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Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was born in the family of a merchants of Armenian origin in the town of Feodosia, Crimea. His parents were under strained circumstances and he spent his childhood in poverty. With the help of people who had noticed the talent for painting, he entered the Simpheropol gymnasium, and the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, where he took the landscape painting course and was especially interested in marine landscapes. In 1836 Aivazovsky presented 5 marine pictures to the Academic exhibition, which were highly appreciated. In 1837, Aivazovsky received the Major Gold Medal for Calm in the Gulf of Finland and The Great Roads at Kronstadt , which allowed him to go on a long study trip abroad. However the artist first went to the Crimea to perfect himself in his chosen genre by painting the sea and views of Crimean coastal towns. Aivazovsky left more than 6000 oil paintings, which are of very different value. There are masterpiece paintings and there are very timid works. He failed to paint landscapes,and could not draw a man. Aivazovsky got good commissions and became wealthy. He gave much money to charity, especially for his native town, he opened in Feodosia the first School of Arts and the Art Gallery.He was a member of Academies of Stuttgart, Florence, Rome and Amsterdam.