The famous painting by Alexei Savrasov “The Rooks Have Returned” has ushered in the era of national landscape becoming a signature work in the creative career of this artist and having numerous repetitions. The latter, executed at different years and signed by a trembling hand were, according to the author, «a far cry from the initial painting”. This outstanding artist suffered, as many Russians, from a heavy drinking disorder. Vladimir Gilyarovsky, who wrote about Moscow and its inhabitants, relates in a touching manner his three meetings with Savrasov that left a painful trace in his memory. The story is accompanied by a description of snow-covered Moscow streets and the warm hospitality of its citizens. In conclusion he writes: “In my album he drew spring…a hut…a puddle and rooks… I recall this big artist and someone dear to my heart every spring – when the rooks return”.
Key words: V.A. Gilyarovsky, A.K. Savrasov, “The Rooks Have Returned”, landscape, Moscow, reminiscences.