Oleg Vassiliev (1931-2013) was a very important Russian painter. He was born in Moscow and graduated from the Surikov Institute of Art in 1958. He was greatly influenced by Cezanne. During the 80s, Vassiliev was associated with the nonconformist and avant-garde movements, and his work was exhibited in Venice. He emigrated to New York City in the United States before settling in St. Paul, Minnesota. He passed away in 2013.