Russian Painting

I have received this painting from a lady friend of mine that had passed on, she use to work at the federal reserve and later on for president Kennedy, she did a lot of traveling and loved to pick up paintings from around the world. This painting seems to be on some type of canves and is in it's original frame, the painting itself looks to be in fantastic shape. I can't seem to find out who had painted it, for the name down in the right hand corner is alian to me because I only know english, what I would like to know is who did the painting? Is he still alive? And could you give me any kind of a ballpark figure on the value of this painting? I really can't think of anything else to say about it except for it is a beautiful work of art.

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