Why is Russian Art So Great?

Why is Russian art so great? I don't know. This might be something I look into at some point, but for the moment, here is a small gallery of fantastic Russian art that I enjoy.

“The Boyarynia” by Konstantin Makovsky (1885).

“Coniferous Forest. Sunny Day.” by Ivan Shishkin (1895).

“Flying Carpet” by Viktor Vasnetsov (1880).

“Nikita Pustosviat. Dispute on the Confession of Faith” by Vasily Perov (1881).

“At the edge of the forest” by Ivan Shishkin (1832-1898).

“Nonodevichy Convent” by Aleksey Savrasov (1890).

“Pine Forest” by Ivan Shishkin (1878).