In 1785, he was promoted to Associate Professor and, in 1791, he was appointed Director of the Imperial Tapestry Manufactory.
He also taught drawing to Tsar Paul I's daughters.
Three years later, he rose to Associate Director of the Academy and, finally, became the Director in 1800.
In the following years, he turned to painting more contemporary historical scenes, under patriotic pressure from the war with Napoleon.
They were not highly thought of, but cannot be judged now because few have survived.

Although he is not considered to be a first-rate artist, he had a special talent for teaching and was a great influence on Russian history painting.
Among his best-known students are Andrey Ivanovich Ivanov, Vasily Shebuyev and Alexei Yegorov.
Alexander Stupin (who would later establish his own art school) actually boarded with Akimov and his family.

He was also one of the founders of Russian art historiography, beginning with his article "Brief Historical Information About Some Russian Artists" in the 1804 edition of Severny Vestnik.
In his will, he bequeathed 15,000
Rubles to the Academy.
In 1785, he was promoted to Associate Professor and, in 1791, he was appointed Director of the Imperial Tapestry Manufactory. He also taught drawing to Tsar Paul I's daughters. Three years later, he rose to Associate Director of the Academy and, finally, became the Director in 1800. In the following years, he turned to painting more contemporary historical scenes, under patriotic pressure from the war with Napoleon. They were not highly thought of, but cannot be judged now because few have survived.
Although he is not considered to be a first-rate artist, he had a special talent for teaching and was a great influence on Russian history painting. Among his best-known students are Andrey Ivanovich Ivanov, Vasily Shebuyev and Alexei Yegorov. Alexander Stupin (who would later establish his own art school) actually boarded with Akimov and his family.
He was also one of the founders of Russian art historiography, beginning with his article "Brief Historical Information About Some Russian Artists" in the 1804 edition of Severny Vestnik. In his will, he bequeathed 15,000
Rubles to the Academy.
Ivan Akimov