The art historian and restorer, Professor Alexandr Ivanovic Anisimov (1877-1937), born in St. Petersburg, studied at the Historical-Philological Faculty of Moscow University. Since the early 20th century, he developed new methods for the scientific restoration of ancient Russian wall and panel painting. Despite the resistance from orthodox dignitaries, he was able to present sensational discoveries when he uncovered previously overlooked icons in churches and monasteries, revealing unknown artworks by painters from the 12th and 13th centuries. The most significant find was the Mother of God of Vladimir in 1919, a sanctuary of the Russian people. The East European historian Martin Winkler was closely associated with Anisimov. Anisimov informed the public about all his discoveries through publications and lectures. Later, this was denied to him when, during the Cultural Revolution, the study of historically religious ways of life was banned. Anisimov lost all his academic positions, was arrested, and exiled in 1931 to the far north, to the Solovetsky Islands, from which he did not return.