What’s going on in the ‘Bogatyrs’ painting by Viktor Vasnetsov?

‘Bogatyrs’ is one of the most famous Russian paintings. Viktor Vasnetsov painted it for more than 18 years. In 1898, immediately after he finished, the now famous Pavel Tretyakov bought the canvas for his collection. Since then, it has adorned the halls of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. 

During the Soviet era, reproductions of the painting were so popular that ‘Bogatyrs’ literally became an element of pop culture and a Russian archetype in people's minds. In addition, everyone in Russia pretty much knows stories about bogatyrs from childhood, who are mighty folklore warriors with superpowers. 

Who’s depicted in the painting?

Viktor Vasnetsov 'Bogatyrs' (1898)

Three bogatyrs sit on “mighty and shaggy” horses, as Vasnetsov described them. These ancient Russian heroes in chain mail and helmets are supposedly surveying the surroundings, trying to figure out whether there are any enemies nearby. 

As Vasnetsov himself wrote, his heroes “on a bogatyr's ride observe in the field whether there is no enemy, whether someone is offended somewhere?”

In the middle, we see Ilya Muromets with a spear and a spiked mace. He is the main hero of ancient Rus’, a fearless defender of Russian lands and loyal servant of Prince Vladimir. 

To his left is Dobrynya Nikitich, pulling his sword out of its sheath, ready to rush into battle. 

On the right is Alyosha Popovich, the youngest of the trio, with a bow in his hands. 

Nobel Laureate and academician Ivan Pavlov gave an interesting definition of all three heroes.  

“Vasnetsov perfectly depicted three human temperaments,” Pavlov wrote. “Ilya Muromets is seasoned, heavy on the rise, he considers the enemy, only to go for broke. Dobrynya Nikitich is impulsive, rushes forward without thinking and goes straight into battle. Alyosha Popovich has already figured it all out, realized that a danger threatens and is thinking how best to get around it. By the way, he is not only cunning, but also a dandy. He even has a ring on his finger. His horse is weak. What power! Three Russian bogatyrs. Russia!” 

How the idea of the painting came about 

Vasnetsov made the first sketches of the future painting back in the 1870s. Unexpected inspiration came to him in the studio of his colleague, artist Vasily Polenov. 

The first sketch of the painting

All fashionable artists, Vasnetsov's contemporaries at the end of the 19th century, were widely involved in painting the genre scenes from the life of peasants. Vasnetsov's mind, however, was all about fairy tales. The real inspiration after graduating from the Academy of Arts for him was his move from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The ancient Kremlin and the view of St. Basil's Cathedral set him into a historical mood, in ancient Russia. 

Together with other artists, Vasnetsov traveled to the Abramtsevo Estate near Moscow that belonged to philanthropist and industrialist Savva Mamontov. There, he gave artists shelter and complete freedom of creativity. And they tried to comprehend the national identity of the, at that time, fashionable ‘Russian style’. 

It was there in Abramtsevo that Vasnetsov saw and sketched the field that would serve as a background for ‘Bogatyrs’. 

A field in the Abramtsevo estate

It was at the Abramtsevo Estate that a significant part of the work on the painting took place. Especially for the huge canvas (almost 3 x 4 meters), Mamontov ordered to rebuild the barn into a workshop for Vasnetsov. 

It is believed that one can guess the appearance of Savva Mamontov's son Andrei in the facial features of Alyosha Popovich. 

Alyosha Popovich (L) and portrait of Andrei Mamontov

Why did it take so long to paint the picture?

Vasnetsov admitted that to work on ‘Bogatyrs’ “attracted the heart and his hand pulled to it”. He considered the painting as his “creative duty, an obligation to his native people”. 

However, he could not complete his brainchild for almost 20 years. There were long breaks in the work, as Vasnetsov painted the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev or was distracted by other large-scale orders. 

Bogatyrs and shaggy horses, meanwhile, appeared on his other canvases in the 1880s. For example, in ‘Knight at the Crossroads’ (1882).

Viktor Vasnetsov ‘Knight at the Crossroads’ (1882)

 Or in the terrible scene ‘After the battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsians’ (1880).

Viktor Vasnetsov ‘After the battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsians’ (1880)

Vasnetsov conducted serious preparatory work for ‘Bogatyrs’. He made many sketches of ringlets, horses and landscapes. Trying to find the best facial expressions for the heroes, he drew a variety of ordinary people's portraits. For the longest time, he searched for the right solution and types for Ilya Muromets. He sketched a blacksmith in Abramtsevo, a coachman in Moscow. One of the famous prototypes is Ivan Petrov, a peasant from the city of Vladimir. 

Ilya Muromets (L); Ivan Petrov, a peasant of the Vladimir province

It is believed that one can guess the appearance of Viktor Vasnetsov himself in the facial features of Dobrynya Nikitich. 

Dobrynya Nikitich (L); Viktor Vasnetsov

Vasnetsov's idea was not to paint a book illustration for the folk story on a large scale, but to provide a real embodiment of folk images. The artist carefully studied Russian epics and folklores and tried to give his heroes their specific features.