The picture Gusli Players, now stored in the Perm Gallery, was completed by the artist in 1898. In January 1899, he sent it to St. Petersburg for his personal exhibition, which was opened within the halls of the Academy of Arts on February 4. Probably, it was at the exhibition that the work was reserved by I.E. Tsvetkov, a patron and collector of art. On March 9, 1899, Vasnetsov wrote him:

The artist made the replication in 1901.

The picture Gusli Players (1901) was in the Tsarskoye Selo Alexander Palace in the Parade Office of Emperor Nicholas II. On the back side of the picture, you can see inventory numbers, stickers, stamps, including the writings: “Aleks. Bol”sh. kab. Nik II № 114” and the note “v prostenke mezhdu ikon pravaya”, probably indicating the side. The writing is also interesting because it records the location of the painting, which was traditionally chosen by the Emperor himself. Thus, on March 9, 1903, when the royal family had moved to the Alexander Palace again after the winter, Nicholas II wrote in his diary: “I have been settling in my rooms. After lunch, we walked around the palace and indicated the places for hanging pictures. In the evening, everything was put in order”.