Background
Yakov was born in Ostashkov into a family of artists. His father Mikhail Lukich Kolokolnikov-Voronin (1710 - after 1788) was a portraitist working in Ostashkov, and his uncles Mina and Fedot were artists working in Saint-St. Petersburg.
Yakov was born in Ostashkov into a family of artists. His father Mikhail Lukich Kolokolnikov-Voronin (1710 - after 1788) was a portraitist working in Ostashkov, and his uncles Mina and Fedot were artists working in Saint-St. Petersburg.
Yakov at the time was documented as a Merchant of the 3d Guild (kupets 3ej gildii), a small retailer. In 1841 he officially removed himself from the guild of merchants and painting became his only occupation. Yakov painted portraits, genre paintings, miniatures, and icons.
Since he did not have a formal education he is usually classified as a primitivist.
He was the maker of the silver Tsar Doors for the Transfiguration Cathedral in the Nilo-Stolbenskaya Pustyn Monastery. Yakov had three sons: Alexander (1818–1870), Ivan (1828–1865) and Mikhail (1830–1867).
All of them became painters and were connected with the Ostashkov Theater.