The restrained and elegant building of the Mikhailovsky Palace, created by Rossi's inexhaustible fantasy, did not immediately become a museum. Initially, the palace was intended to become the residence of the youngest son of Paul I, for which four hundred thousand rubles were “set aside” from the treasury every year. By the age of the prince, a decent amount had accumulated, which made it possible to build a luxurious residence with a vast garden.
Everyone is mortal, even the royal children. The palace passed into the hands of the heirs, then the children of the heirs, then the grandchildren ... The grandchildren were all German citizens, which could not please Emperor Alexander III, who was distinguished by strong patriotic feelings. The palace was bought by the treasury.
The same Alexander III was the first to voice the idea of creating a museum that would collect the best examples of Russian art over a thousand years. The idea of a Russian museum has been in the public eye since the middle of the 19th century, so the aspirations of the monarch and the people coincided, and in 1898 The Russian Museum was opened to the public.
The modern State Russian Museum offers visitors collections of Russian painting and sculpture from the 12th to the 20th century. The entire exposition is located on two floors of the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Benois building, built specifically for the needs of the new museum. In addition to the main building, the Russian Museum invites visitors to the Stroganov, Marble and Engineering Palaces. But the museum keeps its main treasures in the former residence of Tsarevich Mikhail Pavlovich.
On the first floor of the museum are located:
Expositions of Russian folk art (17th-21st centuries), a large collection of paintings and sculptures of the 19th century. Wood carving, ceramics, weaving, art painting are presented. From the brightness and diversity of the collection, the head is spinning;
- an extensive and rich collection of paintings and sculptures by Russian masters of the 19th century.
The second floor of the museum invites you to see:
Continuation of the exhibition of masterpieces of the 19th century;
- a collection of Russian art of the 18th century.
The two-story Benois building mainly hosts temporary exhibitions of the museum, as well as rooms where works by contemporary and sculptors are placed.
The museum has a magnificent collection of ancient icons, among which there are works by Rublev, Ushakov and Dionisy.
It is difficult to name at least one famous Russian artist whose work would not be represented in the Russian Museum. 15 thousand exhibits of the museum's painting collection include all the best that has been created by Russian masters over 800 years.
The museum is located near Nevsky Prospekt, which makes it an indispensable object for visiting many tourists. The Petersburgers themselves, by the way, like to visit the Russian museum more, preferring it to the magnificent and huge one.
The museum has a lecture hall, the program of which is varied and interesting.
Temporary exhibitions of the museum have long earned the reputation of being the most visited in the city on the Neva. Most often, this is a collection of masterpieces from the museum's storerooms, united by a common theme or time of creation. Frequent guests of the museum are the best works stored in others, as well as in private collections.
A visit to the Russian Museum is not cheap: 350 rubles (for residents of Russia and Belarus - 250 rubles).
You can purchase a ticket that gives you the right to visit all branches of the Russian Museum, which is valid for three days. Such a ticket will cost 600 and 400 rubles, respectively. A combined ticket allows you to save some money.
The Russian Museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm. On Thursday, the exposition can be viewed from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. There is only one day off - Tuesday.
A landmark for those who are unfamiliar with St. Petersburg is the Nevsky Prospekt metro station.
1. The Russian Museum was established in 1895 by decree of Emperor Nicholas II in the building of the "Mikhailovsky Palace with all its outbuildings, services and a garden."
2. The palace itself was built in 1819-1826 for Prince Mikhail Pavlovich, the younger brother of Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I. 
3. The architect was the famous Carl Rossi. 
4. The initial collection was based on works received by 1898 from the Academy of Arts (122 paintings), the Hermitage (80 paintings), the Winter Palace, suburban palaces - Gatchina and Alexander (95 paintings), as well as acquired in private collections. 
5. By the opening of the Russian Museum, the collection had 445 paintings, 111 sculptures, 981 drawings, engravings and watercolors, as well as about 5 thousand ancient monuments: icons and products of ancient Russian arts and crafts. 
6. In 1941, most of the collection was evacuated to Perm, the rest was removed from the exhibition, packed and hidden in the basements of the building. During the Great Patriotic War, not a single museum exhibit was damaged. 
7. At the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century, buildings with 92 marble sculptures, the Marble Palace, the Stroganov Palace, were included in the Russian Museum. 
8. The interiors of the palace are no less impressive than the collections contained in it. 
9.
10.
11. The walls are decorated with magnificent European tapestries. 
12.
13.
14. There are a couple of sculptures on the stairs. Here fragment of a statue from the roof of the Winter Palace, author J. Boumchen. 
15. Sculptor M.A. Kolo, head model for the monument to Peter I.
16. In the section of ancient Russian art, icons of the 12th-15th centuries are widely represented. 
17. These are the works of Andrei Rublev, Dionisy, Simon Ushakov and other masters. 
18. The oldest of the icons in the collection is the Golden Haired Angel, dated to the second half of the 12th century. Most experts attribute it to the Novgorod school of icon painting. 
19. The most complete is the collection of works of fine art of the 18th - the first half of the 19th centuries. 
20. Three sketches and numerous sketches for Alexander Ivanov's painting "The Appearance of Christ to the People". 
21. The epic canvas measuring 5.4 by 7.5 meters was created by Ivanov for 20 years, from 1837 to 1857. Now it is exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery, sketches and sketches - in the Russian Museum. 
22. Also in the hall is a sculpture in antique style. V. Demut-Malinovsky, "Russian Scaevola".
23. N. Pimenov, "A young man playing money".
24. Karl Bryullov, portrait of architect Konstantin Ton, author of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 
25. "Christ and the Sinner", Vasily Polenov, 1888. 
26. It was written under the influence of the already mentioned "The Appearance of Christ to the People." 
27. In the painting, the author sought to tell the biblical parable “he who is without sin among you, the first to throw a stone at her” as a real historical event. 
28. The painting was exhibited at the XV Traveling Exhibition in St. Petersburg and in Moscow, where it was bought by Alexander III for his collection. 
29. Fragment of the painting “Phryne at the Feast of Poseidon in Eleusis”, G.I. Semiradsky, 1889. 
30. The Russian historical series includes works based on fairy tales. M.A. Vrubel, "Bogatyr", 1898-1899. 
31. Also Vrubel, Sadko dish, 1899-1900. 
32. The same stone with the inscription from the painting by V.M. Vasnetsov "The Knight at the Crossroads", 1882. 
33. Majolica fireplace "Volga and Mikula" from Bazhanov's house. Made according to the sketches of the same Vrubel. 
34. Positive ships from the painting by Nicholas Roerich "Slavs on the Dnieper". 
35. Leonid Posen, "Scythian", 1889-1890. 
36. A.L. Ober, "Tiger and Sepoy". 
37. Many paintings depict nature. "Wave" by Ivan Aivazovsky. 
38. Beautiful in its minimalism "Lake" by Isaac Levitan. 
39. The genius of the landscape Arkhip Kuindzhi, "Rainbow", 1900-1905. 
40. Mordvin Oaks by Ivan Shishkin. 
41. His own "Stream in a birch forest." 
42. And here is Ivan Ivanovich himself, a portrait by Ivan Kramskoy, 1880. 
43. Ilya Repin, Belorus, 1892 
44. A collection of paintings with Russian national flavor opens Boris Kustodiev. "The Merchant for Tea", written in the end, only in 1918. 
45. In the background - patriarchal Russia. 
46. F. Malyavin, "Two Girls", 1910. 
47. "Spring Sunny Day" by Konstantin Yuon - a picture of light in mood, it is good to write essays on it. 
48. A similar painting by Boris Kustodiev - "Shrovetide". 
49. A portrait of Fyodor Chaliapin in a similar style was painted by Kustodiev in 1921. 
50. Background for a great artist. 
51. Another portrait of Chaliapin, made in 1911 by K.A. Korovin, is filled with the light and ease of pre-war life. 
52. Distributed in millions of Soviet cuisines, Vasily Perov’s painting “Hunters at Rest” was written in 1871. In terms of recognition, it can be compared with the "Unknown" by Ivan Kramskoy. 
53. Part of another famous canvas - "The Capture of the Snow Town", Vasily Surikov, 1891. 
54. And this is another picture familiar to everyone since childhood. 
55. "Barge Haulers on the Volga" was written by Ilya Repin in 1870-1873. 
56. Nearby you can see one of the sketches for the painting with a completely different composition. 
57. In his other picture - a playful student. "Preparation for the exam", 1864. 
58. The picture of Vasily Petrov "Monastery meal" can be considered for a long time. 
59. It was written in 1865 and is an evil satire on the clergy. 
60. An important dignitary with a swaggering mistress and obsequiously bowing before them, the priest, counting on donations for the monastery. A beggar woman with hungry children hopelessly reaches out for alms. And below, a pop is climbing somewhere. 
61. Multi-figured canvas by K.A. Savitsky "To the War", created in 1880-1888, is dedicated to seeing off soldiers to the Russian-Turkish war. 
62. Now would you say, “a patriotic son did not find support from a liberal father”? 
63. One of the episodes of that war was portrayed by battle-painter V.V. Vereshchagin - "Skobelev near Shipka". 
64. Everyone remembers "The Girl with Peaches", the style of Valentin Serov is difficult to confuse. This picture is called "Children", in which the artist depicted his sons Sasha and Yura. 
65. The glory of Serov as a portrait painter became for him a real bondage and a curse. After 1895, he painted many portraits commissioned by the bourgeois and aristocratic nobility. This is a portrait of Alexander III with a report in his hands, 1900. 
66. Departure of Emperor Peter II and Tsesarevna Elizaveta Petrovna to hunt, 1900. 
67. In the portrait of Count F.F. Sumarokova-Elston with a dog (1903) Serov himself insisted on the image of the beloved dog of the young count, and he looks in the portrait almost more significant than his master. 
68. The same with the horse in the portrait of Prince F.F. Yusupov, but here the animal is presented completely enraged. 
69. The official work of Ilya Repin "The ceremonial meeting of the State Council on May 7, 1901 in honor of the centenary" with sketches occupies an entire hall with a skylight in the ceiling. 
70. At the beginning of the 20th century, the era changed, realism was replaced by modernity. Cubist portrait of the poetess Anna Akhmatova by Natan Altman, 1914. 
71. Also at the beginning of the century there was a flourishing of theaters. A.N. Benois, Italian Comedy, 1906. 
72. Self-portrait of V.I. Shukhaev as Pierrot, 1914. 
73. Boris Grigoriev, portrait of Meyerhold, 1916. The pose was created by the artist himself. The director was forced to pose on tiptoe for a long time, which is why he looks so haggard. 
74. K.A. Somov, "The Ridiculous Kiss", 1908. 
75. Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, self-portrait, 1918 
76. We are transported to the art of the Soviet period. 
The highest decree on the establishment of the "Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III" in the Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg was signed 120 years ago, on April 13, 1895.
Currently, the State Russian Museum is the largest museum of Russian art in the world. His collection includes 407.5 so-called storage units. On the eve of the memorable date, the site recalled 10 masterpieces of painting that can be seen in the Russian Museum.
Arkhip Kuindzhi. "Moonlit night on the Dnieper". 1880
River bank. The horizon line runs down. The silvery-greenish light of the moon is reflected in the water. “Moonlight Night on the Dnieper” is one of the most famous paintings by Arkhip Kuindzhi.
The magic of the landscape captivated the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, who bought it for a lot of money directly from the artist's studio. The prince did not want to part with his favorite painting even during his round-the-world trip. As a result, his whim almost ruined Kuindzhi's masterpiece - because of the sea air, the composition of the paint changed, the landscape began to darken. But, despite this, the picture to this day has a magical appeal, forcing the audience to peer into it for a long time.
The magic of the landscape captivated Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich. Photo: www.russianlook.com
Karl Bryullov. "The last day of Pompeii". 1830-1833
“The last day of Pompeii became the first day for the Russian brush!” - so the poet Yevgeny Baratynsky wrote about this picture. And the British writer Walter Scott called the picture "unusual, epic."
The canvas measuring 465.5 × 651 cm was exhibited in Rome and Paris. It was at the disposal of the Academy of Arts thanks to Nicholas I. The painting was presented to him by the famous philanthropist Anatoly Demidov, and the emperor decided to exhibit it at the Academy, where it could serve as a guide for novice painters.
It is worth noting that Karl Bryullov portrayed himself against the backdrop of a collapsing city. The artist's self-portrait can be seen in the left corner of the painting.
Karl Bryullov portrayed himself against the backdrop of a crumbling city. The artist's self-portrait can be seen in the left corner of the painting. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Ilya Repin. "Barge Haulers on the Volga". 1870-1873
The summer of 1870, spent by the artist on the Volga, 15 versts from Samara, had a great influence on the work of Ilya Repin. He begins work on the canvas, in which many later saw a philosophical meaning, the embodiment of obedience to fate and the strength of the common people.
While among the barge haulers, Ilya Efimovich Repin met the former priest Kanin, from whom he would later create many sketches for the painting.
“Something about him was oriental, ancient. But the eyes, the eyes! What a depth of gaze, raised to the eyebrows, also tending to the forehead ... And the forehead is a large, smart, intelligent forehead; this is not a simpleton, ”the master said about him.
"Something in him was oriental, ancient. But the eyes, the eyes!" Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Ilya Repin. The Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan. 1880-1891
“You are the Turkish shaitan, the damned devil’s brother and comrade, and the secretary of Luciper himself!” According to legend, this is how the letter began, which the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks wrote in 1675 in response to the proposal of Sultan Mahmud IV to become subordinate to him. A well-known plot formed the basis of the famous painting by Ilya Repin.
A well-known plot formed the basis of the famous painting by Ilya Repin. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Viktor Vasnetsov. "Knight at the Crossroads". 1878
The poetic spirit of folk legends is masterfully conveyed in the work of Viktor Vasnetsov. For the first time the canvas was presented to the audience in 1878 as part of a traveling exhibition.
The artist worked on the painting for several years. In the first versions, the hero was facing the viewer, but later the composition was changed. The Russian Museum has a later version of the painting - 1882. The first version of 1878 is in the Serpukhov Museum of History and Art.
It is worth noting that the plot of "The Knight at the Crossroads" is reproduced on the tombstone of the artist, who is buried at the Vvedensky cemetery.
The artist worked on the painting for several years. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Ivan Aivazovsky. "The Ninth Wave". 1850
Created in 1850, the painting "The Ninth Wave" was acquired by Nicholas I.
The ninth wave, in the view of navigators, is the most crushing. It is he who is to be experienced by the heroes of the picture, who were shipwrecked.
Created in 1850, the painting "The Ninth Wave" was acquired by Nicholas I. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Valentin Serov. Portrait of Ida Rubinstein. 1910
The famous dancer and actress Ida Rubinstein inspired many artists: Kees van Dongen, Antonio de la Gandara, André Dunoyer de Segonzac, Leon Bakst and Valentin Serov.
The Russian painter, who is considered the master of the portrait, saw her for the first time on the Paris stage. In 1910 he creates her portrait.
“There is monumentality in her every movement, just a revived archaic bas-relief,” the artist admired her grace.
The famous dancer and actress Ida Rubenstein inspired many artists. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Valentin Serov. The abduction of Europe. 1910
The idea to write "The Abduction of Europe" was born by Valentin Serov during a trip to Greece. A visit to the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete made a great impression on him. In 1910, the painting, which was based on the legend of the abduction by Zeus of Europe, the daughter of the Phoenician king Agenor, was completed.
According to some evidence, Serov created six versions of the painting.
The idea to write "The Abduction of Europe" was born by Valentin Serov during a trip to Greece. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Boris Kustodiev. Portrait of F.I. Chaliapin. 1922
“I knew a lot in the life of interesting, talented and good people. But if I have ever seen a truly great spirit in a person, it is in Kustodiev, ”famous singer Fyodor Chaliapin wrote about the artist in his autobiographical book Mask and Soul.
Work on the painting was carried out in the painter's apartment. The room where Chaliapin posed for Kustodiev was so small that the picture had to be painted in parts.
The artist's son later recalled the funny moment of the work. According to him, in order to capture Fyodor Ivanovich’s beloved dog on canvas, he had to use a trick: “To make the pug stand with his head up, they put a cat on the closet, and Chaliapin did everything possible so that the dog looked at her.”
The workshop where Chaliapin posed for Kustodiev was so small that the picture had to be painted in parts. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Kazimir Malevich. Black circle. 1923
One of the most famous paintings by the founder of Suprematism - Kazimir Malevich - has several options. The first of them, created in 1915, is now kept in a private collection. The second - created by Malevich's students under his direction - is exhibited in the St. Petersburg Russian Museum.
Experts note that the "Black Circle" for Kazimir Malevich was one of the three main modules of the new plastic system, the style-forming potential of the new plastic idea - Suprematism.
One of the most famous collections of Russian art in the world is the State Russian Museum. Moreover, this collection is the largest of all existing (we are talking about collections of works by Russian authors).
The total territory of the museum, located in the center of the northern Russian capital, is truly huge. The museum consists of several buildings, which in themselves are monuments of history and architecture. There are also two gardens on the museum territory. The museum collection consists of four hundred and ten thousand nine hundred and forty-five items of storage: these are paintings and graphics, numismatic exposition and sculpture, works of arts and crafts and masterpieces of folk art, as well as a number of archival materials.
Birth of the Russian Museum
The imperial decree on the creation of the museum was issued in the mid 1990s. According to the regulation on the museum, the items included in its collection could no longer be transferred to any other institution, forever remaining museum property. The rules for selecting storage units were very strict. This severity was especially true for the works of authors of the late 19th century (that is, those who lived and worked during the opening of the museum). The manager of the new museum had to necessarily belong to the imperial family. All these rules emphasized the special, exceptionally high status of the museum.
Its official opening actually took place on the border of two centuries (at the end of the 90s of the XIX century). At the same time, the museum received several hundred paintings. AND Imperial Academy of Arts handed over one hundred and twenty-two paintings; from Hermitage received eighty paintings; Winter Palace and two suburban palaces transmitted ninety-five paintings. The museum also received several works from private collections; one of the donors was the princess Maria Tenisheva who donated magnificent watercolors and drawings to the museum. This was the beginning of the famous collection of one of the most famous museums in the world.
Collection history
The collection grew rapidly. Within ten years of the existence of the museum, it has doubled. The works were purchased with funds from the state budget, specially allocated for this purpose. The museum also accepted financial donations, which, according to the imperial decree, were spent on replenishing the collection.
In the post-revolutionary period, the museum's collection began to increase even faster. It received a large number nationalized works of art. In the 20s of the XX century, a new exposition was opened, which included the works of the authors of that period of time.
In the mid-1920s, the museum collection already included three thousand six hundred and forty eight pictures. The rapid growth of the collection did not end there: works of art continued to enter the museum in huge quantities. There was a need to expand the exhibition space, which was done in the 30s of the XX century.
In the early 40s, during wartime, most of the museum collection was evacuated to Permian(then this city was called Molotov). More than seven and a half thousand exhibits were taken out, which were the most valuable part of the museum collection. The remaining works of art were carefully packed and placed in the basement of the building. None of these exhibits were harmed. The evacuated works of art at the end of the war were also safely returned to the museum. In the first post-war year, several new expositions were opened. From the mid-1950s, the replenishment of the museum collection began to be carried out in accordance with a certain plan; it lost all spontaneity and chaos, becoming more focused.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the territory of the museum expanded again: Summer garden along with the buildings and marble sculptures located in it (there are more than ninety sculptures in the garden).
What to look out for
What works does the famous museum collection consist of, what masterpieces are exhibited in the museum? Let's talk about some of them.
In the museum you can see magnificent examples of ancient Russian art. These are icons, the most ancient of which date back to the 12th century. All works in this collection were created no later than the 15th century. Among their authors are famous, even legendary icon painters: Dionysius, Simon (Pimen) Ushakov and, of course, Andrei Rublev.
But the collection of the museum contains not only ancient Russian images: they are exhibited in its halls and icons painted at a later time, and even the works of icon painters of the early 20th century. The collection of the museum includes about five thousand different icons.
But, of course, the museum collection is not limited to icons. Those who are interested in Russian art late 18th century and early 19th century, they will see here such a magnificent exposition, which, perhaps, is not found in any other museum in the world. The best works of famous Russian painters of that period adorn the walls of museum halls. If we compare the various collections of the museum, then this one, of course, is the most complete and one of the most interesting.
Those who are interested in art second half of the 19th century will also get great pleasure from visiting the museum. The collection of masterpieces from this period is somewhat inferior in its richness to the one mentioned in the previous paragraph, but still it is also magnificent and invariably impresses visitors.
No less admired by the townspeople and guests of the city collection of Soviet art, also does not leave visitors indifferent and a collection of works of the late XIX century and early XX century.
Separately, a few words must be said about the works of new, experimental arts presented in the museum. In order to include them in the museum collection, in the 80s of the XX century, a special department was created to deal with modern trends in art. Today in the museum halls you can see not only the masterpieces of Russian classics, but also many installations, assemblages and other works of contemporary art.
Museum territory
As mentioned above, the museum buildings themselves are monuments of history and architecture. Let's talk more about some of them:
One of the buildings that houses the main exposition of the museum is Mikhailovsky Palace. It was built in the mid 20s of the XIX century. The author of the building project is Carl Rossi. In the mid-90s of the XIX century, the palace was transferred to the museum. Around the same time, the reconstruction of the building began. It was necessary for the palace, which became one of the exposition areas, to fully comply with its new purpose. The total area of the palace is more than twenty-four thousand square meters. At the beginning of the 20th century, a new building was added to it, named after the architect Leonty Benois (the author of the project).
Another building that houses part of the main museum exhibition is engineering castle, also known as Mikhailovsky. It was built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. For some time it was the residence of Paul I; it was in it that the emperor was killed. Later, the building, somewhat altered, housed apartments, then a school was opened here that trained engineers. In the post-revolutionary period, various organizations were located in the castle. Only in the 90s of the XX century the building was transferred to the museum. Its total area is about twenty-two thousand square meters.
- marble palace- one of the five buildings that house the most interesting and visited part of the museum exposition. The building was built in the second half of the 18th century. After the revolution, it was nationalized. Transferred to the museum only in the 90s of the XX century. At the same time, large-scale restoration work began in the palace. The total area of the building is approximately ten and a half thousand square meters.
The last time I was in the Russian Museum was a long time ago, when I was at school. And now, almost twenty years later, I matured to go there consciously.
It turned out to be quite difficult for a simple Russian person to get into the Russian Museum. And for an absolutely banal reason: they ran out of numbers in the wardrobe. The entrance was blocked by a strict aunt with a walkie-talkie and only excursion groups and citizens with children were allowed to enter. After standing for almost an hour and not moving, we took a desperate step - we publicly swore that we would not even look in the direction of the wardrobe. And, lo and behold, we missed.
With such an organization, for example, the line to the Vatican Museums would go around the Vatican around. But we are not the Vatican, we are suddenly cold outside.
To take pictures in the museum, the camera had to buy a separate ticket for the same price as me - 250 rubles (for foreigners, the entrance is a hundred rubles more expensive).
I am a person far from art, so for me the main criterion for evaluating any work is "like" (beautiful) / "dislike" (ugly). For example, I absolutely do not like the picture in the title photo.
What I liked, I will show below.
K. Bryullov. The last day of Pompeii. 1833.
A picture that has become like a documentary chronicle of a historical event. It has a huge size, and if you come close, your gaze rests on the pavement stones covered with ashes, scattered things under the feet of the heroes - something that you don’t see in the illustrations. This greatly adds to the realism of what is happening. When I walked around Pompeii, it was absolutely impossible to drive this image out of my head: the red sky, everything is collapsing and figures frozen in horror.
Erupting Vesuvius is balanced by Aivazovsky with many paintings of the sea element on the opposite wall of the hall.
Russian squadron in the Sevastopol roadstead. 1846.
Actual. Judging by the exposition of the museum, the Crimea was a very popular topic for Russian artists in general.
Wave. 1899.
A very small fragment of a picture with a stormy sea, where a ship is sinking in the corner and sailors on a broken mast are sailing almost over the edge of the canvas without a chance of salvation.
In the first halls with art from the beginning of the 19th century, it is interesting, you can sit there for half a day, since there are sofas. The following halls from the 18th century begin to tire a little with portraits and palace interiors.
Ceiling: 
Trellis: 
Animal fight at the waterhole. Petersburg Tapestry Manufactory. 1757.
Mosaic: 
Ust-Rudnitskaya factory M.V. Lomonosov. Portrait of Catherine II. 1762.
Presented to the Empress on the coronation feast.
The last halls of the floor are occupied by ancient Russian art, that is, icon painting: 
It seems to me that it was here that M. Larionov drew his inspiration.
Head of Peter the Bronze Horseman on the Main Staircase.
V. Perov. Hunters at rest. 1877.
Repetition of the picture. The first version hangs in the Tretyakov Gallery.
I. Shishkin. Slut-grass. Pargolovo. 1885.
Surprisingly - a weed against the background of a crooked fence, and hanging in the Russian Museum. Joke.
A. Savrasov. Thaw. Yaroslavl. 1874.
It's time to go to Yaroslavl - a gap in my geography.
A little about abroad in large-scale canvases: 
V. Smirnov. Death of Nero. 1888.
The women came to pick up the corpse of the emperor who had killed himself. Red wall - as the main character.
G. Semiradsky. Phryne at the Feast of Poseidon in Eleusis. 1889.
About a woman who imagines herself a goddess, and on this basis she undressed in public. Very sunny and positive picture.
V. Surikov: 
The old gardener. 1882.
About unwashed Russia.
View of the monument to Peter I on Senate Square in St. Petersburg. 1870.
About the capital.
Suvorov crossing the Alps. 1899.
Lighting in some halls of the museum is organized in a unique way: paintings glare in them so that they are simply not visible at all. You have to study fragments by changing the angle of view.
The capture of the snowy town and the river, between which the colonnade of the Round Hall of the Mariinsky Palace peeps through.
Grandiose canvases by I. Repin: 
Ceremonial meeting of the State Council on May 7, 1901 in honor of the centennial anniversary of its establishment. 1903.
81 people are depicted, each of whom posed individually. How did he manage to make the composition so that no one fell out? Nicholas II sits under a portrait of Nicholas II by Repin. Recursion.
Another portrait of Nikolai hangs opposite the picture: 
Portrait of Nicholas II. 1896.
Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan. 1891. On right Belarusian. 1892, left Portrait of S. M. Dragomirova. 1889.
Barge Haulers on the Volga. 1873.
A fragment directly with barge haulers - very colorful characters.
At the end of Repin's theme: 
Negress. 1876.
On a turf bench. 1876.
A. Kuindzhi: 
Sea. Crimea. 1908.
Night. 1908.
Thoughts on the fate of Russia: 
M. Antokolsky. Mephistopheles. 1883.
Mower: 
G. Myasoedov. Suffering time (Mowers). 1887. Fragment.
It is always interesting to look at the details of the paintings, where the plot is a scene from a real life of the distant and not so past, some kind of action is taking place, a lot of people:
K. Savitsky. To war. 1888.
Seeing off the soldiers to the victorious for us Bulgarians Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.
K. Makovsky. Transfer of the sacred carpet to Cairo. 1876.
About the meeting of pilgrims from the Hajj. The impressions of a tourist from visiting Egypt were clearly more interesting before.
V. Polenov. Christ and the sinner. 1888. Fragment with a sinner and a donkey. The donkey, as it were, says to us: "again, now they will stone them as much as possible."
Finishing the oriental theme: 
V. Vereshchagin. At the door of the mosque. 1873.
Photo quality pattern on the door. Despite the fact that the picture is almost in real size, I involuntarily wanted to touch it - is it not wooden. The handprint on the wall attracts attention. By the way, the door is a little translucent through the right figure.
Another version of thoughts about the fate of Russia from Antokolsky: 
Ivan groznyj. 1871.
For some reason next to the souvenir shop.
Let's take a step back from painting.
Folk art: 
Ladle. 1753.
Patchwork cover.
"Mossies". Beginning of the XX century.
Gloomy Vyatka peasant toys.
Valance. End of the 18th century
Intricate pattern.
Imperial/State/Leningrad Porcelain Factory: 
A lion. 1911.
Does he really look like Lenin? What is he doing with his right front paw...
"Who works and eats."
The propaganda china of the 1920s is simply beautiful.
Service with Suprematist ornament. 1932.
We continue about the pictures.
20th century begins: 
I. Levitan. Lake. Rus. 1900. Fragment.
The last, unfinished painting of the artist.
K. Yuon. Spring sunny day. Sergiev Posad. 1910.
M. Vrubel. Bogatyr. 1898.
Fragment with a bird.
M. Nesterov. Rev. Sergius of Radonezh. 1899.
V. Serov. Bathing the Horse. 1905.
B. Kustodiev. Merchant for tea. 1918.
N. Goncharova. Cyclist. 1913.
P. Filonov. Spring formula and acting forces. 1928.
Small snippet.
V. Kuptsov. ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky". 1934.
Above Strelka V.O., where he never flew.
The largest aircraft in the world, just built in 1934, will crash a year later over Moscow in a demonstration flight with members of the families of aircraft builders. And six months later, Kuptsov would commit suicide.
A. Samokhvalov. Conductress. 1928.
Soviet Russia as it is.
They took selfies long before it became mainstream: 
K. Petrov-Vodkin. Self-portrait. 1927.
L. Kirillova. Self-portrait. 1974.
Crimea again: 
A. Deineka. Defense of Sevastopol. 1942.
And this is about my time: 
V. Ovchinnikov. Dovecote. 1979.
Generally a good museum. I like it.
______________________________
