist Igor Babailov, Master Artist - Commissioned Portraits in Oil on Canvas - Government, Corporate, Judicial, Medical, Celebrity and Family - Nashville. Men UP Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA PORTRAITS of MEN Government, Corporate, Celebrity & Distinguished Private Commissions (selected commissioned portraits) "We chose you to paint the portrait, because there is no "formula" in your works, as they each capture individuality." ~ Joan E. Stein-Streilein, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School Pope Francis U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Babailov Corporate Portrait Unveilings Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Nikita - Private Collections SELECTED COMMISSIONED PORTRAITS CLICK on portraits below for more information and to see them CLOSER Pope Benedict XVI George Washington President George W. Bush Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. General David Petraeus Justice Clarence Thomas Pope Leo XIV Prime Minister Brian Mulroney President Vladimir Putin Pope St. John Paul II Pope Francis Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich Mayor Rudy Giuliani - New York City Patriarch Kirill Prime MinisterJean Chretien Prime Minister Mark Carney Prince Andrew Governor Yves Fortier Amb. Michael Novak Isadore Sharp - founder of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Byron Janis Reggie Jackson - baseball star Bergthor Endresen Col. Christoph Graf - Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Vatican James Gandolfini - actor Michel Perron Justice Joseph. P. Sullivan Thomas Monaghan - founder of Domino's Pizza & Ave Maria University Dr. Wright Pinson - CEO, Vandervilt Health System Cardinal Christophe Pierre Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Judge Seth W. Norman Dr. Robert Kimura Paul Dinkel Mikhail Kalashnikov Stan Danford Tony Lo Bianco - actor Nelson Mandela Christopher Columbus - historic painting, group portrait Ted Lazenby Senator Michael Pitfield Tiki Barber - football star Lawrence Glaubinger Claude-Andre Piquette Regis Philbin - TV personality Bob Costas - TV & sports personality Slavko Acimovic Jack Reitman Andre Berard Akira Kurosawa - film director Frank Military - music publisher Hon. Michael Meighen - McGill University Billy G. Hudson, Ph.D David C. Hill Pete Quaife - The KINKS Dr. Frank Harrell Jr. Synergistics Industies Ltd. Michael Novak David Gibbs Hubert Powell Col. Derek Frost, Scottish Regiment Andrew C. Maracle, Sr. My friend, Valery Bobby Hull - hockey legend Dr. Luke Gregory John Alden Philbrick III Curtis Simic - Indiana University Senator Herman Moore, North Carolina Vladislav Tretiak - hockey Legend Pavel Efremkin - Inventor Dr. Robert Carver Bone Lanny Martin - Northwestern University Dr. J. Wayne Streilein Grant Gibbs John Ross Frederick Hart - sculptor Brendan Marrocco Dr. Cyril Geacintov Boomer Esiason - football star Peter Johnson Bucky Dent - baseball star Albert Lowenthal James Robertson - explorer, founder of Nashville & Tennessee John Bello - SoBe beverages Cramer Rosenthal McGlynn, LLC - New York City Dr. Allan Sniderman Gerald B. Cramer Edward J. Rosenthal Ronald H. McGlynn Mayor Neil Ellis Mayor of Picton Nicholas Eberstadt Mayor Al Piroth Stanley Bey Jules Plangiere - publisher Ben Tankard - Reality TV star Paul Doherty Other Portrait Galleries WOMEN GROUP PORTRAITS CHILDREN What You Need To Know When Commissioning A Portrait Painting PORTRAIT PROCEDURE The Master Approach

Igor Babailov's published article about Beauty verses Ugliness, Relativism verses Traditional Values, and Good Art verses Bad Art. The Resurrection of Realism – Beauty will Save the World By Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Published in the Faith an d Culture online publication and The Epo ch Times It is not a coincidence that the very last thing we ever expect to see in church, is Modern art or an abstract painting, such as a blank page, a single brick or splashes of paint, as some sort of “intellectual” revelation to message one’s ego. Why? Many of us would immediately answer that it just does not belong there, and they are right, it doesn’t. Since the Renaissance, realistic art has played a leading role in education and particularly Christian education. Whether it is in the Bible, churches, or Catholic publications, an illustrated history of Christianity has been presented by realistic and life-like images, those that the viewer can relate to and understand. A strong realistic work of art can clearly convey a theological message, materialize the word of God, and serve as a powerful vehicle of communication to the masses. Hence, artist theologians such as Rafael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and other Renaissance masters, painted religious works to educate, uplift and strengthen the faith. A definition of an ‘Artist’ was very clear in the past. Applied only to visual artists, it was also synonymous with ‘Skill,’ as the artist was someone who could do something that nobody else could do. VS. BEAUTY UGLINESS "Madonna Litta" (1490), by Leonardo da Vinci "Woman Standing - Pink" (1955), by Willem de Kooning Today, in times of Relativism, anyone can be labeled an “artist,” such as a cook, karate expert, dentist, butcher, or anyone. The term Artist has lost its sacred meaning. We often hear from the defenders of Modernism that ‘art can be anything and anything can be art.’ However, this just does not go well with our Christian heritage and culture, and portraying the Blessed Mother as a chaotic splash of paint or a deformed piece of sculpture, would stand against our visual perception of the Mother of Christ and, in general, our Christian teachings about the sacredness of life and the Beauty of Creation. A story comes to mind about a family of four children, driving on a road, along the fields with tree groves and rivers passing by. They were playing a game where each child were to name the ‘best,’ in their opinion, artist in the world. One child said it was ‘Picasso,’ another child mentioned ‘Van Gogh,’ then the third child named ‘Monet’ and the fourth child sat quietly looking out of the car window and admiring the nature flying by. Then he said, “Look at the sun and the birds and clouds in the blue sky, and the shapes and colors of the leaves and all the different trees. I think that the best artist in the world is God, who created it all.” Indeed, no one ever can create anything better than the masterpiece that He created. As an artist myself, I often think of that story, realizing that we artists realists are trying to reproduce the Beauty of God’s Creation on our canvases and, as artist theologians, we explore the nature of the divine. We know that we will never be as good as God in His skill, but at least we try to get as close as possible to that Master perfection. In other words, we treasure and glorify the Creation of Life and its Beauty. We go to schools and embark in traditional training of direct communication with nature to study all the “sciences in art,” as described by Michelangelo, Raphael and many other great masters after them. We strive to enhance our skills in drawing from life, because Realistic art is the only kind of art that requires skill, especially when it comes to exploring and capturing life in all its beauty and complexity, in the way it is and without exaggeration. I was fortunate to have received the core of such a traditional training and, unlike many debaters out there who are experts at expressing their opinion about art, I rely on my credentials which give me the artistic license, if you will, to support my remarks. A child prodigy, I painted my first portrait at four. I began my formal sixteen-year (1974-1990) fine art education at the age of nine and continued it at the specialized art lyceum for gifted children, followed by the Ph.D. levels of study at the renowned Surikov Art institute, all under the Russian Academy of Arts (founded in 1757) which recently also elected me as the Honorary foreign life-time academician. The curriculum of all my studies, besides such mandatory subjects as Human Anatomy, Perspective and others, also included History of Art from Prehistoric to Renaissance to Modern Art. So, we students were well aware of all the ‘art movements,’ styles and techniques, involved in every period of art. In our broad art education, we acquired the power of knowledge and the more we learned, the clearer was realization that masterfully executed realistic works of art can not be put on the same page with meaningless and helpless dribbles of paint, as we unfortunately often see today in schoolbooks. This is where the damage to the mind begins, resulting in total confusion of one’s thinking such as: If this one is a ‘masterpiece’ and this one is also a ‘masterpiece,’ what example should I follow? But in reality, it is not that complicated, as long as we remember that we live in a world of contrasts: plus verses minus, light verses dark, beauty verses ugliness. The concepts of Relativism are based on questioning what is already known, but what if it questions the moral values that helped humanity survive throughout its existence? Modern art goes hand in hand with Relativism, where common moral sense is demonized and instead ‘choice enlightened’ and socially acceptable often tasteless, unethical and even criminal behaviors such as abortion and euthanasia are championed as rights, choices, privileges and freedoms of expression. So, here is the question. Is Moral Relativism the tool of the devil and therefore the fundamental element in the art of Modernism, where God’s perfect form in human anatomy and nature is broken and defamed, and death and ugliness are celebrated over life and beauty? The answer is obvious. I would like to expand further and use Genesis Chapter 1, as the basis for the moral value of realistic painting and its vital role in following God’s commandments and in promoting and preserving life as He created it. In Genesis Chapter 1, it says that God created heaven and earth when the earth was without form or shape and in darkness. He separated light from darkness, and at the end of each day, “God saw it was good,” hence, God SAW goodness. Modern critics of the school of the Renaissance and Realism in general, claim that there is no creativity in depicting man or nature in its true form, yet that is exactly what God did in his creation of heaven and earth, nature and all beings. God created the template, the blueprint of Realism in art, where light and dark are separated in tonal values, and those who are familiar with the traditional school of art know that study of ‘tonal values’ in nature is the fundamental principle of Realism. After the viewer sees the realistic painter’s work, they become enlightened and SEE goodness, like God did after each stage of His creation. They see goodness also in the most tragic and sad paintings such as Christ on the cross and where a painting depicting pain and suffering, will move us to compassion and love. Realism is prayer, gratitude, honoring God’s creation. This is not the case in the inherent pessimism of Modern art, the art of ugliness and death, where future does not exist. Artistic talent is often referred to as a ‘gift from God’ and should be treasured as one and not taken for granted. For an artist, it also comes with sacred responsibilities, as the mission of Visual Art is not to celebrate selfish expression of one’s depressive feelings by primitive means. It must propagate goodness and beauty and not evil’s ugliness. And yes, even the horrors of war and devastation can be portrayed with signs of Hope, which helps us get through difficult times, so goodness will eventually prevail. Art must educate in a positive way and the artists have this very moral obligation before their viewers and God Himself, who gave them talent. “The works of art speak of their authors,” - said Pope John Paul II. In his letter to the Artists in 1999, His Holiness wrote, “To all who are passionately dedicated to the search for new ‘epiphanies’ of beauty so that through their creative work as artists they may offer these as gifts to the world,” and then His Holiness quotes from Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” A very Holy man, John Paul II was outspoken about the “culture of death,” warned about its consequences, and liked to quote the famous words of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “Beauty will save the world!” Resurrection of Realism by Igor V. Babailov In the cataclysm of today’s debates and what is happening in the arts, I decided to create this work and my original composition depicted in this article. The angelic young child in the center represents the beauty, innocence and purity of Realistic art. Since the mid 1950s, it has been oppressed by shallow and weak art education and self-appointed art critics, kept for decades under the darkness of Modernism. In my painting, Modernism is represented by the ugly creatures from Picasso’s ‘iconic’ painting called “Guernica.” It portrays the moment when the film of darkness begins to heat up from beneath, like a volcano it bubbles and melts, and the divine light of Realism breaks through this captivity of cold darkness to breath the long awaited air and new life. I entitled this work “Resurrection of Realism.” In my lifetime professional career, I have created thousands of drawings and paintings and have painted more than 2000 portraits, which also included the official portraits of Presidents, Prime Ministers, British Royalty and three Popes for the Vatican. I particularly enjoy the Portrait genre because it celebrates the beauty of the most perfect of God’s creation, humanity. Perhaps this is why the worst assault on Beauty of Creation by Modernism is actually directed to breaking and mutilating the human form. I never give preference to which I prefer to paint more, adults or children. I just love people from all walks of life and love to find and accurately capture the unique characteristics of their outer and inner world. After all, it is our uniqueness that makes each of us beautiful, as we are all God’s children. I wish to leave my readers with a warning for the future. The more we surrender our God-given talents, skills and ability to re-create the Beauty of creation, the more we break the human form and distance ourselves from nature and the further away we go from God. We become disobedient to His laws and expectations and reverse, if you will, his original creation, reverting into the darkness and emptiness, to which He brought light, form and life. Modernism takes us in the opposite direction, into nothingness and reverses the process of Creation ‘from darkness to light’ and instead it takes us ‘from light to darkness.' Educating our youth and teaching them to recognize Beauty, promoting the classical art school of master skills and drawing from life, are the safeguards for common moral sense to prevail to keep the traditional values alive, so that the Beauty will indeed, save the world. About the Author: Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA, MFA (PhD), D.Litt (Hon.Causa), is the world-renowned American artist, Honorary American Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts (est.1757), invited speaker, and scholar of the sacred arts. His recent articles and interviews have been published in the National Catholic Register (USA), Zenit (Italy), Nasz Dziennik (Poland), The Times of Malta, to name a few. He is a recipient of The Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2022) and the author of his recent book Legacy Portraits with an Introduction by Michael Novak, which accompanies his distinguished clients’ portraits in public, museum, corporate and private collections and libraries around the globe. For more information, visit: www.Babailov.com

Official portrait of Mikhail Kalashnikov, Inventor of AK-47, by portrait artist Igor Babailov. Central Armed Forces Museum of Russia. Life portrait sitting video. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Official Portrait of Mikhail Kalashnikov Inventor of AK-47 Collection: Central Armed Forces Museum of Russia, Moscow Portrait of Mikhail T. Kalashnikov - Inventor of AK-47 (oil on canvas) by Igor Babailov "It's like seeing myself in the mirror" ~ Mikhail Kalashnikov VIDEO of portrait sitting with Mikhail Kalashnikov OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Official portrait of a Nashville Judge Seth W. Norman, Drug Court pioneer in the U.S. Portrait by Igor Babailov. Judge (1990-2018), 20th Judicial District Criminal Court (Division IV), Collection: Justice A.A. Birch Building,  Nashville, TN. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits The Hon. Seth W. Norman Judge (1990-2018), Drug Court 'pioneer' in the U.S. Portrait of Judge Seth W. Norman (50"x 40", oil on canvas), by Igor Babailov. Collection: 20th Judicial District Criminal Court (Division IV), Justice A.A. Birch Building, Nashville, TN. Photo credit: Michael Gomez and Kenzie Wood OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Official portrait of Patriarch Kirill of Russia, by portrait artist Igor Babailov, Портрет Патриарха Кирилла, Патриарха Москвы и всея Руси, художник Игорь Бабайлов Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Official Portrait of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Russia Collection: Moscow Patriarchia Official Portrait of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia (oil on canvas, 60" x 48") by Igor Babailov ABOUT THE PORTRAIT The portrait was completed under the patronage of the Russian Federation Council, Russian Nobility Association in America and Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. It was officially unveiled on May 19, 2012 at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia, by Metropolitan Hilarion, the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), on the occasion of the 5th Jubilee of the reconciliation and the Act of Canonical Communion of the ROCOR with the Moscow Patriarchate. SYMBOLS IN THE PORTRAIT (the Artist's original creation) In accordance with the best traditions of Portrait Painting (and as I often do in my official portraits and portrait works), I have included a number of appropriate SYMBOLS in the portrait of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The portrait symbols are: Image of The Trinity , an icon, painted by Andrey Rublev (c.1360-c.1430), which represents Christianity and the Russian Orthodox Faith ; People, walking towards a church (in the bottom left) represent the idiom that 'All the roads lead to the Church '; Birch trees, national trees of Russia (in the bottom right) give the sense of place and represent Russia ; River is a symbol of Eternity ; The Sun (bottom left, above the church) symbolizes Life and Future . ~ Igor V. Babailov Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow Metropolitan Hilarion, the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia - officially unveils the p ortrait to Patriarch Kirill at the Cathedral of Christ The Saviour Moscow, Russia, May 19, 2012 Official collection: Moscow Patriarchate OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Artist Valery Babailov was a fine portrait and landscape artist, poet and composer. Father of Igor Babailov, he was his mentor and first teacher in art. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Teacher~Student Lineage Valery Valeryanovich Babailov (1941- 2001) "My Father, my Mentor, my First Teacher in Art." Igor V. Babailov Igor V. Babailov My father, Valery Valeryanovich Babailov, was an accomplished artist, known for his portrait works and landscape paintings. He was also a composer, poet and songwriter. Born in 1941 in the small town of Russian Loza, in Udmurtia, a republic of Russia, he belongs to the generation of the «children of war» as they call them in Russia. He was only 3 months old when World War II (The Great Patriotic War) began. Valery Babailov received his advanced education in art at Udmurt State University, in Izhevsk, studying painting under famed artist and teacher, A.P. Kholmogorov . Kholmogorov taught his students the knowledge he himself acquired at the Surikov Institute in Moscow, where he learned his craft of painting and drawing from Victor Tsyplakov , student of the renowned artists Igor Grabar and Sergey Gerasimov , both of whom studied in the studios of world famous artists Ilya Repin and Valentin Serov . The People's Artist of Russia, Aleksey Kholmogorov, highly valued Valery Babailov's artistic talent and regarded him as his "favorite student." Upon graduation from the university in 1964, Babailov moved from Izhevsk to Glazov, but continued the relationship with his mentor and they remained close friends until Kholmogorov's death in 1987. The creative professional endeavors of Valery Babailov combined painting, poetry and music. While still at the university, he wrote a song «My Institute» which became a popular hit and was sung by students in universities across the region. Throughout his life, he was an active participant in the art exhibitions in Udmurtia and around the country, and his songs were performed on a regular basis on regional radio and TV. Often, when I was getting ready to go to school in the early mornings, my Dad's songs were played on the radio. In 1970, the first Children's Preparatory Art School opened its doors in Glazov. Valery Babailov was one of the school's founders and my formal art education had begun there too. He loved to teach and is still remembered by his numerous former students for his personality and kindness. My father was a humble, soft spoken man with the finest sense of humor, profound intelligence and wisdom. He loved life and his sensitivity to beauty is felt in every painting and song that he created. My father passed away in 2001. In his honor, I made an oath to always sign my name with my middle initial «V», which goes after his first name, on all my paintings ever since. Valery Babailov teaching at the Glazov Preparatory Art School that he co-founded Valery Babailov at work Portrait of Grandmother by Valery Babailov Portrait of a Gipsy Man by Valery Babailov Igor V. Babailov Direct Teacher~Student Academic Lineage

Chevalier Igor V. Babailov, Hon RAA, KStA - Portrait Artist, Knighthood and Nobility Coat of Arms Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Chevalier of the Order of St. Anne About The Order of St. Anne The Order of Saint Anne, bestows the honor of Knighthood, as well as personal nobility. Throughout the centuries, it has been awarded to individuals for their outstanding achievements and exemplary service in their professional fields. The “Order of St. Anne," the Dynastic Order of Chivalry, was founded on February 14th, 1735, by the Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp and was in memory of his wife, Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great. The Order’s motto is "Amantibus Justitiam, Pietatem, Fidem" (To Those Who Love Justice, Piety, and Fidelity.) Other distinguished recipients of the Order of St. Anne included: U.S. Navy Commander, John Paul Jones (1747-1792) , Rear Admiral, Revolutionary War hero and known as the Father of the American Na vy , who received the Order of St. Anne personally from Catherine the Great; Karl Br yu llov (1799 -18 52) , F a mo u s artist, known in the History of Art as Karl The Great; Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910) , World-famous R ussian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all times; Kons tan tin Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935) , one of the founding fathers of modern rocketry and astronautics, and many others. Malta, 12 June, 2017. Knighted by Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, the Head of the Imperial House of Romanov and direct descendant of the Russian, European and British royalty, including Alexander II and Queen Victoria. HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and HIH Grand Duke George Mikhailovich HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and Queen Elizabeth II With HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca On the Billboard at Times Square, New York City ~ Official Coat of Arms ~ of Igor V. Babailov and his Family (Hereditary Nobility) Granted, Signed and Sealed by Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, Head of the Imperial House of Romanov 4 November, 2020

Anyone can copy/modify photos or ready-made images, but it is the skill of drawing from life, which reveals the artist's true "Masterability." Even when you paint you never stop drawing, only this time you do that with the brush. Master Portrait Workshops, Igor Babailov. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Intensive Portrait Master Workshops "Even when you Paint you never stop Drawing, only this time you do it with your brush!" ~ Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA Igor V. Babailov 's unique 16-year long FORMAL fine art education (1974 -1990) under the Russian Academy of Arts (founded in 1757), especially contributed to his unparalleled skill in academic drawing ( or drawing from life ) which today is a fundamental challenge for many painters. " ainting does not exist without drawing. It is the outstanding drawing with its perfect values, which makes the best examples of paintings in the History of Fine Art strong and powerful. P Anyone can copy/modify photos or ready- made images, you would not need a solid art education for that... but it is the skill of working from life and particularly drawing from life, which reveals the artist's true "Masterability." Even when you paint you never stop drawing, only this time you do that with the brush. Drawing from life is the must and the fundamental to learn and to know for anyone, wishing to become a truly Professional Artist and Portrait Painter. That is the philosophy of the traditional school and such Masters as Bouguereau, Whistler and Serov . And this is the main focus of my workshops with life demos in Oil, Pencil and Pastel, which distinguishes them from the workshops of others. In Visual Art, I believe, the more Demos from LIFE in different medium techniques the students see, the more they learn and understand how to approach those mediums in their own works. It is especially helpful to realize that those very different mediums are actually very much related to each other and have a lot in common - they are the 'clothes' on the beautiful anatomically structured human form underneath. Academic Head Study - Drawing from Life by Igor Babailov Surikov Academy, 1988 Having 16 years of formal academic education and then over 35 years of teaching experience with students around the world, I can assure you that there are no shortcuts in Visual Art's learning. However, my accredited Academic method of teaching will enable you to possess the knowledge you need and to gain the skills you deserve in no time. With the proper academic instruction, just like the Masters you will be able to paint expertly and fast, without wasting your time on fixing mistakes, simply because there won't be any. This will also help you to establish your individual style and to find yourself as an artist sooner than you think. Your education is your investment, invest wisely." ~ Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA Intensive Portrait Master Workshops F requently A sked Q uestions Letter to Artists Igor V. Babailov's Formal Academic Lineage to the Great Masters

Official Portrait of General David H. Petraeus, US Military Commander and CIA Director - West Point Academy portrait by Igor Babailov. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Official Portraits Gen. David H. Petraeus U.S. Military Commander, CIA Director (Oil on Canvas, 36" x 36") Official Collection: West Point Museum United States Military Academy at West Point, NY "It is not every day that a man sees himself captured by the hand of such artistry. Please know that it was my honor to be the subject of one of your works." ~ David H. Petraeus In preparation for the official portrait painting of General David H. Petraeus General David H. Petraeus Award "For Excellence" Presented to Igor Babailov by General David H. Petraeus, U.S. Military Commander, CIA Director, for the work on his portrait at West Point Academy Museum. OTHER OFFICIAL PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Portrait of legendary Byron Janis, American classical pianist, by portrait artist Igor Babailov. Officialy unveiled in New York City. Steinway Hall, attendees included Maria Cooper Janis, Dr. James Watson and many other distinguished guests. Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA Recent Celebrity Portraits Byron Janis American Classical Pianist Byron Janis (oil on canvas, 36" x 36") by Igor V. Babailov Collection: Yale School of Music,. New Haven, Connecticut Sketching Byron Janis in preparation for his portrait painting in oil. Sketching Byron Janis in preparation for his portrait painting in oil. Byron Janis, playing for the guests at Steinway Hall Igor Babailov, unveiling the portrait Byron Janis's portrait was unveiled by the Artist and George Borey, Chopin's great-great-grandnephew Byron Janis's portrait was unveiled by Igor Babailov and George Borey, Chopin's great-great-grandnephew, at Steinway Hall in New York City Unveiling of Byron Janis's portrait at Steinway Hall Unveiling of Byron Janis's portrait at Steinway Hall George Borey, great-great-grandnephew of Frederic Chopin Byron Janis and Maria Cooper Janis Official portrait unveiling by Igor Babailov at Steinway Hall, New York City Portrait of pianist Byron Janis - Official portrait unveiling by Igor Babailov at Steinway Hall, New York City At Steinway Hall Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of movie star Gary Cooper, and American actress Patricia Neal Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of the American film star Gary Cooper, and American actress Patricia Neal With the Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. James Watson, discoverer of the DNA Molecule With the Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. James Watson, discoverer of the DNA Molecule Byron Janis with his legacy portrait, by Igor Babailov OTHER CELEBRITY PORTRAITS by Igor Babailov

Portrait paintings of precious Children - by Portrait Master artist Igor Babailov. Distinguished Family & Private Collections. Naples - Nashville - New York - Washington - Charlotte. Children UP Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA, KStA PORTRAITS of CHILDREN (selected portraits) "What can be more precious, than our precious children.." ~ Igor V. Babailov, Hon.RAA CLICK on portraits to see them CLOSER What You Need To Know When Commissioning A Portrait Painting PORTRAIT PROCEDURE The Portrait Master Approach