Abram Efimovich Arkhipov (1862-1930) was a Russian realist painter who often depicted the harshness of Russian life for women. In On The Volga he commemorates his own trip on the Volga with school friends the year before. This painting was done in 1889 and depicts a young man at the stern of a ship observing other sailing vessels traveling along the Volga River.
The Volga is the largest river in Europe and is viewed as the national river of Russia.