Mikhail Abakumov is a truly bright, original phenomenon in the history of Russian painting at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century. He had a special gift to sharply notice and expressively convey the elusive transitional states of nature: sunrises, sunsets, twilight, the first and last ray of the sun, fog that is about to dissipate, a fleeting rainbow, a flying shadow. A true patriot of his "small homeland" - Kolomna, he subtly felt and perfectly knew the history of the region, tirelessly sang its unique beauty. The master defined his creative credo as follows: "Painting is a way of life. It gives strength to live ... My credo in painting: to glorify the world of God in its beauty, in its harmony, in its light. If I manage to convey the light of God, it will be great happiness.