Aleksandr Rodchenko: A Pioneer of Russian Modernism Early Life and Education Born: December 5, 1891, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Rodchenko’s family relocated to Kazan after his father's death in 1909. Initially self-taught, he gained artistic inspiration from art magazines before formal training. He began his studies in 1910 at the Kazan Art School under Nikolai Fechin and Georgii Medvedev, where he met his future wife, Varvara Stepanova. Continued his education at the Stroganov Institute in Moscow after 1914. Artistic Development & Influences Early Influences: Rodchenko was p…