Автопортрет

1893, 1908, 1911

Returns to Italy

Nesterov went abroad repeatedly, visiting Italy in 1893, 1908 and 1911, but unlike Henryk Siemiradzki, who shone in Europe, he always longed to go “home, to Russia”: of all foreign lands, only Italy left a mark on his art.

1898–1904

Decorates the church at Abastumani

At the invitation of Tsesarevich George Alexandrovich, younger brother of Nicholas II, Nesterov decorated the palace church of St Alexander Nevsky at Abastumani, personally executing more than 50 compositions on the walls and iconostasis, yet he was dissatisfied with the result. By contrast, he refused to paint the Orthodox cathedral in Warsaw, unwilling to serve as “propaganda” for Russification in a Polish city.

1904

His father dies

The artist's father, Vasily Ivanovich Nesterov (1818–1904), died; he had always taken a warm, lively interest in his son's talent, and Nesterov remained deeply grateful to him to the end of his life.

1905

Joins the Union of the Russian People

In 1905, as the revolution began, Nesterov joined the Union of the Russian People, a nationalist party that supported the Tsar; after the October Revolution this put him in danger.

1907

Son Alexei is born

His son Alexei (1907–1942) was born — later a horse-breeding specialist who drew, took photographs and wrote poetry; he was the model for the peasant boy walking ahead of everyone in “The Soul of the People”. Alexei died in 1942, the same year as his father, after a long struggle with tuberculosis.