State Russian Museum

About museum

The Russian Museum is the country's first state museum of Russian fine art, founded by decree of Alexander III and approved by Nicholas II in 1895. In May 1895, the conversion of palace premises for museum exhibitions began under the direction of architect Vasily Svinyin. The museum's ceremonial opening took place on March 19, 1898. The museum's core collection includes works of art from the Winter, Gatchina and Alexander Palaces, as well as from the Hermitage and the Academy of Arts, and donations from private collectors. Today the museum comprises more than 400,000 items and presents the history of Russian art spanning 1,000 years. The main exhibitions are located in the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Benois Wing, as well as in the Mikhailovsky Castle, the Mikhailovsky Garden, the Summer Garden and Peter the Great's Cabin. The museum's total area is over 30 hectares. Today the Russian Museum is one of the leading research, restoration and preservation, and methodological centres for all art museums in Russia.