Ilya Yefimovich Repin (Илья Ефимович Репин) (August 5 1844 (Julian calendar: July 24) – September 29 1930) was a Russian painter , sculptor and a leading exponent of Peredvizhniki, the Russian artist school. His work is realist and often expressed criticism of the social order. is a celebrated Russian painter

Rapin was born in Chuguev , (now in Kharkiv region, Ukraine). His father was a military officer. In 1836 he went to Saint Petersburg and was admitted to the Academy of Arts as a student. 1873-1876 He sojourned in Italy and Paris on the Academy's allowance. Then he went back to hometown. He painted a large number of genre painting of peasants, fishwomen and country customs. In 1878 he joined the Association of Peredvizhniki Artists. From 1882 he lived in Saint Petersburg but made frequent tours abroad. In his late years he was impacted by Expressionism. After 1917 October Revolution, his home area, located in the suburbs of Saint Petersburg was incorporated into Finland. He was invited by Lenin to come back to Russia but he was too old to make a journey. He died in Kuokkala, Finland (now Repino , Leningrad Oblast)in 1930.

His most prominent paintings are <Ivan the Terrible killing his son>, <The boat trackers on Volga River> and <Zaparozhians writing a reply to Turkish Sultan>. He painted a series of portraits of Leo Tolstoy, portraits of prominent people, genre paintings.