Painter. Mikhael Ivanovich Avilo received much acclaim as a 20th century Russian artist, who specialized in battlefield scenes. A prolific painter, his paintings can be seen in 21st century exhibitions worldwide. Born into a family that recognized is talent, he was enrolled in classes at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts before he was eleven years old. After graduating from high school, he decided to enter art school over college. He entered the private studio of Lev Evgrafievich Dmitriev-Kavkazsky, known for his many etchings of paintings, and engravings, and after one year, entered the Imperial Academy of Arts as a listener and staying involved there for ten years. From 1908, he began to participate in art exhibitions. He became involved with a group of artists, who captured battle field action with paint on canvas. Wanting an accurate depiction of details for his paintings, he studied running horses along with battle field equipment, uniforms, and weapons. During World War I, he volunteered to go to the frontlines, and participated in the October Revolution of 1917. He was an enthusiastic young man when he went to war but return four years later, as a worn man, who was frustrated with life. This was seen in his work as he was braver, using bold red and orange paints with dramatic composition. From 1918 to 1921, he settled in Tyumen, the first settlement in Siberia, where he was responsible for the city's festival decorations and taught art. This area of Russia had suffered damage from the Russian Civil War. This experience was used for his 1926 painting "Siberian Partisans," and a year later one of his iconic paintings, "Breakthrough of the Polish Front by the Budyonny Army". He taught at the School of Drawing Society for the Encouragement of Arts in Petrograd and the Academy of Arts. In 1922 he returned to Petrograd for a teaching position at the Leningrad Art and Industrial College, where he worked for more than 8 years. Many of his students became well-known artists. In 1947 he entered the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Avilov was an exhibitor at the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia. In 1932 he was one of the founders of the Leningrad Union of Soviet Artist. His age kept him from fighting in World War II. In 1943, he was awarded the Stalin Prize in the first degree for his battle painting "Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey on the Kulikovo Field." This painting is on exhibition at the State Russian Museum. Besides his painting, he was successful designing posters and illustrating for books. In 1953 he was honored with the title of "People's Artist of the Soviet Union." In 2009 at a London auction house, his painting "Falcon Hunt" sold for $25,000. His upright pedestal grave marker has his statue erected on the top, showing him holding a palette in one hand and his paint brush in the other.