6 6 , ▁Raf ail ▁Serge ev ich ▁Lev it sky ▁began ▁his ▁art istic ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Academy ▁of ▁Arts ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁as ▁a ▁free - student . ▁ ▁While ▁there , ▁Raf ail ▁studied ▁directly ▁under ▁the ▁teaching ▁of ▁P avel ▁Pet rov ich ▁Ch ist y akov ▁( 1 8 3 2 – 1 9 1 9 ) ▁along ▁with ▁class m ates ▁that ▁included ▁V . D . ▁Polen ov , ▁and ▁I . E . ▁Rep in . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁Ch ist y akov ' s ▁teaching ▁methods ▁that ▁combined ▁the ▁best ▁trad itions ▁of ▁the ▁academic ▁school ▁and ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁direct ▁per ception ▁of ▁nature ▁that ▁are ▁widely ▁recognized ▁as ▁having ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁real ism ▁in ▁Russian ▁art . ▁ ▁Raf ail ▁received ▁med als ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁- ▁ 2 ▁silver ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁- ▁a ▁minor ▁and ▁two ▁major ▁hon ours . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁rank ▁of ▁" class ▁artist ▁of ▁third ▁stage ". ▁ ▁Te acher ▁▁ ▁Raf ail ▁Serge ev ich ▁Lev it sky ▁was ▁a ▁Professor ▁of ▁Draw ing ▁and ▁P ain ting ▁on ▁Por cel ain ▁at ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁Imperial ▁Society ▁of ▁Hon our ing ▁Visual ▁Arts ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁until ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁closed ▁by ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁ ▁His ▁career ▁is ▁documented ▁in ▁a ▁report ▁written