Vasiliy Ivanovitch Surikov a great Russian painter was born on the 24^th of January in 1848 in Krasnoyarsk. His family is a Cossack family.

In the age of 8 years Vasiliy Surikov moved to Krasnoyarsk where he studied in a church school. In 1858 he began his studies in a regional college.

Vasiliy Ivanovitch was an artist since childhood. His earliest painting is considered to be "Rafts on Yenisei" painted in 1862.

After graduating from the regional college Vasiliy Surikov worked as a penman as his family didn't have money to continue paying for his education. In this period of time his paintings were noticed by the governor of Yeniseisk province. He found a Krasnoyarsk Maecenas Petr Kuznetsov who then paid for Surikov's studying in the Academy of arts.

During his studies in the Academy of arts from 1869 to 1875 he got several silver medals money prizes for his paintings.

On the 4^th of November in 1875 Vasiliy Ivanovitch graduated from the Academy of arts and in 1877 moved to Moscow.

On the 25 of January in 1878 he married Elizabeth Share.  They had two daughters Olga and Lena.

Surikov's works are famous all over the world. The most well known are "The morning of Strelets execution", "Menshikov in Beryozov", "Boyarinya Morozova", "Taking the snow fortress", "Stepan Razin" and others.

In 1948 the museum of Surikov was opened in Krasnoyarsk and in 1954 the artist's monument was installed in the park of Surikov.