Sergej Chistov was born on April 20, 1946. In 1968 he graduated from the Fedoskino Lacquered Miniature Arts College (FLMAC). After over 30 years of painting he is considered to be among the ten best present-day Fedoskino artists. In the eighties he became the youngest professor of the FLMAC and served in this capacity for 7 years. Most of all Chistov likes to create new and original compositions using his lively imagination, perfect miniature techniques and excellent knowledge of the fine arts from around the world. He almost never makes preliminary sketches of his artworks, but rather starts to work immediately with his brush creating bright eyecatching scenes, often with the use of transparent paint techniques and lovely nuances in color. Good examples of his work and techniques can be found in "At the Market" (1996) and "The Cockfight" (1995) and "The Last Day of Pompey", reportedly sold at the Serendipity Gallery in Dallas for $9000. Being a very religious person, Chistov in his latest years has devoted much of his time to painting famous Russian church scenes imbuing his compositions with great ecclesiastical spirit. Works by Chistov can be found both in museums and in a number of books, including Masterpieces of Russian Folk Art. Lacquered Miniatures. Fedoskino (by N. Krestovskaya. Interbook. Moscow, 1995.)