A Life Dedicated to the Russian Soul: Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolay Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky, born on December 20th, 1868 in the humble village of Shitiki within the Smolensk Governorate of Russia, was an artist whose life and work became inextricably linked with the portrayal of Russian peasant life and the burgeoning spirit of education. His early years were steeped in tradition; he initially studied at a local elementary school…