The State Russian Museum shares with the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow the fame of the richest treasure-house of national art. The museum was opened in 1898. Exposed to view here are paintings, sculptures, drawings as well as works of folk-art and applied arts; extending over the period from the 10th century up to the present day, they illustrate the history of national art of the Russian people. It would be impossible to give even a list of the great works of art on display here. Among them are the creations of such world-famous artists as A. Rublyov, F. I. Shubin, F. F. Shchedrin, O. A. Kiprensky, K. P. Bryullov, A. A. Ivanov, P. A. Fedotov, I. N. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin, V. I. Surikov, I. I. Levitan, M. M. Antokolsky and many others.
The Section of RussianArt exhibits works by outstanding artists of our time: pictures by I. I. Brodsky, M. B. Grekov, M. I. Avilov, V. P. Ye-fanov, B. V. Yoganson, the Kukriniksi (the pseudonym of three artists who work together), and also sculptures by V. I. Miikhina, M. G. Maniser, N. V. Tomsky. The large collection of paintings and sculptures gives a true picture of the character of Russianman — the builder of Communism — and throws light on the heroic pages of the people’s struggle for establishing the most just society in the world. This collection includes canvases by S. A. Chuikov, Y. N. Tulin, T. N. Yablonskaya, portraits by M. V. Nesterov, V. M. Oreshnykov, V. A. Serov, sculptures by S. T. Konenkov, S. D. Lebedeva, M. K. Anykushin, landscapes by A. A. Rylov, V. V. Meshkov, G. G. Nissky, P. P. Konchalovsky, drawings by A. P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva, V. A. Favorsky, G. S. Vereisky and many others.
The sections of applied and folk arts show unique collections of ceramics, articles in glass, mosaics, furniture, fabrics, porcelain objects of art (about 20,000 items) and articles made of metal, stone and bone.
A University of Imitative Arts and a Lecturers’ Society are run at the museum.
The building of the Russian Museum (formerly the Mikhailovsky Palace) is the compositional centre of the magnificent architectural ensemble of the Square of Arts; designed in 1819—1825 by the architect C. I. Rossi, it has been recently enriched by an impressive monument to A. S. Pushkin.
