Russian-French painter Irène Klestova/ Ирина Клестова was born in Saratov-Russia, then the family of the artist moved to Moscow. Here, in the studio of the famous landscape painter Theodore Rerberg, Irene began his artistic education.
In 1925 he entered the Academy of Arts in Rome. In the same period, Irina met her future husband, painter Lev Tchistovsky.