Ochir Khulkhachievich Kikeev

Ochir Khulkhachievich Kikeev — a Kalmyk Soviet painter, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Honored Art Worker of the Kalmyk ASSR, and laureate of the Komsomol Prize named after E. Delikov. He was born on May 9, 1940, in the settlement of Mandzhikiny, Kalmyk ASSR. In 1943, like the entire Kalmyk people, the artist's family was deported.

Kikeev graduated from secondary school in Nazyvaevsk, Omsk Oblast in 1957 and returned to Kalmykia. From 1958 to 1963 he studied at the Ryazan Art School, after which he served in the army. After his service Kikeev worked as an artist at the Kalmyk Art Production Workshops.

In 1973 Kikeev became a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. He served as chairman of the board of the Union of Artists of Kalmykia and actively supported young artists. In 1977 he received the Komsomol Prize named after E. Delikov, and in 1979 and 1996 he was awarded the titles 'Honored Art Worker of the Kalmyk ASSR' and 'Honored Artist of the Russian Federation', respectively. Ochir Kikeev died in 2001 and was buried in Elista.