Vyacheslav (Slava) Korolenkov / Вячеслав Короленков was born in the small city of Tula, not far from Moscow.
Before entering Art School he studied drawing with a sculptor, and as a result was accepted to the Moscow State Stroganov Academy of Industrial and Applied Arts on his first attempt.
While still a student one of his paintings represented the Stroganov Academy at an exhibition in Prague.