Russian Art
Surikov, V. I.
"Vermak Conquering Siberia". 1895
Notes: Vermak Conquering Siberia
Vasily Surikov's "Yermak Conquering Siberia" (1895) and "Stepan Razin" (1906, see next image) are monumental works, representative of the artist's heroic period, which lasted roughly from the 1890s to 1910. These two canvases extolled the military feats of the legendary military leader Yermak Suvorov and the Cossack Chieftain Stepan Razin, uniting themes of daring adventure and fierce nationality.
In order to faithfully depict Yermak's historic trek with his troops from Russia to Siberia, Surikov went to the Kuban and Don regions of Siberia to collect images for his painting. The work tells the story of the fierce battle between Yermak's Russian forces and the troops of the Tatar Khan Kuchum on the banks of the Irtysh River in 1583.
