The name of classic artist Nikolai Pymonenko is not as well-known today, although his works may seem familiar to many. At one time, he was quite a prominent figure. Pymonenko's paintings were exhibited at major exhibitions and consistently attracted public attention. His work 'Ukrainian Night' stands out particularly, often gracing the covers of art publications even now.

In 1894, Pymonenko created another vivid painting titled 'Homeward.' It depicts a scene from a Ukrainian village: a tipsy man is returning home, barely able to stand, while his wife waits at the porch, ready to scold him. The painting became so popular that it began to be printed on postcards, and later it appeared on bottles of vodka 'Spotyach,' produced by the company 'Shustov,' known for its aggressive marketing strategy. Shustov even staged PR lawsuits, for example, suing the 'Smirnov' company for the right to use the 'Spotyach' brand. Although the lawsuit was minor, the scandals surrounding it were covered in the press.

One day, Nikolai Shustov decided to use the painting 'Homeward' on the label of his vodka without asking the author's permission. The Peredvizhniki artists, upon seeing this, concluded that Pymonenko had 'sold out' and sent him an outraged letter, accusing him of disgrace and selling the painting to Shustov. Pymonenko, not understanding what was happening, went to Moscow. Upon meeting Shustov, he discovered that Shustov pretended not to know that the painting belonged to the Peredvizhnik artist. Later, Shustov offered Pymonenko a significant reward for using the painting, but the artist refused and filed a lawsuit. The court sided with Pymonenko and prohibited the use of his painting as a label.