(1642 – died 1694/1695) -– a posad man (citizen) of Kholmogory (surname is derived from the name of the town), brother of Kholmogory iconographers Vasily and Nikita (?) Spiridonov Kholmogortsy. A cash receipt and payment book of Chernogory Monastery mentions that on December 13, 1665, builder Avraamy and prior Epiphanius stopped by Kholmogory on the way to Moscow and bought two icons from Semen Spiridonov. In Moscow, they presented one of the icons – Theotokos – to Tsarina Maria Ilynichna, and the other one to boyar Feodor Mikhailovich Rtishchev, the tutor of Tsesarevich Alexei Alexeevich. In December 1666, the Tsar ordered the iconographer be delivered from Kholmogory to Moscow. In 1669/1670 Semen Spiridonov Kholmogorets in partnership with his brother Nikita worked on the creation of 75 icons and the Holy Gates in Blagoveshchinsky Pogost-upon-Vaga. Between 1677 and1678, Semen Kholmogorets lived in Moscow where he, together with 20 icon-painters, painted over 1000 miniature illustrations of the Gospel for the church of the Savior Not Made by Hands in the Kremlin. During the same period of time, Simon Ushakov and other icon-painters put forward his candidacy for the vacancy of salaried icon-painter, but Semen Kholmogorets was not allowed to stay in Moscow any longer and had to go back to Yaroslavl. In 1679–1680 he, together with his brother Vasily, painted Zosimo-Savvatyevsky Monastery and a porch of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Solovetsky Monastery. Semen Spiridonov Kholmogorets worked in Yaroslavl for many years. The local museums keep his signed icons, the icons of his iconographic circle, and those attributed to him, dated 1675–1682: 1) St. Basil the Great, with 42 scenes from his life. 1674. Yaroslavl Art Museum. 2) Prophet Elijah in the wilderness, with 26 scenes from his life. 1678. Yaroslavl Art Museum. 3) St. Nicholas of Zaraisk, with 34 scenes from his life. 1685. Yaroslavl Art Museum. John Chrysostom, with 40 scenes from his life. The 1670s. Yaroslavl Art Museum. 4) Our Lady with the Child, enthroned, with 32 scenes from his life. Ca. 1682. Yaroslavl Art Museum. 5) Our Lady with the Child, enthroned. 1682. Yaroslavl open-air museum. 6) St. Mark the Evangelist. The 1680s. Yaroslavl open-air museum. 7) The Archangel Gabriel (from the Annunciation). The 1680s. Yaroslavl open-air museum. Semen Kholmogorets’ color style is distinguished with rich reddish-pink ochre adding sun-tan to the characters’ faces, the wealth of gold, and a total lack of blue color. Semen Kholmogorets’ characters look somewhat gnarly, with their faces bearing the signs of melancholy. His Holy Virgin is depicted as a girl with a semi-childish sad face. The saints on the icons are usually represented against an architectural background, always painted with unsurpassed mastership, so inherent in Semen Kholmogorets’ artworks. Survived works by Semen Kholmogorets kept in Russian museums include: 1) A triptych in silver setting. 1679. State Historical Museum 2) The Holy Virgin with the Child, enthroned, with 40 scenes from her life and the Akathist. 1687. State Russian Museum. 3) The Savior Pantocrator enthroned, with Sts. Martha and Mary, with 28 scenes from his life. Ca. 1682. State Russian Museum. 4) Icons for the church of St. Nicholas the Great Cross in Moscow. The 1680s. After the demolition of the church, the icons were moved to Zagorsk, where they are currently kept in St. Sergius frater church of the Holy Trinity – St. Sergius Laura.