 He was born October 27, 1876 in the village Bayevo, Alatyrsky Uyezd, Simbirsk Governorate of Russian Empire.In 1892 his family moved to Alatyr; Stepan became an apprentice of various icon-painting studios.In 1893–1897 he lived in Kazan, previously at the joiner's shop, later he worked at P. A. Kovalinski's icon-painting studio in Kazan.