Most astronomers know about B. E. Markarians discovery and further study of galaxies with UV excess. It is less known that in 1963 Markarian drew attention to a small group of galaxies with color index-spectral type discrepancy. Early spectral type of these galaxies is combined with large color index (e.g. M82). Later studies showed that galaxies with large intrinsic color indices (CI ≥ 0.85) exhibit properties typical for active galaxies - galaxies with “red excess” are as active as galaxies with UV excess.