Vasily Surikov

Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (January 24, 1848 (Julian calendar: January 12) – March 19, 1916 (Julian calendar: March 6)) was the foremost Russian painter of large-scale historical subjects. His major pieces are among the best-known paintings in Russia.

Biography
Surikov was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, where a monument to him was recently opened by his great grandsons, Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrei Konchalovsky. In 1869-1871 he studied under Pavel Chistyakov at the Imperial Academy of Arts.

In 1877, Surikov settled in Moscow, where he contributed some imposing frescoes to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In 1878 he married Elizabeth Charais, a granddaughter of decembrist Svistunov. In 1881 he joined the Peredvizhniki movement. Since 1893 he is a full member of St.Petersburg Academy of arts. Surikov was interred at the Vagankovskoye Cemetery in Moscow.

Vasily Surikov painted images from Russia's past that focused on the lives of ordinary people. His works are remarkable by an original way to represent space (see non-linear perspective) and movements of people.