I was born in a family of the forest warden, in village Shashki of the Kostroma region in 1938. My father very much loved the nature, collected freakish roots of which did intricate animals, wood goblins and other fantastic heroes, in a log hut always there were wild flowers.

In 1941 the father has left on front and was lost in a battle of Moscow. Soon, the family has removed into the country Menshikovo, to the grandmother. The village was on a grief, houses were big, northern type. I remember holidays in this village which always were marked "in a big way". Houses were decorated by branches from birches and fir-trees, there were many accordion players. And when in the evenings in our village the accordion in the next village of an accordion responded played. Lived in peace and friendship and is simple. Many in villages were involved with beauty. Liked to do beautiful carved platbands. My native uncle Misha did them slowly, is masterful, and cousin Nikolay was fond of a molding from clay, doing every possible small jugs, birds and animals.

I remember a case when in village the girl and Nikolay hard was ill has made of clay a beautiful bird with open wings. A bird have suspended over its bed, it span, as though flying up and it drawing of attention and raising a smile of the ill girl. Soon she has recovered, and many have believed that with it it was helped by the stuck together bird.

In the childhood I was attracted also with all beautiful. Long could peer into surrounding nature which was my first teacher, engendering in me inclinations of the artist. However, the first attempts to draw have appeared for me rather painful. I remember one case from the childhood. There was a spring - Easter holiday. For this holiday prepared, scrubbed floors a brick, washed windows. My grandmother that year has whitewashed a lime an oven, was tidied up in the house and has gone with the grandfather to church. I remained one. And here has decided to try: and how it is artists draw? Took pieces of coal and has ornamented the furnace different miscellanea. It seemed to me that with it I can please the grandmother. However soon to me for it has strong got, I have understood that for all arts in life it is necessary to answer.

Has passed time, in 1954 I have arrived in art school of a city of Kostroma, simultaneously working to help mother, three little sisters and the brother. Then there was a service in army in the Far East, and after service I taught drawing and plotting at 29th school of a city of Kostroma. At this time was on friendly terms with remarkable artist Gennady Dareev to whom for much it is very grateful, and sincerely I regret for its early tragical  destruction.

In 1968 I have entered into alliance artists of the USSR. My participation in the first considerable exhibitions concerns this time. The exhibition in Russian museum of a city of Leningrad, then numerous zone, republican, all-Union and international exhibitions has the same year taken place. At first I conducted their account, but after fifty large exhibitions have stopped this employment.

I like to rise early in the morning, trying to catch nature awakening to open impressions of its beauty and wisdom.

Often I remember trips on the academic summer residence where has got acquainted with many remarkable artists. Among them I want to note Vasily Pochitalov who has given me many good advice. We have made friends and corresponded with it many long years. Frequent meetings with Vladimir Stozharov which liked to happen at me in a workshop in Kostroma are remembered. We shared impressions with it about seen in creative business trips and long discussed new works.

In 1978 on academic summer residence has got acquainted with the Moscow artist Aron Buhom. We with it have worked then more than three months. Aron has written many pictures and has asked me to select works for the exposition. The exhibition passed it here, in five workshops, and made the big success. This circumstance has strengthened our friendship. We often exchanged calls, without ceasing to admire mutual fanatical fidelity of painting. Have passed years, time has been cut so down that further our communication with it, unfortunately, has broken.

With gratitude I remember friendship and meetings with Boris Domashnikov. It was the great master who was generously imparting experience, thereby strengthening and developing traditions of Russian painting.

Now I am proud and I value old friendship with remarkable artist Gennady Aleksandrovichem Dareev. He/she is the sincere person and the talented painter enamoured of live nature, in the works "never says lies".

For me the native nature is the basic source of inspiration. Even in the winter, in a fierce icy cold, I force itself to work "on nature". And, as often happens, this process starts me to warm, and sometimes becomes even hot. I hope that my works also are capable to warm soul of the spectator. Anyway, I always tried to work fairly, and it is not a shame to me with the long-term work.

Leonid Vinogradov