In the second half of the 19th century  Arkhip Kuindzhi, defined by many as a talented, self-taught genius not afraid to stray from tradition, raised the bar regarding the art of the Russian landscape to unprecedented heights. Ilya Repin wrote of Kuindzhi, “The illusion of light was his god and there was no other artist that managed to achieve as much as he did in the art of landscape. Kuindzhi is the painter of light.” After the showing of his painting “Night on the Dnepr” in 1880, Arkhip Kuindzhi became famous all over the country. People stood in enormous queues in order to catch a glimpse of his lifelike landscapes however at forty years old, Kuindzhi decided that he no longer wanted to show his paintings. This “silence” lasted for 30 years, until his death. A visit to the famed artist’s museum-apartment in St. Petersburg helps to shed some light on the mystery that shrouds the fate and work of Arkhip Kuindzhi. Learn more about one of Russia’s most enigmatic landscape artists — a shoemaker’s son turned world-renowned artist and millionaire - by watching RTG TV’s new programme.