Autobiography. Artist website

Viktor Vasnetsov was born on May 15, 1848 in the family of a parish priest. Born in the outback of the Vyatka province in the village of Lopyal, Viktor could also become a priest and graduate from a theological seminary, only now the craving for art prevailed over the boy and he could not devote himself completely to religion. At the same time, of course, a specific education played a certain role in the further creative path of the artist and on his canvases it is easy to find some aspects of the spiritual vision of the world, and in fact he created special works on the topic of religion, some of which still adorn churches.

Vasnetsov was always modest and even overly shy, therefore, when he arrived for the exams at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, he heard another applicant laugh at his own work, left the exam and got a job in an art workshop. Only a year later, he went to the Academy again and found out about his own enrollment the previous year, in fact, he passed the exam perfectly. Thanks to this, he was able to exhibit his own work and gain some recognition by joining the Itinerant artists.

In 1873 he completed his studies, went to other countries with his own exhibition. Beginning in 1880, he began to get carried away with Russian epics and created many works that are still used to illustrate books. For example, many people know work with Ivan Tsarevich, heroes and others.

The artist had five children from Alexandra Vladimirovna Ryazantseva, with whom he lived in a happy marriage. In addition to his family, Vasnetsov was inspired by the Russian land, to which he was sincerely attached and his native faith, that is, Orthodoxy, from which he often drew a spiritual basis for life and creativity.

Regarding work on religious topics, a separate remark should be made, since Vasnetsov created icons for the Kiev Vladimir Cathedral and the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, made watercolor sketches for various icons. In addition, he worked in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the city of Sofia, the Moscow Church of St. John the Baptist, made various mosaics for various churches, including in other countries.

Option 2

The world-famous artist and architect Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born on May 15 in 1848 in the small village of Lopyal, located in Vyatka. The elder Vasnetsov was a priest. At the age of 10, the architect enrolled in a religious school. In 1862, Victor graduated from high school and enrolled in a gymnasium for gifted students. Victor studied drawing under the guidance of the famous teacher Chernyshev. Having received his father's permission, Vasnetsov went to St. Petersburg to enroll in the Academy of Arts. To pass the entrance test, the architect attended painting lessons at an art school. Education at the educational institution lasted only a year. He studied at the academy from 1868 to 1873. During his studies, he traveled to Vyatka several times and met the artist from Poland Elviro Andriolli. After graduating from the academy, Victor visited foreign countries several times.

In 1869, Victor's works and works were exhibited in the gallery and exhibitions. After 9 years, he moved to Moscow and created several more paintings. Thanks to his paintings in the field of art, an illustrative folklore direction was created. In 1881, having teamed up with Polenov, the architect started building a church in Abramtsevo.

In 1892 Vasnetsov was awarded the status of an academician of sciences. A year later, the artist became one of the founders of the Academy of Arts. In 1898, an article was published about his creative life and works in the famous magazine "World of Art". In 1905, the artist took part in decoration, was also involved in charity work and was actively involved in raising funds for a book publishing house. In 1912, the Russian Empire awarded him the title of nobleman. After 3 years, the painter took part in the opening of the society for the revival of the art of Russia.

His work caused a lot of controversy, but, despite this, it positively influenced painters during the development of Art Nouveau. Especially his work positively influenced the artist S.I. Mamontov.

Victor took an active part in theatrical performances and decorations at the Mamontov Theater. During his creative period, the architect built many buildings, ranging from his own house to the Tretyakov Gallery. From 1885 to 1896, the architect took an active part in the construction of the Vladimir Cathedral, located in Kiev. In addition to the main construction, Victor was engaged in painting the walls of this building. In addition to the cathedral, the architect built the Church of the Nativity.

The wife of the architect was Ryazantseva Alexandra Vladimirovna. By origin, Ryazantseva belonged to a merchant family. He had 4 sons and an only daughter, Tatiana. In 1914, Vasnetsov's portrait was used for a voluntary collection stamp. These stamps were dedicated to the victims of the First World Battle. The great architect died at the age of 79 in 1926 on 23 July. His body was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery and then transferred to the Vvedensky burial ground.

Biography by dates and interesting facts. The most important thing.

Kosta Khetagurov is a talented poet, publicist, playwright, sculptor, painter. He is even considered the founder of literature in beautiful Ossetia. The poet's works have received worldwide recognition and have been translated into many languages.

> Artist biographies

Short biography of Viktor Vasnetsov

Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich - an outstanding Russian painter; one of the founders of Russian Art Nouveau. Vasnetsov was also an architect and was fond of folklore painting. Born on May 15, 1848 in the village of Lopyal, located in the Vyatka province. The father of the future artist was a priest. In addition to Victor, the family had five more children. The younger brother Apollinarius was also famous in artistic circles. The surname of the Vasnetsovs had ancient Vyatka origins.

The boy's talent manifested itself at an early age, but due to the lack of money, he was sent to a theological school, and then a seminary. Children of priests were admitted to such institutions free of charge. At the age of 19, Vasnetsov, leaving the seminary halfway through, went to enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He had very little money, but the sale of two of his paintings: "The Milkmaid" and "The Reaper" helped out. Drawing lessons were once given to him by the gymnasium teacher N. G. Chernyshev and I. N. Kramskoy. In St. Petersburg, he was able to hone his skills in the field of painting.

For the first time, the works of the young artist were presented at one of the academic exhibitions in 1869. Already in his early paintings, the author's handwriting and a penchant for the Art Nouveau style were traced. In 1878, Viktor Mikhailovich moved to Moscow, where he developed an illustrative and folklore orientation. The artist created all his best works in this city. He painted canvases on historical themes, epic heroes, characters in Russian fairy tales.

Vasnetsov's art did not go unnoticed, so his works adorned the pages of such magazines as "World of Art". His work had a great influence on the artists of the Art Nouveau period and members of the Abramtsevo circle. In Moscow, he was lucky enough to communicate with Mamontov and Tretyakov. Together with V. Polenov, he built a temple in the "Russian style". In addition, he designed the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery, his own workshop house, Tsvetkov Gallery and many other buildings in the city. In 1885 he moved to Kiev to paint the Vladimir Cathedral.

After ten years of painstaking work, they began to revered him as a great Russian icon painter. However, the peak of his creative career was the painting "Three Heroes", presented at the artist's personal exhibition in 1899. V.M. Vasnetsov died in 1926 in his Moscow workshop. Until the end of his life, he did not let go of his hand. The last thing he worked on was a portrait of his friend and student Nesterov.

Viktor Vasnetsov is a famous Russian artist, whose work has left a deep mark on the culture of Russia. Paintings and church canvases belong to the brushes of the great painter. The artist was engaged in church painting to order for Russian churches. A versatile, very talented person was Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: a short biography can serve as confirmation of this conclusion.

Biography of the painter

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1848-1926) was born into a poor priest's family in the village of Lopyal, Vyatka province on May 15, 1848. Besides him, his parents had five children. The boy's father paid maximum attention to raising children. He tried to develop their horizons, and not only to instill religious dogma. Mikhail Vasilyevich subscribed to scientific journals, however, the places where Vasnetsov lived were replete with legends, epics, and beliefs. The boy's thoughts revolved around fairy-tale characters. Heroes of fairy tales and colorful landscapes of the wild land can be seen on the artist's canvases.

Little Victor showed drawing skills from childhood. But the lack of money did not allow his father to send his son to study art. The boy had to enter a religious school (1958), where education for the priest's son was free.

After college, the boy entered the seminary, but did not graduate from the educational institution, since he began his studies at the St. Petersburg art school (1867). At the same time, the young man passed the exam at the Academy of Arts, but due to excessive modesty did not come to check the result (Vasnetsov learned about enrollment a year later).

After graduating from the academy, the artist participated in many exhibitions, was engaged in painting temples. He became a member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions in Moscow when he came to live in this city. Currently, you can visit the house-museum of Viktor Vasnetsov in Moscow, designed by the painter himself. Vasnetsov built it in the neo-Russian style. The artist moved here in 1894 and lived with his family until his death.

Now the building belongs to the museum complex of the Tretyakov Gallery and is a museum with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and work of the famous Russian painter. Here you will see a portrait of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov and a number of paintings by the great artist. In addition to the permanent exhibition, other exhibitions are regularly held here, covering the activities of Vasnetsov.

The talented painter painted to his death (23 July 1926). He left unfinished portrait of Nesterov - a friend and student of the artist.

Creativity of the Russian painter

The work of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov developed in stages. As a student at the academy, the young man devoted his free time to drawing. At that time, the young artist was fond of illustrating Russian folk sayings, proverbs, fairy tales. Noticing the student's talent, representatives of the clergy asked him to paint the Vyatka Cathedral.

The works written by the young artist from 1876 to 1879 reflect everyday scenes. The canvases of 1880-1898 have an epic and historical orientation. Since 1890, the painter became interested in the religious theme. He was actively engaged in painting temples, but did not forget about easel painting. After 1917, the artist painted illustrations for Russian folk tales.

During his life, Vasnetsov has repeatedly taken part in painting exhibitions. For the first time, he exhibited work as a student at the academy. Demonstration of paintings helped the young man to attract the attention of recognized artists, to make his name famous. After graduating from an educational institution (1873), the painter exhibited paintings as a member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. Such exhibitions were held on the territory of large villages and many cities. In addition to the works of Viktor Mikhailovich, the exposition included paintings by other famous artists.

The active activity of the partnership lasted until 1980, then the movement began to fade, and the organization itself ceased to exist after the last exhibition (1922).

Famous paintings

From some of Vasnetsov's masterpieces, only a description remains. But many canvases have survived to this day. What pleased modern art lovers Viktor Vasnetsov: we will consider the paintings with the names in order.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov left a rich legacy to descendants. Many of his works were destroyed after the 1917 revolution. But even now we can admire the masterpieces of the great Russian painter of the 19-20 centuries.

When it comes to the artists who worked on the "revival" of epics, fairy tales and legends, one of the first to remember is Vasnetsov. A biography for children will traditionally begin from the moment of the birth of a talented master and his childhood.

How was the childhood of the future artist?

And Viktor Mikhailovich was born on May 15, 1848 in a village called Lopyal, near Vyatka. His father, Mikhail Vasilievich, was a local priest. After the birth of his son, he was forced to move to another place - the village of Ryabovo. The mother of the future artist, Apollinaria Ivanovna, raised six sons (Victor himself was the second).

The life of the Vasnetsov family was not particularly rich. Their house was simultaneously attended by the customs and lifestyles characteristic of both rural and urban life. After the death of his wife, the father of the family, Mikhail Vasnetsov, remained in charge. A biography for children about the highlights of the future artist's life continues. Mikhail Vasilyevich was an intelligent and well-educated person, so he tried to instill in all his sons inquisitiveness, observation, to give them knowledge in various fields. But the grandmother taught to draw children. Despite poverty, adults have always found funds to buy interesting scientific journals, paints, brushes and other supplies for creativity and study. Viktor Vasnetsov, already in childhood, showed an extraordinary penchant for drawing: in his first sketches there are picturesque countryside landscapes, as well as scenes of rural life.

Viktor Vasnetsov perceived other residents of the village as his good friends and listened with pleasure to tales and songs that they told during gatherings with dim light and the crackle of a torch.

Vasnetsov could not imagine his life without drawing from an early age

Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich, whose biography is the topic of our conversation today, began to draw very early. But in those days it was customary for the son to follow in the footsteps of his father, so he first went to study at a theological school, and then - to the seminary in Vyatka. As a seminarian, Vasnetsov constantly studied chronicles, lives of saints, chronographs, and various documents. And special attention was attracted by ancient Russian literature - it further strengthened the love for Russian antiquity, which Vasnetsov was already distinguished by. A biography for children dedicated to this amazing artist should also mention that it was in the seminary that Vasnetsov received deep knowledge in the field of Orthodox symbolism, which later came in handy while working on

Studying at the seminary did not prevent Viktor Mikhailovich from diligently studying painting. In 1866-1867. 75 wonderful drawings came out from under his hand, which eventually served as illustrations for the "Collection of Russian Proverbs" by N. Trapitsin.

Vasnetsov was deeply impressed by his acquaintance with E. Andrioli, a Polish artist in exile. Andrioli tells his young friend about the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Vasnetsov was immediately eager to go there. The artist's father did not mind, but immediately warned that he would not be able to help financially.

The beginning of an independent life in St. Petersburg

However, Vasnetsov did not remain without support. Andrioli and his acquaintance, Bishop Adam Krasinsky, talked to the governor of Campaneyshchikov, and he helped them sell the paintings "The Milkmaid" and "The Reaper", which were painted by Vasnetsov. A biography for children should include a few more interesting points related to this. For the paintings sold, Vasnetsov received 60 rubles, and with this amount he went to St. Petersburg. The young man's modesty and uncertainty did not allow him even to look at the list of those enrolled in the academy after passing the exams. Victor, through acquaintances, was able to get a job as a draftsman in order to earn his living. Later Vasnetsov finds something to do and begins to draw illustrations for magazines and books. Then he entered the school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, where he met I. Kramskoy, who still has to play an important role in the life of a young artist.

Education at the Academy of Arts and the future life of the artist

In 1868 Vasnetsov again made an attempt to enter the St. Petersburg Academy. And he learns that the last time he still managed to pass the exams.

The time spent at the academy gave Viktor Mikhailovich a lot of new and interesting acquaintances. Here he becomes close and begins to be friends with Repin, Polenov, Kuindzhi, Surikov, Maximov, the Prakhov brothers, Antokolsky, Chistyakov.

Already during the first year of study, Vasnetsov received a silver medal, and then - two more small medals for a sketch from nature and the drawing "Two nude sitters". Two years later, the teachers awarded him for the drawing "Christ and Pilate in front of the people", this time - a large silver medal.

This period became very difficult for Vasnetsov. In 1870, the artist's father died, and he began to take care of his maternal uncle, who also dreamed of the glory of a talented artist and was looking for an opportunity to earn money. Since 1871 Vasnetsov appears less and less at the academy, mainly due to lack of time and deteriorating health. However, he still worked fruitfully: during this time he completed more than 200 illustrations for "Soldier's Alphabet", "People's Alphabet", "Russian Alphabet for Children" (Vodovozov). The artist is engaged in illustration of fairy tales "The Firebird", "The Little Humpbacked Horse" and some others. Vasnetsov also manages to draw for himself - as a rule, these were drawings on everyday subjects.

1875 was a year of cardinal changes in the life of Viktor Mikhailovich. He leaves the academy because the need to make money comes first for him, and besides, because he wants to develop his talent on his own. At the exhibition of the Itinerants, his painting "Tea drinking in a tavern" appears, and work on "The Beggar Singers" is also being completed. In 1876, he presented the paintings "Bookstore" and "From apartment to apartment".

In the same year, Vasnetsov had the opportunity to visit Paris. A visit to France boggles the artist's imagination, and under the impression of him he wrote the famous "Balagans in the Environs of Paris" (1877).

A year later, the artist returns to his homeland, gets married with Alexandra Ryazantseva and moves with his newly-made wife to Moscow.

The painting of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev is the most important work in the life of Vasnetsov

In 1885 A. Prakhov invites Vasnetsov to take part in the painting of the recently erected. After thinking, the artist agrees. He has already received minimal experience while working on the Abramtsevo Church of the Savior and epic canvases. Being a deeply religious person, it is in the painting of churches that Vasnetsov begins to see his real calling.

Vasnetsov worked on the painting in the Vladimir Cathedral for more than ten (!) Years. After all, he was instructed to paint both the main nave and the apse. The artist skillfully depicted important subjects from the New and Russian saints, ennobled the vaults with the help of amazing ornaments. In the history of art throughout the 19th century, the scale of the work carried out is unmatched. Indeed, during this time, Viktor Mikhailovich created over four hundred sketches, and the total area of ​​the painting occupies more than 2 thousand square meters. m.!

The work was interesting, but also very difficult. After all, V.M. Vasnetsov, whose biography is the topic of our conversation, carefully studied the topic with which he was to work. To this end, he got acquainted with the monuments of early Christianity preserved in Italy, the frescoes and mosaics that existed in the Kiev Sophia Cathedral, the painting of the Mikhailovsky and Kirillovsky monasteries. Vasnetsov also paid close attention to the study of related areas of art: folk art, ancient Russian book miniatures. In many ways, when working, he was guided by the Moscow ones. Besides, Vasnetsov always checked whether his works were sufficiently consistent with the spirit of the Church. The artist was forced to discard many sketches due to the fact that he himself considered his works insufficiently ecclesiastical, or because the Church Council did not give consent to them.

Vasnetsov himself believed that his work in the cathedral was his personal "path to the light", to the comprehension of great values. Sometimes it was very difficult for him due to the fact that he could not portray this or that plot exactly the way he saw it in his thoughts.

One of the most beloved images was the Mother of God Vasnetsov, depicted for the first time "with warmth, courage and sincerity." In many Russian houses of the late XIX-early XX centuries. one could find her reproductions.

The work was completed in 1896, and in the presence of the Tsar's family, the cathedral was solemnly consecrated. Vasnetsov's painting was a huge success, and already in the same year, many proposals for decorating St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Darmstadt and other churches fell on the artist from all sides. The pinnacle of Vasnetsov's creativity as a monumentalist-decorator was his painting The Last Judgment.

Vasnetsov is an experimenter who combines age-old traditions and vitality in his work

Painting the Kiev Cathedral, Vasnetsov does not stop working in other genres in his free time. In particular, at this time he created a whole cycle of historical epic paintings.

For some time, Viktor Mikhailovich devoted to the creation of theatrical scenery.

In 1875-1883. Vasnetsov was instructed to paint a painting "Stone Age", which was atypical for him, which was supposed to decorate the Moscow Historical Museum, which was opening soon.

But on one of his most famous paintings - "Heroes" - the artist worked for several decades, and finished his work in 1898. Vasnetsov himself called this picture his "obligation to his native people." And in April of the same year, he gladly took this painting so that it would forever become one of the brightest exhibits in his gallery.

Vasnetsov's paintings never left people indifferent, although violent disputes often developed around them. Someone admired and admired them, someone criticized them. But the amazing, "living" and having a soul of their own could not go unnoticed.

Vasnetsov died on July 23, 1926 at the age of 79 due to heart problems. However, the traditions that he initiated continued and continue to live in the works of artists of the next generations.

Originally from a family of clergymen. Father Mikhail Vasilyevich Vasnetsov, like his grandfather and great-grandfather, was a priest. In the second year of birth, the boy and the whole family are transported to the village of Ryabovo, where the artist's father received a new parish. In Ryabovo, in the same province, the artist spent his childhood together with his five brothers. Brother Apolinarius also became an artist in the future, he was eight years younger than Viktor Vasnetsov. Vasnetsov studied at a peasant art school at a time when there was a party struggle against the clergy. Father Michael could not pay for his son's studies in painting. So at ten years old the boy entered the Vyatka Theological School, then at fourteen - in the Vyatka Theological Seminary. In his last year, however, Victor leaves to enter the Academy of Arts without completing his studies. The father blessed his son, and he bailed out money at an auction for two of his paintings - "The Milkmaid" and "The Reaper" - he had already received money while in St. Petersburg. So in 1867 Vasnetsov arrived in St. Petersburg with practically no means of subsistence.

At the Academy of Arts, young Vasnetsov successfully passes the drawing exam. But I still did not understand that I entered and studied for a year at the Drawing School under the Society for the Encouragement of Arts. In 1868, he began his studies at the Academy, where his favorite mentor was P. Chistyakov.

At the Academy, Vasnetsov was close friends with Repin, wrote genre paintings in the spirit of the Itinerants. His first painting at the itinerant exhibition was "Tea drinking in a tavern" (1874).

In 1875 Vasnetsov V.M. left the Academy of Arts without graduating, and in 1876 went to Paris, where he spent more than a year with the retirees of the Academy - Repin and Polenov. Paints the painting "Acrobats" (1877) - a genre work performed with French decorations.

Returning to Russia, he enters the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions as a genre artist. The artist moved to live in Moscow, his new acquaintances - S. Mamontov and P. Tretyakov. In Abramtsevo, he is a member of the circle of artists, where he designs the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands for the estate. And studying the scenery for Mamontov's Private Opera leads him to a passion for Russian folklore. Vasnetsov, a native of the provinces, was conquered by Moscow, its historical monuments, the talent of the Russian artist develops and grows here, great changes are taking place in his work.

In 1880, at the VIII traveling exhibition, a painting by V.M. Vasnetsov appeared. - "After the slaughter of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy" - based on "The Lay of Igor's Regiment." This picture was admired by I. Kramskoy, P. Chistyakov and I. Repin. This picture was painted on the threshold of unrest and unrest. The task of the new direction in Vasnetsov's painting is to find a positive path for Russia. Vasnetsov devoted all his further work to this.

From 1885 to 1896 Vasnetsov designed the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev. He painted the cathedral together with M. Nesterov. So Vasnetsov V.M. became a famous icon painter and received a large number of church orders.

In 1892 - professor at the Academy. However, later, in 1905, Vasnetsov, in protest against the political prejudices of young artists, renounces this title.

In 1893 Vasnetsov received the title of a real academician of painting.

In 1899, Vasnetsov's famous painting "Heroes" was released. Then a personal exhibition of a Russian artist took place.

In 1912 Vasnetsov was elevated to the "noble dignity of the Russian Empire with all descending offspring." His fabulous paintings were symbolic at that time Vasnetsov was an opponent of the revolution and did not accept the changes that had taken place. Magazines to smithereens and smashed the artist's work. Vasnetsov's last unfinished work was a portrait of M. Nesterov, a kind old friend and student. The artist's life ended in another country - the USSR.

Famous works of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov

Painting "From apartment to apartment" was written in 1876, is in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. This work permeates the Dostoevsky sound of the plot. According to the plot of the picture, the old man and the old woman were expelled from the apartment due to poverty - this is indicated by the old clothes, the assembled bundle - forced to wander in search of a new home. Their faces are filled with suffering, in their eyes there is despair and confusion. It also depicts a homeless dog, cringing from the cold, which enhances the hopelessness of the whole scene. This picture is considered the best of Vasnetsov's works, made in the genre style. There is no academicism, instead of which the huge flaws of society are depicted. That is why the artist left the Academy of Arts and joined itinerant movement.

Vasnetsov "based on" "The Lay of Igor's Regiment" painted the picture "After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy" in 1880. The painting can be seen at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. At the VIII Traveling Exhibition of 1880 about the shown painting I. Kramskoy said: “This is an amazing thing, which will not be understood in real soon”. This picture is not a look into the past, but from the past to the present. The picture does not depict the battle itself, but its completion. With this painting, Vasnetsov moved from genre painting to monumental historical and folklore works. The compositional and semantic center of the picture is the pectoral cross hanging from the neck of the slain youth warrior. The face of the fallen hero expresses calmness, there is no anger in it. All this shows the serenity of the picture. Vultures symbolize demons tearing the souls of people. Only the intertwined bodies of the Russian warrior and the Polovtsian speak of the recent fierce battle.

Painting by Vasnetsov V.M. "Alyonushka" (1881). Vasnetsov painted this picture based on the plot of a Russian fairy tale. He began in the summer in Akhtyrka near Abramtsevo, and finished in the winter in Moscow. At that time he attended Tretyakov's musical evenings, where he listened to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven. Vasnetsov nurtured the plot of Alyonushka for a long time and wrote only when he met a Russian girl with eyes full of sadness and loneliness. "Some special Russian spirit breathed from her" - said Vasnetsov. The face, posture, interlocking fingers expressively reflect the girl's deep sadness. The fabulous birds lurked on the branches of the trees. Here Vasnetsov conveyed the experiences of man through nature. The dark water of the pool attracts Alyonushka.

Painting "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1882). A painting by Vasnetsov based on the story of the epic "Ilya of Muromets and the robbers" was created. The first sketches were made by the artist in the 1870s. In 1878, the first version of the painting "The Knight" was written, which opens a series of folklore works by Vasnetsov. In 1882, a Russian artist wrote for S. Mamontov a second version, larger in size, possessing the monumentality of painting. This new option was not the last, but it became generally accepted. This work intertwines folk “fantasy” and realistic details. While painting, he studied the history of the era in the Historical Museum, in the Armory. The inscriptions on the stone were taken by the artist from the Public Library. The knight is depicted with a lowered spear in deep thought in front of a stone, however, from the picture it is already clear what the only decision will be made. A huge bird - an indispensable character of Russian folklore - is spread out on the horizon. It is written on the stone: - "How straight it is - I never live - there is no way for a passer-by, no one who is passing by, no one who is flown by." Other inscriptions ("Towards the ehati - married being; to the left ehati - rich being") Vasnetsov partially erased or hid under the moss. The painted skull and bones complement the plot of the picture.

Vasnetsov V.M.'s masterpiece Painting "Heroes"

The painting was created from 1881 to 1898 and is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. The artist worked on this painting for almost thirty years (the first sketch was made in 1871). In Paris in 1876 - a sketch made in the Paris workshop of Polenov. In April 1898 the finished painting was bought by P. Tretyakov, "Bogatyrs" became one of his last acquisitions. In the same year, Vasnetsov organized a personal exhibition, at which "Bogatyrs" were the main work. According to Vasnetsov, "Heroes" were his creative duty, an obligation to his native people. So, along with a rigid reflection of life (realism), an interest arose in the origins of folk culture, in folklore.

Ilya Muromets Vasnetsova is a simple, ingenuous person, a mighty warrior.

Dobrynya Nikitich is experienced, courageous, prudent and educated (in his youth he went through the "school" of six elders). This image is taken by Vasnetsov from the folk epic.

The viewer looks at the heroes as if from the bottom up, which is achieved by placing the horizon line in a higher position. There is a sword from Kladin and a fierce horse under Ilya, as indicated by a massive metal chain. All this is taken from the epic legends about Russian heroes.

• Acrobats

• From apartment to apartment

• Knight at the crossroads

• Alyonushka

• After the slaughter of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsi

Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov(May 15, 1848, Lopyal village, Vyatka province - July 23, 1926, Moscow) - Russian artist-painter and architect, master of historical and folklore painting. The younger brother is the artist Apollinary Vasnetsov.

V.M. Vasnetsov in 1895

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born on May 15, 1848 in the Russian village of Lopyal in the Urzhum district of the Vyatka province, in the family of the Orthodox priest Mikhail Vasilyevich Vasnetsov (1823-1870), who belonged to the ancient Vyatka family of the Vasnetsovs.

He studied at the Vyatka Theological School (1858-1862), and then at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. He took drawing lessons from the gymnasium drawing teacher N.M. Chernyshev. With the blessing of his father, he left the seminary from the penultimate course and went to St. Petersburg to enter the Academy of Arts. He studied painting in St. Petersburg - first with I. N. Kramskoy at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists (1867-1868), then at the Academy of Arts (1868-1873). During his studies, he came to Vyatka, met the exiled Polish artist Elviro Andriolli, whom he asked to paint with his younger brother Apollinaris.

After graduating from the Academy, he traveled abroad. He began to exhibit his works in 1869, first participating in the expositions of the Academy, then - in exhibitions of the Itinerants.

Member of the mammoth circle in Abramtsevo.

In 1893 Vasnetsov became a full member of the Academy of Arts.

Portrait of V.M. Vasnetsov.
N. D. Kuznetsov, 1891

After 1905, he was close to the Union of the Russian People, although he was not a member of it, he participated in the financing and design of monarchist publications, including the Book of Russian Sorrow.

In 1912 he was granted "the dignity of the nobility of the Russian Empire with all descending descendants."

In 1915 he took part in the creation of the Society for the Revival of Artistic Russia, along with many other artists of his time.

Viktor Vasnetsov died in Moscow on July 23, 1926, at the age of 79. The artist was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery, after the destruction of which the ashes were transferred to the Vvedenskoye cemetery.

A family

The artist was married to Alexandra Vladimirovna Ryazantseva, who came from a merchant family. Five children were born in the marriage.

Creation

In the work of Vasnetsov, various genres are clearly represented, which have become stages of a very interesting evolution: from everyday life to a fairy tale, from easel painting to monumental, from earthiness Wanderers to the prototype of the Art Nouveau style. At an early stage, everyday subjects prevailed in Vasnetsov's works, for example, in the paintings From Apartment to Apartment (1876), The Military Telegram (1878), The Bookstore (1876), and Balagans in Paris (1877).

Later, the main direction becomes the epic and historical:

• "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1882)
• "After the slaughter of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsy" (1880)
• Alyonushka (1881)
• "Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf" (1889)
• "Heroes" (1881-1898)
• "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (1897)

At the end of the 1890s, an increasingly prominent place in the work of V.M. Vasnetsov is occupied by a religious theme: he performed works in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev and in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, watercolor drawings and, in general, preparatory originals of wall painting for Cathedral of St. Vladimir, painting of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya). Vasnetsov worked in a team of artists who decorated the interior of the Alexander Nevsky memorial church in Sofia.

Collaborated with artists M.V. Nesterov, I.G. Blinov and others.

After 1917, Vasnetsov continued to work on folk fairy-tale themes, creating the canvases "Fight of Dobrynya Nikitich with the seven-headed Serpent Gorynych" (1918); "Koschey the Immortal" (1917-1926).

Projects and buildings

• Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, together with V. D. Polenov, P. M. Samarin (1880-1882, Abramtsevo).
• "Hut on chicken legs" (arbor) (1883, Abramtsevo).
• Sketch "Chapel over the grave of A. S. Mamontov" (1891-1892, Abramtsevo).
• Own house, together with V.N.Bashkirov (1892-1894, Moscow, Vasnetsov Lane, 13).
• The project of the iconostasis and the painting of the icons of the church at the glass factory of Yu. S. Nechaev-Maltsev (1895, Gus-Khrustalny).
• The gravestone monument to Yu. N. Govorukha-Otrok (1896, Moscow, the necropolis of the Sorrowful Monastery) has not survived.
• The project of the Russian pavilion for the World Exhibition in Paris (1889), not completed.
• Teremok (architectural fantasy) (1898), not realized.
• I. E. Tsvetkov's mansion, the construction was carried out by the architect B. N. Shnaubert (1899-1901, Moscow, Prechistenskaya embankment, 29).
• The project of the extension of the main entrance hall to the building of the Tretyakov Gallery, together with V. N. Bashkirov (designed by the architect A. M. Kalmykov) (1899-1901, Moscow, Lavrushinsky lane).
• The project of the tower-passage from the Armory Chamber to the Grand Kremlin Palace (1901, Moscow, Kremlin) has not been implemented.
• The project of a new painting of the Grand Kremlin Palace (1901, Moscow, Kremlin) has not been completed.

Monument "Victor and Apollinarius Vasnetsov from grateful fellow countrymen" in front of the Vyatka Art Museum named after the Vasnetsov brothers (1992). Sculptor Y. G. Orekhov, architect S. P. Khadzhibaronov

• The memorial cross at the site of the death of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (1905-1908, Moscow) has not survived. Recreated by the sculptor N.V. Orlov and installed in the Novospassky monastery.
• The project of an apartment building (1908, Moscow), not implemented.
• The gravestone of V.A.Gringmut (1900s, Moscow, the necropolis of the Sorrowful Monastery) has not survived.
• The project of the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky (1911, Moscow, Miusskaya Square), was put by the architect A. N. Pomerantsev as the basis for a partially implemented project.

Create stamps

In 1914, Vasnetsov's drawing was used for a stamp of voluntary collection for the victims of the First World War, issued by the Moscow City Public Administration.

Memory

Museums

• House-Museum of V.M. Vasnetsov (branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow).
• Vyatka Art Museum named after V.M. and A.M. Vasnetsov and its branch:
  • Historical-memorial and landscape museum-reserve of artists V. M. and A. M. Vasnetsov "Ryabovo" (Kirov region, Zuevsky district, Ryabovo village).
• State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

Monuments

• The monument "Victor and Apollinarius Vasnetsov from grateful fellow countrymen" is installed in front of the building of the Vyatka Art Museum named after V. M. and A. M. Vasnetsov.

In philately

“The desire for Russian poetic antiquity, for epics lay deeply in nature Vasnetsova, lay there since childhood, back at home, in Vyatka, "- wrote the critic Stasov. This is how the Russian folk tale in the person of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov finds its artist. He was one of the first who penetrated into the past, embodied it on canvas and showed it to people, making them, as it were, eyewitnesses of events.

Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov was born in the Vyatka province into a large family of a rural priest. Vasnetsov's father, himself a well-educated person, tried to give children a versatile education. Everyone in the family drew: grandfather, grandmother, brothers. From an early age, Viktor Vasnetsov was imbued with the poetry of folk legends, moreover, he recognized them first-hand: “I lived in a village among men and women and loved them simply as my friends and acquaintances, listened to their songs and tales, listened to them sitting on ovens with the light and crackle of a torch ”. All this laid the moral and spiritual foundations of the personality of the future artist. Vasnetsov received his education at the Theological Seminary. Here he studied the annals, chronographs, the lives of the saints, parables. Old Russian literature, its poetics directed the young man's interest in Russian antiquity. Later he said: "I have always lived only in Russia."

Painting classes captivated the young Vasnetsov that he decided to enter the Academy of Arts. With the permission and blessing of his father, he left his penultimate seminary course. An art lottery was organized in the city, on which Vasnetsov's paintings were played, and with the money received from the lottery, he went to St. Petersburg. Petersburg - the center of political, literary and artistic thought - met Viktor Vasnetsov with a variety of creative life. Ivan Kramskoy became Vasnetsov's friend and advisor. But the future painter dropped out of the Academy. He explained the reason for leaving as follows: “I wanted to paint on themes from Russian epics and fairy tales, but they, the professors, did not understand this desire. So we parted. " The most cherished dream pursued Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov - to tell people the beauty of the Russian folk epic. In his soul, unfamiliar to anyone and nobody had seen and not written canvases ripened - fairy tales, epics.

At the beginning of his career, Vasnetsov widely embraces various phenomena of life, creates works on everyday topics. For a considerable time he created illustrations, to which he was pushed by the constant need for earnings. During his life in St. Petersburg, young Vasnetsov created about two hundred illustrations for the "People's Alphabet", for the "Russian Alphabet for Children", illustrations for books, etc. poetry and epic. The need for the expression in art of the main national traits of the Russian people in all their depth and originality is growing more and more in him.

In 1876 Vasnetsov was in Paris. Like many Russian artists, he strove to go beyond the canons of academic art and the plot of the paintings of the Itinerants.

In 1878 Vasnetsov moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The monumental city on the Neva did not make much of an impression on him. And in Moscow, a passion for antiquity arose even more. Later he wrote: “The decisive and conscious transition from the genre took place in Moscow as a gold-domed one, of course. When I arrived in Moscow, I felt that I had come home and there was nowhere else to go - the Kremlin, Basil the Blessed made me almost cry, to such an extent all this breathed on my soul, unforgettable ”. And Vasnetsov plunged into Moscow life. With friends Repin and Polenov they spent all their free time exploring the city and its sights. In these walks, according to the painter, he "gained the Moscow spirit."

Vasnetsov gets acquainted with the family of Pavel Tretyakov, goes to musical evenings in their house. Acquaintance with the famous philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov played an important role in the artist's life. A major industrialist and entrepreneur, Mamontov, managed to unite around himself the largest Russian artists into a community, which was later called the Abramtsevo circle. Mamontov had a talent for creating a creative atmosphere of search around him, infecting everyone with new ideas. It was in this society that Vasnetsov felt with renewed vigor the aesthetic value of Russian culture. Friendship with the Tretyakov and Mamontov families finally convinced the artist of the correctness of the path he had chosen.

Vasnetsov became the discoverer of the wonderful world of folk poetry, introduced the viewer to the kingdom of fairy tales, epics, historical legends; he found pictorial means equivalent to epic-fairytale speech patterns and images. Skillfully introducing into the paintings a real, but at the same time, a landscape colored with a certain mood (a blood-red moon rising over the battlefield, withering grasses, forest jungles, etc.), he touched the deep spiritual strings, forcing the viewer to empathize with the depicted. Vasnetsov's painting is marked by monumental and decorative features and often gravitates with symbolism, sometimes as if anticipating works written in the Art Nouveau style.

In the painting "IVAN-TSAREVICH ON A GRAY WOLF" (1889, State Tretyakov Gallery) Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov miraculously conveyed the anxiety and mystery of the moment. Everything that the artist takes from the people is shown simply and naturally, like in a fairy tale. The wisdom of a strong-willed people is reflected in the plot of the tale of the search for a beautiful princess. Overcoming tricky and difficult obstacles, Ivan achieves his cherished goal.

Vasnetsov painted a picture in Kiev, while working in the Vladimir Cathedral. He recalled his childhood, the mysterious fabulousness of the dense forest, his beloved, such a magically beautiful Russian folk tale. In fairy tales, much is taken from the life of nature, in which the whole life of a person is connected. In ancient times, there was a cult of the wolf, and in legends he helps the hero, he was often depicted with the wings of birds - he could move so quickly - reverence in such tales is associated with the solar element.

When the picture appeared at the exhibition, the audience stood in front of it for a long time. They seemed to hear the rustle of the forest, the rustle of leaves under the wolf's feet. “Now I have returned from a traveling exhibition and, under the first impression, I want to tell you what I feel,” Savva Mamontov wrote to Vasnetsov. - “Your Ivan Tsarevich on a wolf” delighted me, I forgot everything around, I went into this forest, I breathed this air, sniffed these flowers. All this is my dear, good! I just came to life! Such is the irresistible effect of true and sincere creativity. " The picture was bought by Tretyakov, and since then it hangs there, in the Vasnetsov hall, almost opposite the "ALYONUSHKA". The praise of perseverance, endurance of the Russian people, a hymn to bright and strong love was embodied by Vasnetsov in a fairy tale picture.

Painting "ALYONUSHKA" (1881, State Tretyakov Gallery) V.M. Vasnetsova became one of his most touching and poetic creations. In the summer of 1880, the artist lived in the village of Akhtyrka, in several places from Abramtsevo. It was here that he became convinced of the long felt, that the landscape of the country is an expressive element of the national culture. He begins to paint landscape sketches that convey the sad state of nature. Alyonushka - the name that captivated him, he gives to a girl who personified the image of almost all the heroines of Russian folklore. Vasnetsov formed her image under the impression of a chance meeting with a simple peasant girl, who struck him with the expression of "purely Russian sorrow." On the bank of a dark pool sits a girl, sadly bowing her head in her hands. In nature, everything around is sad, sympathizes with the heroine. Vasnetsov revealed the subtlest connection between human experiences and the state of nature, which is beautifully conveyed in folk poetry. The personification of the Russian female share, and perhaps Russia itself. The whole picture is full of a single mood of sorrow, expresses love and compassion for the unfortunate. This amazing connection between human experiences and nature, this community of images of folk poetry was sensitively perceived and subtly conveyed by the artist. She became the leitmotif of his painting. The image he created is simple and natural. Such a poor girl could often be seen in the old days. Vasnetsov in the picture created a deeply poetic, generalized image, expressing poetry by means of painting, which is characteristic of Russian fairy tales and songs about a bitter fate.

Vasnetsov was looking for prototypes of heroes for his paintings in reality. He wrote a sketch for Elena the Beautiful from Mamontov's niece, young Natalia Mamontova. He looked for similarities in the model that could be expressed through posture and general mood. Vasnetsov's female images are captivating. He wrote only to people close to him. The female image rises to the divine sounding, heavenly and earthly are intertwined in it. Fictional images of heroines and portraits of women close to Vasnetsov: his wife, daughters, nieces, Vera and Elizaveta Mamontovs, from different angles, highlight what is called the Russian female soul. They are the personification of the Motherland, Russia.

Folk poetic motives were known to Vasnetsov from a young age, even in Ryabov he heard them from an old nanny and in the village. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov recalled them as a dear childhood and sweet youth that had long gone into the past. These motives were close to him and remembered in the following years of his further artistic skill.

Oral folk art is not only a source of wisdom and beauty, but also a belief in heroic greatness and a wonderful future. And Vasnetsov in his canvases shows the strength of the people, the ability to fight, which made the Russian people powerful and great. This is a powerful epic song to Russia and its great past. Defense of the Motherland is one of the main themes of folk art. The warrior, hero, defender of the Russian land is a favorite image of legends, epics and historical songs.

Epics are Russian folk songs. If a fairy tale was told, then they sang an epic. They were conveyed to the listener by the storytellers in a solemn, stately, slow and calm tone of narration, i.e. hum. These songs praised the heroes, their exploits. They defended the Russian land, defeated countless hordes of enemies, overcame any obstacles. In many fairy tales and epics, the hero is faced with a choice of which road to continue on. And he always chooses the path leading through the dangers. He fearlessly overcomes all obstacles and emerges victorious.

The painting "VITYAZ ON THE CROSSROADS" was inspired by the epic "Ilya Muromets and the robbers". In the thoughts and feelings of the hero, one can guess the thoughts of the artist himself about the choice of his further creative path. Which is supported by the general mood of the picture, the epic landscape.

Epics tell about the events of the distant past. They depict battles with the enemies of the Russian land. They keep the memory of the past of our Motherland. This is real. The hero of the epic, as already mentioned, is a hero. He is distinguished by extraordinary strength, courage and courage, enormous growth (fiction). The power of the Russian people is embodied in the hero, he is an ideal hero. Any battle ends with the victory of the Russian warrior. The need to protect the native land is the main idea of ​​the epics. An example is the following piece of painting. The largest and most significant work "BOGATYRI" (1898, State Tretyakov Gallery) was created for over 20 years. The painting was acquired by Tretyakov. The Vasnetsov Hall was built in the gallery, in which the canvas was hung. It is still there. Vasnetsov perceived the painting of this picture as a civic duty, an obligation to his native people. It was very difficult and sad to part with her. She was his favorite child, "the heart was always drawn to her, and the hand reached out."

The heroic outpost on the border of the forest and the field - neither the enemy nor the beast can pass, the bird cannot fly. Ilya Muromets is "a great chieftain, a peasant son." His horse is huge, arched its neck with a wheel, sparkles with a red-hot eye. With this you will not be lost: "Jumps from mountain to mountain, jumps from hill to hill." Ilya turned heavily in the saddle, took his leg out of the stirrup, put his hand in a patterned mitten to his eyes. Vigilantly, sternly looking into the distance, looking closely to see if there is an enemy somewhere. On his right hand, on a white shaggy horse, Dobrynya Nikitich takes out his long, sharp sword-kladenets from its scabbard, and his shield is burning, shimmering with pearls and gems. To the left of Ilya Alyosha Popovich. He looks slyly with beautiful, clear eyes, took an arrow from a colored quiver, and attached it to a thin bowstring of a tight bow. The gusli-samogud hangs from the saddle. He holds the whip ready to whip the horse. The heroes' gazes are directed in the direction from which the danger emanates. The horses became alert and turned their heads to the right - they sense the enemy. They sniff into the air with thin nostrils, strained their ears - ready for battle. Thoroughbred horses are strong, they have mighty riders. How much weight is there in the heroes ?! Shield, helmet, armor - heavy clothing, and also weapons: sword, shield, bow, club. A heavy burden for a horse, but heroic horses are strong, fast, just like their knights. The mighty hand of Ilya Muromets easily holds the club. A legend was formed about her among the people, her weight is 90 pounds: "As soon as Ilya waves it, he will pave a street, wave it to the left - he will pave a side street." Vasnetsov managed to express the weight of the club and the enormous physical strength of Ilya. Horses match the heroes, this expresses the feeling of the reality of the past, when the horse was everything for the rider: a support, a faithful assistant in battle and in life.

Vasnetsov shows the main thing in heroes - loyalty to the motherland, willingness to serve her. An unusually strong, courageous, courageous, huge hero always comes out the winner. It embodies the power of the Russian people, the defender of the Russian land. People defended the borders of their homeland together, it was in those distant times that the proverb appeared: "One is not a warrior in the field." The warrior, hero, defender of the Russian land is a favorite image of epics. Plots, images, poetics of epics are reflected in Russian literature. Epics were a source of inspiration not only for artists (Vasnetsov), but also for composers, directors, etc.

In Vasnetsov's paintings, as in Russian folk art, the truth about the people is embodied, love for the Russian person and faith in his best, highest qualities, which give him the right to a great future, are expressed. Vasnetsov's work, using the example of stories from fairy tales and epics, tells about good and truth, about strength and courage, about the best qualities of a Russian person.

After the revolution, Vasnetsov continued to work on fairy tales. In 1883-1885 he performed a monumental panel The Stone Age in the Round Hall of the Historical Museum in Moscow. In 1886, the scenery for the Snow Maiden at the Russian Private Opera of Savva Mamontov. In 1885-1886 he painted the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev, where Nesterov also worked, and supervised artistic works in it. According to Vasnetsov's drawings, the church and the Hut on chicken legs were built in Abramtsevo (1883), the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. (1901) and others. He also made sketches for furniture and other works of decorative and applied art. In all his works, he steadily follows the traditions of Russian art. N. Ge saw in his works "a synthesis of ancient Russian and Byzantine features, the art of the Pre-Raphaelites and even Michelangelo ... but the main thing is the Russian national spirit."

Basil the Blessed is a monument of ancient Russian architecture. Cathedral, built by order of Ivan the Terrible in memory of the capture of Kazan.

Ryabovo is a village in the Vyatka province, eighty kilometers from the provincial town. The artist Vasnetsov spent his childhood there.

Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich. Portrait of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, 1874.

Short biography of Viktor Vasnetsov

The birthplace of Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is the Vyatka province (modern Kirov region). The village of Lopyal, in which he was born on May 15 (according to the new style) of May 1848, has been known since 1740. In the old days, the village had two names: Lopial - according to zemstvo registration and Epiphany - after the village church of the Epiphany. The life of Viktor Vasnetsov turned out to be closely connected with Orthodoxy.

His father, Mikhail Vasilievich, was a priest, like many of his ancestors. So, back in 1678 there is information about the psalmist Tryphon, the son of Vasnetsov. “The whole family was spiritual,” - this is how Mikhail, the third son of Viktor Vasnetsov, would later write.

The parents of the future artist had six children, and all sons. Victor was the second oldest. Mother's name was Apollinaria Ivanovna. In 1850, the head of the family was transferred to the village of Ryabovo, whose inhabitants at that time were only priests. The family lived in the village for 20 years. Vasnetsov spent his childhood here and his parents are buried here. Now Ryabovo is a branch of the Vasnetsov Brothers Museum. In these Vyatka places, the future painter's love for Russian antiquity, for age-old folk traditions, grew up. “I have always lived only in Russia” - such is the artist's confession.

Vasnetsov drew sketches of his house-workshop (now a museum), the interiors of which are designed in the Russian style.

Personal life and family of Viktor Vasnetsov

Viktor Mikhailovich lived for 49 years with his wife, daughter of the merchant Ryazantsev, Alexandra Vladimirovna. He and his wife had one daughter and four sons: Tatiana (1879-1961), Boris (1880-1919), Alexei (1882-1949), Mikhail (1884-1972), Vladimir (1889-1953).

The younger brother of Viktor Mikhailovich, Apollinarius Mikhailovich, also became a painter under Viktor's guidance. The artistic dynasty was continued by Andrei Vladimirovich Vasnetsov, a grandson.

Interestingly, son Michael, who was named after his grandfather, a parish priest, also became a minister of the church. True, it was not in Russia, but in Czechoslovakia.

Viktor Vasnetsov died in his workshop on July 23, 1926. At first he was buried at the Moscow Lazarevskoye cemetery in Maryina Roshcha, but after its liquidation in 1937, the artist's ashes had to be transferred to Vvedenskoye.

Paintings by Viktor Vasnetsov

Born in the village of Lopyal, Vyatka province. The son of the village priest Mikhail Vasilyevich Vasnetsov and Apollinaria Ivanovna. In total, the family had six children, including Apollinary Vasnetsov, an artist known for his picturesque reconstructions of old, pre-Petrine Moscow.

He received his primary education at the Vyatka Theological Seminary. In 1868-1875 he studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. In 1876 he was in Paris, then in Italy. Since 1874 he constantly participated in exhibitions of the Itinerants. In 1892 he received the title of academician. Like many Russian artists of that time, he strove to go beyond the canons of academic art.

Since 1878, Vasnetsov settled in Moscow, where he painted the most famous paintings and developed an illustrative and folklore direction of creativity. Contemporaries were amazed by the huge canvases on historical themes and themes of Russian fairy tales and epics - "After the Battle", "Heroes", etc.

Vasnetsov's art gave rise to heated discussions. Many saw in him the beginning of a new, truly national trend in Russian painting. But the majority considered his painting uninteresting, and attempts to revive the Byzantine and Old Russian styles were fruitless. Particular controversy arose after the publication of the first issue of the magazine "World of Art" in 1898, where Vasnetsov's work was also presented. “In no way I could not approve of the fact that in the very first issue, which had, after all, the meaning of the well-known credo of our ideals and aspirations, half of the illustrations were devoted to the artist towards whom I developed a certain negative attitude, namely to Viktor Vasnetsov” - A.N. Benoit. A little later, Mikhail Nesterov wrote: "Dozens of Russian outstanding artists originate from a national source - the talent of Viktor Vasnetsov."

Nevertheless, the work of V.M. Vasnetsov influenced the artists of the Art Nouveau period and, especially, the artists of the Abramtsev circle S.I. Mamontov, one of the organizers of which and an active participant he was in the 1880s. Vasnetsov performed costumes and sets for productions at the Mamontov Theater; in 1881, together with V. Polenov, he built a church in the "Russian style" in Abramtsevo. Later, he designed and implemented many buildings: his own house and workshop in the 3rd Troitsky lane (now Vasnetsov), the Tsvetkov gallery on Prechistenskaya embankment, the facade of the main building of the Tretyakov gallery in Lavrushinsky lane, etc.

In 1885-1896 he took part in the work on the murals of the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev. He continued to turn to the religious theme in mosaics for the Church of the Ascension in St. Petersburg, murals and mosaics of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya, etc.

He was married to Alexandra Vladimirovna Ryazantseva. He had sons: Boris, Alexei, Mikhail, Vladimir and daughter Tatyana.

He died in Moscow in his studio while working on a portrait. Buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery. Later, his ashes were transferred to the Vvedenskoye cemetery in Moscow.