Biography

Kufferle Pietro - Italian sculptor, better known as Kufferle Petr Osipovich, as he was called in the Russian manner - the Italian with German roots. He was born in 1871 in Verona in the family of a retired Austrian officer. He studied at Verona Fine Arts Academy.

In 1889-1897, he worked in Prague in Grazioso Spazzy’s sculpture studio. Received Gold medal for sculpture at the International exhibition in Prague in 1891. In 1894 Kufferle was invited to Venice by the famous artist Camillo Boito for working in St. Anthony’s Cathedral altar in Padua, later he took part in large-scale restoration works of Venice center.

In 1899, he was invited to St. Petersburg to the workshop of Bota brothers, where he had been working for 8 years. Later in St. Petersburg, he created his own school of marble artistic processing. Made the busts of all Russian emperors – from Peter the Great to Nicholas II by the order of the Imperial Pages Corps in 1903. In 1904, he was appointed the Professor of modeling at the Page Corps.

Participated in numerous exhibitions in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Executed private orders. Was very popular, was a member of various art societies, was one of the founders of different art associations. Kufferle worked in the realistic manner and depicted the events of the first Russian revolution in the sculptural group "Agitator". The memorial monument to Russian sailors, who perished while rescuing the city destroyed by earthquake in 1908, was erected in Messina according to his project. The Russian press presented Kufferle exclusively as "The Russian sculptor". In 1917, the sculptor leaved Petersburg, which had been his second home for a long time, and with his wife and 15-year-old son went to Italy. Died in Italy in 1942.

Interesting facts:

• A heart-melting story legend is connected with one of Pietro Kufferle creations. His Christ statue is mounted at the Novodevichy cemetery. Many people come there every day with the hope to get aid .It is believed that the statue has healing power.

• His son is a famous writer and translator Rinaldo Petrovich Kufferle was a true patriot of Russia, loved his historical homeland.