Is the famous Russian painter and public activist. He is considered one of the brightest representatives of Christian art in XIX – XX centuries. He was born in Ufa in 1862 in a merchant’s family. Michael Nesterov began to study drawing at Ufa Gymnasium. Later he studied in Moscow, at the College of painting, sculpture and architecture. V.G Perov and I.N. Kramskoy were his pedagogues. The talent of Nesterov as an icon-painter became especially apparent in the course of painting the Vladimir’s Church in Kiev. Continuing the traditions of ancient Russian painting Nesterov created really pathetic images of the Savoir, the Godmother and other saints. Wishing to contribute to art education of his compatriots Nesterov presented the collection of Russian fine arts of the second half of the XIX – the beginning of the X centuries to his native town – Ufa – in 1913. In a whole Ufa received 102 works, including canvasses of Repin, Shishkin, Makovsky, Korovin, Yaroshenko, Polenov, Levitan and others.

After October Revolution 1917, Nesterov proved himself as a great master of psychological portrait. In 1942, he was rewarded with the rank of honourable painter RF.

The Bashkir Arts Museum – one of the oldest regional museums of Russia – was opened in 1920. Now the Nesterov Bashkir State Arts Museum works in Ufa.