An amazing, very Russian artist, Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov created and conveyed to us a beautiful image of Russia, unique and unforgettable.

The artist inextricably linked his entire rather long (1862-1942) life and work with his native country.

The country was changing fantastically before his eyes, changing its appearance, rejecting many of the things that were most dear to Nesterov, the basis of his spiritual world and creativity.

Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov came from a merchant family, patriarchal, religious, but also enlightened, in which they were fond of the poetry of Pushkin and Zhukovsky, read “War and Peace” and managed to understand and support his gift in time.

Mikhail Nesterov studied painting with V.G. Perov, A.K. Savrasov and other recognized masters. His first serious works were close to the creative ideas of the Itinerants.

But from the end of the 80s. his own spiritual, religious and ethical ideal was defined, the artist was attracted by images of people who had neglected worldly vanity.

In the paintings of Mikhail Nesterov, against the background of a poetically conveyed Russian landscape, ideal, enlightened images of people endowed with pure spiritual beauty arose.

The artist was inspired by the landscapes of the Solovetsky Monastery, they complemented the bright images of his heroes. Fairy-tale images are also close to the artist.

Since childhood, the artist was attracted to the image of the great Russian saint Sergius of Radonezh, beloved and revered by the people.

Contemporaries highly valued Nesterov’s church painting. The Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv is decorated with paintings by V.M. Vasnetsov and Mikhail Nesterov. The artist was also inspired by biblical stories.

Many contemporaries considered this work of the artist prophetic, and the fates of P.A. Florensky, who died in the Gulag, and S.N. Bulgakov, who against his will left his homeland on the “philosophers’ ship”, confirmed the prophecy.

The artist, who had experienced difficult changes with his country, had to start a new life, look for new themes.

Mikhail Nesterov was a remarkable portraitist! I am not listing his most famous works here (such as the portrait of Academician I.P. Pavlov, Vera Mukhina, Pavel Korin, etc.). But here are a few remarkable images.