Mikhail Osipovich Mikeshin (21.02.1835–31.01.1896) was a Russian painter and graphic artist, a representative of St. Petersburg academism, one of the most notable figures in monumental sculpture of the post-reform era.

Creator of eclectic in style graphic designs for monuments in several cities of the Russian Empire, including the famous monument ‘Millennium of Russia’ in Veliky Novgorod; a battle painter by training, he also worked as an illustrator and caricaturist. Academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts (from 1869). Creator of eclectic in style graphic designs for monuments in several cities of the Russian Empire, including the famous monument ‘Millennium of Russia’ in Veliky Novgorod; a battle painter by education, he also worked as an illustrator and caricaturist. Academician of the Imperial Academy of Art (IAA).

As a child he learnt painting from local icon painter Titus Andronov. He graduated from a three-class district school in Roslavl, for some time worked as a draftsman on the construction of the Moscow-Warsaw railway, where he met a famous patron of the arts – landowner Alexander Vonlyarlyarsky, who sent the talented young man to study at the Imperial Academy of Arts at his own expense.

In 1852, Mikhail Mikeshin entered the IAA in St Petersburg, where he studied at the class of battle painting with Bogdan Willewalde. Professional debut of the young man was very successful. After the first year of study, his student work ‘hussars-at-arms at the watering site’, presented at the annual academic exhibition, was approved by the Emperor Nicholas I, was awarded a small silver medal and bought into the tsar’s collection.

In 1857, he became one of the founders of the Art Society at the IAA. In 1858, Mikeshin accompanied Grand Dukes Nikolai Nikolaevich and Mikhail Nikolaevich on a trip to Transcaucasia and the Crimea. In 1859-1860, he travelled in Europe as a pensioner of the IAA.

From 1859, Mikeshin was mainly engaged in sculpture and graphics. In 1859, he took part in a competition to design the monument ‘Millennium of Russia’ for Novgorod, was awarded the first prize, and the work was accepted for realisation. After the opening of the monument in 1862, Mikeshin was awarded the Order of St Vladimir, the 4th degree and a lifetime pension.

In 1864, he created a competition project for a monument to the Portuguese Constitution in Lisbon, which was also awarded the first prize. Mikhail Mikeshin was awarded an order and elected an honorary member of the Higher School of Fine Arts in Lisbon.

From 1868, M. Mikeshin was an honorary member of the Serbian Scientific Society. In 1869, he was awarded the title of Academician of the Academy of Arts. In 1882, he became a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts.

Under the direction of Mikeshin the monuments to Catherine II in St. Petersburg (opened in 1873), Admiral A.S. Craig in Nikolaev (1873), Bogdan Khmelnitsky in Kiev (1888) and many others were created. The artisan's drawings were used by Alexander Opekushin, Matvey Chizhov, Robert Salemann, Artemy Aubert and N.A. Lavretsky. Mikhail Mikeshin executed statues for the bows of ships commissioned by the Maritime Ministry.

M.O. Mikeshin worked extensively in the sphere of book and magazine graphics. He collaborated in the magazines ‘Russian chronicles’ (the 1860s), ‘Russian antique’, ‘Petersburg life’ (the 1870-1890s). In 1873-1874, he served as the editor and one of the authors of the satirical magazine ‘The Painter’. In 1875-1878, Mikeshin issued the magazine ‘Bee’, in 1879-1880 – the magazine ‘Ruthenia’, where he published his drawings. He created illustrations for the works of Nikolai Gogol.
Worked in the technique of oil painting on porcelain and enamel.

In 1896, in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod memorial exhibitions of the master were held.

Mikeshin was one of the leading representatives of the academic trend in the art of the second half of the 19^th century. The peculiarity of his work was the eclecticism of artistic language: the master's works combined elements of academism, realism and naturalism. ART works of Mikeshin were executed at a fairly high level, but at the same time they were characterised by narrative, saturation and even overloaded with details, in some cases – features of atectonics. Due to this fact, the sculptor was repeatedly criticised.

The works of Mikhail Mikeshin are stored in many museums and private collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. The Russian Sculptures section of the museum Collection features works by M.O. Mikeshin and the work by Boris Mikeshin, son of the celebrated sculptor.

Mikhail Mikeshin died suddenly in his St Petersburg house at the age of 60. He was buried at the Nikolsky cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.