Konenkov was born in into a peasant family in the remote backwoods village of Karakovichi in Smolensk province. Years later the artist recalled that he grew up among strong working men and women such as farmers, lumberjacks, raftsmen, masons and farm girls and that he had never seen himself as anything but a man who worked with his hands. There is sense of solidity and continuity in this fine work Russia and a touch of the rural mysticism that runs through Konenkov's work.