Portrait of Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839-1881), Russian composer - the apogee of Repin's ingenuity, the pinnacle of Russian portrait painting. The portrait was painted in hospital in four sessions, ten days prior to composer's death. Repin refused to accept compensation for his work and donated all money to create monument of the Great Russian Composer.

In 1881 Repin took a trip to Kursk, where at the convent of Aboriginal Christian -Bogorodichnaya Deserts, during summers and autumns, took place famous religious marches of Russian Baptists. The artist created the work, far beyond of the banal domestic story. In a huge crowd depicted in a far reaching panorama style, was presented reformed Russian society with all its contrasts and contradictions, through the prism of painter's perception, artist captured variety of human characters belonging to different social classes, playing different roles in the society and revealing specificity of psychological characteristics of various layers of the Russian populace.

The last painting in a series of the artist's works associated with the Russian revolutionary movement: the painting shows an unexpected return home of political exile and a variety of family members' reactions. Repin captured and expression of uncertain and doubtful man who returned home, into the old world after years of exile.

Vera Repin (1872-1948) - eldest daughter of the artist, showed diverse artistic interests: painting, theater, vocal. Natural simplicity always was the most important factor for artist, he never attempted to improve it. Thanks to his extraordinary observation skills, Repin was able to recognize, capture and depict in his paintings the smallest details (posture, gesture, movement) of the moment in his model's life.

Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584) reigned under the name of Ivan VI, Grand Duke of "All Russia" and the first Russian Tsar. The theme of the painting depicts an episode of the Ivan the Terrible life, when he, in a fit of anger beaten to death his son and heir Tsarevich Ivan. It is not an accidental that in the picture title, Repin refers to the exact date of the event. The idea for painting creations came as a painter's reaction on assassination of Emperor Alexander II, also known as Alexander the Liberator on March 1, 1881; and the execution of terrorists at approximately the same time.