[4][5] In the late 1860s, with the financial support of Krasnoyarsk philanthropist and gold miner P. I. Kuznetsov, the talented young Vasily Surikov travels to Saint Petersburg.

Throughout his career, Surikov receives guidance and encouragement from his friends in the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions, including Ilya Repin and Ivan Kramskoi.

Surikov also briefly befriends Alexey Lunyov, a promising artist whose creative potential fades as he succumbs to painting trivial salon commissions.

Meanwhile, Surikov’s arduous search for models for his painting Menshikov in Beryozovo proves successful, inspiring him to work passionately on the large-scale canvas.

He later undertakes the challenging task of depicting a scene from the history of the Russian Church Schism, continuing his dedication to complex historical themes.