Arkhip Kuindzhi

Born to a poor Greek family in Mariupol, his surname 'Kuindzhi' is derived from the Crimean Tatar word for 'goldsmith,' his grandfather's vocational nickname.¹

As a teenager, he visited Aivazovsky to study art but was only tasked with mixing paints. However, Aivazovsky's mastery of light and storms permanently influenced his style.¹

He joined the Peredvizhniki (Wanderers), a group of realist artists protesting academic restrictions, incorporating social associations into his landscape motifs.¹

The painting 'On the Valaam Island' (1872) was the first of his artworks acquired by the famous collector Pavel Tretyakov for his gallery.¹

His mature style features panoramic views with high horizons and intense colors, creating an illusion of illumination to capture expressive natural conditions.¹

His masterpiece 'Moonlit Night on the Dnieper' overwhelmed audiences with its supernatural light effects, using unique color building to depict moonlight on water.¹

While a professor at the Academy, he taught students like Nicholas Roerich but was fired in 1897 for supporting student protests against the administration.¹

In 2019, his work 'Ai-Petri. Crimea' was stolen from the Tretyakov Gallery in broad daylight; it was recovered the next day, highlighting the public's fascination with his art.¹

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kuindzhi Art Museum in Mariupol was damaged by an airstrike, and several of his original works were reportedly looted by Russia.¹