Ivan Aivazovskyi was born and lived almost his entire life in Feodosia. His real name was Ovanes Aivazian. The artist's parents came from a lineage of Galician Armenians who had resettled to Galicia from Turkish Armenia back in the 18th century. Aivazian's ancestors lived near Lviv, and in 1812, five years before Ovanes's birth, the family moved to Feodosia.

During his lifetime, Aivazovskyi created over 6,000 paintings. An interesting fact: he was personally acquainted with Taras Shevchenko. Aivazovskyi is mostly known for his canvases on marine themes, yet he worked in various genres. For instance, dozens of his works are dedicated to Chumak (Ukrainian salt-trader) themes.

World fame came to the artist during his youth and accompanied him throughout his life. Aivazovskyi spent a significant share of his earned funds on philanthropy. He was a devoted patriot of Feodosia and invested money in various projects crucial for the city's development, such as bringing in drinking water, constructing a railway and a port, opening an art school and a library, conducting archaeological excavations, and more. Aivazovskyi also bequeathed his paintings to Feodosia, stating in his will that he prohibited moving them out of the city. However, the Russians violated this will.