Heroes

🧒 Art for Kids 🇷🇺 Russia 🌙 Symbolism & Art Nouveau

Why it's great

Three Russian knights on horseback, from folk tales, scan the horizon for danger. Vasnetsov painted Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich, famous heroes. It took him nearly 20 years. Many Russian kids know this painting from school.

👀 Look closer!

Three knights ride on horses. Can you tell what each one is carrying?

Where to see it

📍 State Tretyakov GalleryMoscow, Russia

Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →

Hang it on your wall

⬇ Hi-res download 2,114 × 1,400 px · 3.0 megapixels This is the largest scan on Wikimedia Commons, which is fairly small for a big print. The museum that owns it may offer a larger one. File page & license ↗

Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:

💵 Budget Etsy ↗ Posters and simple prints from small sellers, usually the lowest prices. 🖼️ Mid-range Fine Art America ↗ Good printing on paper, canvas or metal, made to order, with framing options. 🏛️ High-end Meisterdrucke ↗ Museum-grade giclée prints on archival paper or canvas, the closest to the real thing.

These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.

About the artist

Viktor Vasnetsov

1848–1926 · born in Lopyal · died in Moscow

Viktor Vasnetsov was born in a village in northern Russia, the son of a priest. He lived in Moscow, and became known for painting scenes from Russian folk tales and legends, with warriors, witches and firebirds. He also designed churches and theater sets. He died in Moscow in 1926.