The Collection of the State Russian Museum in brief

The museum's exhibits, arranged chronologically, show the development of Russian art from the 11th century to the present day. The collections can be divided into 5 departments:

Old Russian Art including Folk Art

Old Russian Art covers significant time period, from the end of the 10 th through the 17 th centuries. The art of Novgorod the Great and its territories, a special feature of this collection is represented in greatest detail. The works of this department demonstrate one of the essential traits of Russian medieval art: mosaics, frescos, and icons are part of an ensemble, regarded as an indivisible whole. The majority of medieval Russian painters are unknown but among those few that we know through the chronicles there is the name of the greatest artist of ancient Rus - Andrei Rublev whose icons are represented in the museum. The final period in the development of Old Russian culture is introduced by the works of Dionisy and his workshop.

The Russian Museum's collection of folk art was formed over a long period. Virtually all forms and materials of Russian decorative folklore are represented in the collection. Masters used available materials: wood, clay, bone, etc. So the following traditional forms of folk art are in the collection: forged metal work, decorated ceramic tiles, the wooden sculpture, especially the Russian wooden toys, the Russian clay toys and the remarkable Palekh lacquered miniatures.

Art of the 18 th century

In the 18 th century painting, sculpture and drawing experienced a rebirth. The new art began to affirm the ideal of civic spirit, of an elevated and enlightened mind. Therefore the leading genre of the 18 th century art is the portrait. The following names of the great artists whose works are in the collection can be named: Fedor Rokotov and Dmitry Levitsky. Fedot Shubin played an important role in the development of Russian sculpture. Many foreign masters came to Russia by invitation of Peter I. Several became a part of the history of Russian art; the best example is the works of Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

Art of the 19 th -beginning of the 20 th centuries

In the early 19 th century the leading position was held by the class of historical painting , themes from Russian and Ancient Rome history was of great interest. The portrait tradition was also being developed. The following Russian painters of this period can be named: Orest Kiprensky, Alexey Venetsianov and his pupils. One of the greatest works of Russian art culture is "The appearance of Christ before the People" by Alexander Ivanov .

Russian culture of the second half of the 19 th century is rich in significant discoveries and outstanding personalities in science, literature, music and art. In painting it was the period of Repin and Surikov. Also one of the significant events of the artistic life was an appearance of the Association of Itinerant Art Exhibitions in 1871 that united the most democratic artistic forces of Russia. Ivan Shishkin and Isaak Levitan are the most famous landscape painters of the second half of the 19 th century. The works of Ilya Repin are among the highest achievements of Russian art. The most famous are "Barge Haulers on the Volga ", "Zaporozhian Cossacks Write a letter to the Turkish Sultan" and the large group portrait "Ceremonial meeting of the State Council" which is considered his highest achievement in portrait painting. An interest in folklore within the Itinerant circle appears most clearly in the works of Viktor Vasnetsov .

The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was marked by great tensions and contradictions. The dramatic split between the artist and a society became more marked. Decorative and applied arts, stage design, book and easel graphics experienced a rebirth; a general tendency towards monumental art forms was intensified. The following names should be mentioned: Valentin Serov, Mikhail Vrubel, Mikhail Nesterov, Nikolay Rerich, Konstantin Korovin, Boris Kustodiev and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin.

Soviet Art

The Soviet division of the Russian Museum reflects the over 60-year history of Soviet art. The outstanding representatives of this period are Alexander Samokhavlov "Girl in a football jersey", Alexander Deineka "Defense of Sevastopol " and works of the Kukryniksy: Mikhail Kuprianov, Porfiry Kylov, Nikolay Sokolov.

Decorative and Applied Art

A special division of the exhibition is devoted to the development of decorative and applied art from the 18 th century to the present day.

The Russian Museum exhibits articles of the most diverse materials - porcelain, pottery, glass, metal and unique examples of furniture and textiles.

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