Ivan Aivazovsky, 1817?1900, Russian artist. Born in Theodosia on July 29, 1817, he was taught by M. Vorobiev in Petersburg Academy of Arts. He has travelled extensively until 1845, when he setteled down in his native town in Crimea. Influenced by classic French sea paintings, he managed to avoid the excessive contrasts of classical composition. His uniqueness is in showing the living, breathing, ever-moving sea. As a painter under the Navy General Headquarters (since 1844) he has taken part in several campaigns (including Crimean War of 1853?1856) creating a series of battle paintings ("Battle for Chesmen", 1848). In Aivazovsky's paintings the sea usually appears as the universal basis of nature (as well as history).