Vasily Vereshchagin was born (14) October 26,

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Vasily Vereshchagin
Russian painter and writer
October 26, 1842 - April 13, 1904

Vasily Vereshchagin was born (14) October 26, 1842 in Cherepovets, Novgorod province (now part of the city in the Vologda region). His father was a district leader of the nobility. It was a typical landlord's family, holy chtivshaya noble tradition.

Trying to build his son a military destiny fails: after studying at the Marine Cadet Corps, he received the rank of midshipman navy, and having a brilliant service perspective, decides to quit the army and enter the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Mother made this decision with hostility. There has been an actual break with Vereshchagin nurtured his estate environment.

The Academy, taking into account the talent Vereshchagin, appointed him a scholarship. Three years Vereshchagin enough to understand that the Academy engaged in "nonsense". In 1863 he went to the Caucasus, where a lot of drawing from nature, and a year later went to Paris. A winter diligently studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Then it was again the Caucasus, and again in Paris, and the native river Sheksna.

Since 1867 Vereshchagin traveled - Central Asia, Germany, India ... From every trip is brought a lot of work. Since the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war for the liberation of the Balkan Slavs Vereshchagin rushed to the Balkans. In 1878-80 years in Paris, he created a series of Balkan - perhaps the sharpest of his paintings in a series of cycles. With delight adopted in a democratic environment, this series has caused great displeasure of the emperor. In Vereshchagin suspected "revolutionary."

This artist has not stopped: in subsequent years (and their painter was released more than two dozen), he tirelessly traveled around the world. Europe, India, Middle East, Central Russia, the United States, the Crimea, the Philippines, Cuba - are the main geographical landmarks of the convoluted curve.

From under the brush Vereshchagin out wonderful new picture, it was note-writer, having published several books, published articles on art theory. Around the world solo exhibitions were held Vereshchagin, whenever received wide publicity.

Artist died April 13, 1904, while on the flagship of the battleship "Petropavlovsk" when he hit a Japanese mine. Just a few minutes before the crash witnesses saw Vereshchagin something sketched in his working notebook ...