Offering his solution to the problems of realism and nationality in the work of Kustodiev, the author does not consider himself a discoverer here - many researchers involved in Kustodiev have already noted realism and the nationality of his art. The author seeks to reveal the specific content and meaning of these concepts, relying on the modern Kustodiev life and artistic culture of the townspeople and peasants of the Volga region, its nature. Much can still be done in this direction, since not all Kustodian landmarks have been discovered. Kustodiev is inexhaustible, and each new generation will find its own in him.