Vyacheslav Grigorievich Schwartz, born on September 22 (October 4) 1838 in Kursk and died on March 29 (April 10) 1869 there, was a renowned Russian painter, academician, and honorary free member of the Imperial Academy of Arts. He is considered the founder of the historical genre in Russian painting.

Schwartz was born into a military family. His father, Lieutenant General Grigory Yefimovich Schwartz, participated in the Patriotic War of 1812 and was the commander of the Jaro-Belokan military district. His mother, Natalia Pavlovna, was born Yakovleva. Vyacheslav spent his childhood in the Caucasus, where his father served.

In 1846, eight-year-old Schwartz moved to Moscow with his mother, where he continued to draw under the guidance of S. Shchegolev. He showed exceptional abilities, learning French, German, and English by the age of ten, and later mastering Italian.

In 1847, Schwartz was granted a page at the Imperial Court, but did not enter the Page Corps. In 1851, he was sent to St. Petersburg, where he studied at the Speshnev boarding school and then at the Imperial Alexander Lyceum. There, he achieved great success in drawing under the guidance of Vasilevsky and A. I. Meshchersky.

In 1859, Schwartz graduated from the Lyceum with a gold medal and began his service. In September of the same year, he enrolled as a free listener at St. Petersburg University, where he became interested in history thanks to the lectures of Professor Kostomarov.

Schwartz also studied at the Academy of Arts, where he initially planned to dedicate himself to battle painting, but under Kostomarov's influence, he turned to ancient Russian history. His works, such as "The Entry of Shuisky and De la Gardie into Moscow" and "The Meeting of Grand Prince Svyatoslav with the Greek Emperor Tzimiskes," earned him silver medals from the Academy.

In 1861, Schwartz traveled abroad, visiting Berlin, Dresden, Cologne, and Frankfurt, after which he returned to Russia. In St. Petersburg, he created the painting "Ivan the Terrible with the Body of His Son," for which he received a silver medal.

In 1863, Schwartz went abroad again, this time to Paris, where he worked with renowned artists and significantly improved his color palette. Upon returning to Russia in 1864, he painted "Ivan the Terrible with the Body of His Son," which, however, did not meet his expectations.

In 1865, Schwartz was awarded the title of academician for the painting "Palm Sunday in the Time of Alexei Mikhailovich." In the following years, he created many significant works, including "Scene from the Domestic Life of Russian Tsars" and "Streltsy of the 16th Century."

In 1867, Schwartz was sent to Paris to participate in the World Exhibition, where he received several awards. In Paris, he also worked with Meissonier, which helped him improve his style.

In 1868, Schwartz's health began to deteriorate, and he went to the village to his father, where he was elected head of the nobility of Shchigrovsky district. However, his illness progressed, and on March 29, 1869, he passed away in Kursk. He was buried in his father's estate in the village of Bely Kolodez, Shchigrovsky district, Kursk province.