Born in Cherepovets in 1842. Died near Port Arthur in 1904. After graduating from a naval college, Vereshchagin studied painting in St. Petersburg—at the School Graphic Art of the Society for the Promotion of the Arts and at the Academy of Arts—and then in Paris. He visited numerous European countries, as well as Syria, Palestine (1883–1884), India (1874–1876 and 1882–1883), the Philippines (1901), Cuba, the USA (1902), and Japan (1903). As the official artist of the Russian army, he accompanied the troops during military campaigns to Central Asia in 1867–1868 and 1868–1869, as well as the Balkans in 1877–1878. In 1904, he was sent to the front after the declaration of the Russian-Japanese war. He was killed there during an explosion on the “Petropavlovsk” battleship near Port Arthur. Vereshchagin’s main theme was the condemnation of “the great injustice called war.” However, during his numerous travels, he painted landscapes with architectural monuments, and also portrayed the customs of various peoples. He put on numerous personal exhibitions abroad, including the USA (1888–1891).
In 1901, he was nominated for the first Nobel Peace Prize.
