"I hasten to express my deep respect to you as a talented artist, gratitude as my teacher and a kind, sympathetic person. Made by you as an artist, your direct influence on Moscow art is enormous, significant, but no less significant... I am sure that Moscow art would not be as it is, if not for you. Thank you for yourself and for our art, which I love madly." These lines were written by a student of V.D. Polenova famous landscape painter Isaac Ilyich Levitan to his teacher.