1. The Russian Museum was created in 1895 by decree of Emperor Nicholas II in the building “ Mikhailovsky Palace with all the outbuildings, services and garden belonging to it.”
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), Winter Palace, suburban palaces - Gatchina and Aleksandrovsky (95 paintings), as well as purchased from private collections. 
5. By the opening of the Russian Museum, the collection included 445 paintings, 111 sculptures, 981 drawings, engravings and watercolors, as well as about 5 thousand ancient monuments: icons and products of ancient Russian decorative and applied art. 
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, the Marble Palace, Stroganov Palace, and 92 marble sculptures were included in the Russian Museum. 
8. The interiors of the palace are no less impressive than the collections contained within. 
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11. The walls are decorated with magnificent European tapestries. 
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14. There are a couple of sculptures on display on the stairs. Here fragment of a statue from the roof of the Winter Palace, by J. Beumchen. 
15. Sculptor M.A. Kolo, model of the head for the monument to Peter I.
16. In section ancient Russian art Icons from the 12th to 15th centuries are widely represented. 
17. These are works by Andrei Rublev, Dionisy, Simon Ushakov and other masters. 
18. The oldest icon in the collection is the “Golden Haired Angel”, dating from the second half of the 12th century. Most experts attribute it to the Novgorod school of icon painting. 
19. The most complete collection of works visual arts XVIII - first half of the 19th century centuries. 
20. Three sketches and numerous studies for the painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People” by Alexander Ivanov. 
21. The epic canvas measuring 5.4 by 7.5 meters was created by Ivanov over 20 years, from 1837 to 1857. Now it is exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery, etudes and sketches are in the Russian Museum. 
22. Also in the hall is a sculpture in the antique style. V. Demut-Malinovsky, “Russian Scaevola”.
23. N. Pimenov, “A young man playing knucklebones.”
24. Karl Bryullov, portrait of the 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, let him be 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 Moscow, where it was purchased by Alexander III for his collection. 
29. Fragment of the painting “Phryne at the festival 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, dish “Sadko”, 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 sketches by the same Vrubel. 
34. Positive ships from Nicholas Roerich’s painting “Slavs on the Dnieper.” 
35. Leonid Pozen, “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. Landscape genius Arkhip Kuindzhi, “Rainbow”, 1900-1905. 
40. “Mordvin oaks” by Ivan Shishkin. 
41. His “Stream in a birch forest”. 
42. And here is Ivan Ivanovich himself, a portrait by Ivan Kramskoy, 1880. 
43. Ilya Repin, “Belorus”, 1892. 
44. Boris Kustodiev opens a collection of paintings with Russian national flavor. “The Merchant's Wife at Tea,” written for the last time, only in 1918. 
45. In the background is patriarchal Russia. 
46. F. Malyavin, “Two Girls”, 1910. 
47. “Spring Sunny Day” by Konstantin Yuon - the picture is light in mood, it’s good to write essays on it. 
48. Similar picture Boris Kustodiev - “Maslenitsa”. 
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, filled with the light and ease of pre-war life. 
52. Vasily Perov’s painting “Hunters at a Rest”, replicated across millions of Soviet kitchens, was painted in 1871. In terms of recognition, it can be compared with “The Unknown” by Ivan Kramskoy. 
53. Part of another famous painting - “The Capture of a Snowy Town”, Vasily Surikov, 1891. 
54. And this is another picture familiar to everyone from 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. Another picture of him shows a playful student. "Preparation for the exam", 1864. 
58. Vasily Petrov’s painting “Monastery Meal” can be looked at for a long time. 
59. It was written in 1865 and is a vicious satire on the clergy. 
60. An important dignitary with a swaggering lady and an obsequious priest bowing before them, counting on donations for the monastery. A beggar woman with hungry children hopelessly reaches out for alms. And below, a priest is climbing somewhere. 
61. Multi-figure 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 they would say, “the patriotic son did not find support from his liberal father”? 
63. One of the episodes of that war was depicted by battle painter V.V. Vereshchagin - “Skobelev near Shipka”. 
64. Everyone remembers “Girl with Peaches”; Valentin Serov’s style is difficult to confuse. This painting is called “Children”, in which the artist depicted his sons Sasha and Yura. 
65. Serov’s fame as a portrait painter became a real bondage and curse for him. 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. “Emperor Peter II and Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna go hunting,” 1900. 
67. In the portrait of Count F.F. Sumarokova-Elston with a dog (1903) Serov himself insisted on depicting the young count’s favorite dog, and in the portrait he looks almost more significant than his owner. 
68. The same with the horse in the portrait of Prince F.F. Yusupov, but here the animal is presented as completely enraged. 
69. Ilya Repin’s official work “The ceremonial meeting of the State Council on May 7, 1901 in honor of centenary anniversary"with sketches occupies an entire room with a skylight in the ceiling. 
70. At the beginning of the 20th century, the era changed, realism was replaced by modernity. Portrait of the poetess Anna Akhmatova in the cubist style by Nathan Altman, 1914. 
71. Also at the beginning of the century, theaters flourished. 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 invented 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, “Mocked Kiss”, 1908. 
75. Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, self-portrait, 1918. 
76. We are transported to the art of the Soviet period. 
Continuing our acquaintance with the cultural heritage of the Northern capital, we decided to head to the State Russian Museum....
Let us immediately note that this brand unites five buildings - the Mikhailovsky Palace with the Benois building, the Marble Palace, the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle, Peter's Summer Palace I , Stroganov Palace and several park areas, including Summer garden and Mikhailovsky Garden...
In this case, we will talk about the main building of this museum complex - the Mikhailovsky Palace with the Benois exhibition building, which is located at Inzhenernaya Street. d.4...
The history of the world's largest museum of Russian art begins with the Named the highest decree Nicholas II "On the establishment of a special establishment called the Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III "and on the provision for this purpose of the Mikhailovsky Palace acquired by the treasury with all its outbuildings, services and garden" signed in April 1895...
In 1898, the museum officially opened. The basis of the museum’s collection at that time was made up of donated works of art from the Winter Palace, the Hermitage, and some private collections....
Strange as it may seem, the main increase in the museum’s collection occurred after 1917... This is primarily due to nationalization private property, which fully affected numerous collectors...
Currently, according to official sources, the museum’s collection consists of 408 thousand exhibits, which we are about to get acquainted with today...
Our acquaintance begins with the lobby of the main building.... Along the wide grand staircase we rise to the second floor....
Before us is a monument to Alexander III....
The second floor gallery is decorated with 18 grand columns of the Corinthian order.
and numerous sculptures...
In the corner there is a model of the monument to the famous historiographer N.M. Karamzin, made by S.I. Galberg for Simbirsk...
In order not to get lost in the numerous halls of the museum, we carefully study its plan
and head to the first hall, which displays icons of the 12th-13th centuries...
Here we can get acquainted with the works of various icon painting schools: Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, etc...
Here, for example, we have before us the fresco “Prophet Samuel” (1112) from St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv....
In the next exhibition hall we have the opportunity to get acquainted with the icons of the Russian North....
“Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, with Life” (14th century) - came here from St. Nicholas Church in the village. Ozerovo, Leningrad region....
Icon from the Varvara Church in Pskov "St. Dmitry of Thessaloniki" (15th century)....
The Royal Doors with the image of the Annunciation and Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom from the St. Nicholas Church in the distant village of Gostinopole on the river. Volkhov (15th century).....
Another exhibit of the Novgorod school of icon painting is “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with Selected Saints” (13th century)...
The next room displays icons from the 15th and 16th centuries. Among them, the works of Andrei Rublev “Apostle Paul” and “Apostle Peter” stand out, which are located in the center of the hall....
Hall No. 4....Icons from the 16th and 17th centuries are already placed here. ....
“I Believe...” (1668) from the Church of St. Gregory of Neocessary on Polyanka in Moscow....
"Prophet Daniel"....(from the iconostasis of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Tver)
The icons end and we move on to the next room, which is associated with a new period in the history of Russia...
This is the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries. The reign of Peter I ... A time of great changes not only in politics, but also in art.... Icon painting fades into the background, and preference is given to the portrait genre.... Peter I sent a number of artists to study in Italy, among whom was Ivan Nikitich Nikitin....
It is his works that are presented in this room...
Before us is one of his famous works - a portrait of Princess Natalya Alekseevna. (1716)...
Also during this period, the art of sculpture began to develop rapidly.... The most major master of this period is B.K. Rastrelli. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in this room there is a cast-iron bust of Peter I, cast according to the author's mold in 1810...
We see the continuation of the Peter the Great era in the next hall of the museum....
These are, first of all, the works of Ivan Vishnyakov - portraits of the Fermor brother and sister...
Painting by B.V. Sukhodolsky "Painting" (1754)....
Among the works exhibited in this hall, “Head of an Old Man” (master Matvey Vasiliev, 1769) stands out....
In the center of the next hall we meet the monumental sculptural group “Anna Ioanovna with the Little Arab” - the work of B.K. Rastrelli...
The walls of the hall are decorated with magnificent tapestries (trellises) from the St. Petersburg Tapestry Manufactory, founded on the initiative of Peter the Great I in 1716...
The portrait genre has been particularly popular in Russia for many centuries. A prominent representative of this trend in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. there was Fyodor Rokotov, whose works are presented in the next room...
For changing portrait genre the historical one comes... It was his primacy that was established by the Russian Academy of Arts from the mid-18th century...
One of the first representatives of this genre in Russia was A.P. Losenko with his famous canvas “Vladimir and Rogneda”, which reflects historical fact: Prince Vladimir is trying to marry the daughter of the Polotsk prince Rogneda...
And here is his other work - “A Wonderful Catch”, which he completed in Paris during an internship.... The basis was taken from the painting of the same name by J. Jouvenet (kept in the Louvre).... The plot of the picture is directly related to the Bible and reflects the process of Christ's participation in an unprecedented fishing on the boat of Simon Peter...
The exhibition in the next hall is dedicated to the work of Dmitry Levitsky - according to experts - the brightest Russian portrait painter of the era of Enlightenment classicism...
But before we get acquainted with his works, let's take a quick look at the ceiling of this room
and on the sculpture located in its center....
The Russian Museum has unique collection works of Fedot Ivanovich Shubin - outstanding master sculptural portrait of the 2nd half of the 18th century. In 1789, by order of Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky sculptor made a ceremonial portrait-statue of Catherine II for the Tauride Palace...
Here she is in front of us - "Ekaterina II - legislator"....
Well, now we can return to Levitsky....
Portrait of Ekaterina Ivanovna Molchanova (1776)...
Portrait of Alexandra Petrovna Levitskaya.....
Our further path passes through the White (White Column) Hall....
Once upon a time there was a music salon in which Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (Princess Frederica Charlotte Maria of Württemberg) organized musical and poetry evenings....
Today, this hall displays a unique palace interior from the early 19th century, to which K.I. “had a hand.” Rossi, A. Vigi, J.B. Scotty and others famous sculptors and painters...
The White Hall is one of the few rooms of the palace that has preserved its original decoration to this day...
From the White Hall we find ourselves at an exhibition of works by V. L. Borovikovsky, a recognized master of portraiture....
However, the artist gives preference to intimate portraits, in which, in his opinion, one can convey the variety of intimate feelings and experiences of the person depicted...
In the same room, chairs from the furniture set for the Karamzin living room of the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by K.I. Russia......
Well, now we find ourselves in hall No. 14.... Remember these numbers. In our opinion, this is one of the the best halls museum in terms of the paintings presented in it.
Exhibited here famous works Aivazovsky and Bryullov...
Let's start with the works of I.K. Aivazovsky - the world famous Russian marine painter...
Before us is one of his famous paintings "The Ninth Wave".... People have been shipwrecked after a severe storm and are trying to escape on the wreckage of the mast, but the largest wave is ready to fall on them - the ninth wave...
The size of the painting is 221x332 cm and therefore it is better to view it comfortably on a soft sofa standing in the center of the room....
But to see how clearly all the details are drawn, you have to use the camera’s optics...
The next painting by Aivazovsky that we see in this room is “Wave” (1889)...
IN last years In his life, Aivazovsky was completely absorbed in creating the image of the sea element. Many of his paintings from this period are essentially variants of the same plot, but nevertheless, each of them has something special, individual...
Details of the picture....
Here we can also find earlier works of the master, for example, “Russian squadron on the Sevastopol roadstead” (1846)..
or “The brig Mercury, after defeating two Turkish ships, meets with the Russian squadron” (1848)....
The second half of the hall is dedicated to the works of another famous artist- Karl Pavlovich Bryullov - a representative of academicism in art...
The central place in the exhibition rightfully belongs to the canvas “The Last Day of Pompeii” - a plot from ancient history (the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the death of the city of Pompeii) (1833)....
The painting "Crucifixion" (1838)... The image was painted for the Lutheran Church of St. Peter and Paul, which was built according to the design of the artist's brother, Alexander Pavlovich...
Portrait of Yu.P. Samoilova with her adopted daughter Amalia (1842)...
Portrait of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna with her daughter (1830).....
Portrait of W.M. Smirnova (1837)....
Portrait of Princess E.P. Saltykova (1841)....
“The Appearance of Three Angels to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre” (1821) .... This painting was painted by Bryullov on the instructions of the Academy of Arts and was awarded a gold medal...
In general, in room No. 14 you can sit comfortably on the sofa and spend hours enjoying the works of our great masters....
It’s good to sit, of course, but the museum doesn’t end with this hall.... So let’s continue the inspection further...
In the next room we are offered the works of professors of the Academy of Arts of the first half of the 19th century...
Among the exhibits, the work of A.A. stands out. Ivanov "The Appearance of Christ to the People"...
This is a kind of reporting work by the author for a state pension in Italy...
The plot of the picture is based on events from the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew... We see a crowd of Jews who came to the banks of the Jordan following the prophet John the Baptist to be baptized... Pointing to the figure of Christ that appeared in the distance, John explains to those gathered that this a person brings them a new truth, a new creed...
In preparation for his masterpiece, which we talked about above, Ivanov painted a series of studies of naked boys against the backdrop of a varied landscape... The painting “Three Naked Boys”, which is shown below, is one of them...
Another work full of subtle harmony by A.A. Ivanova - “Apollo, Hyacinth and Cypress engaged in music and singing” (1831)...
The painting by F.A. is also impressive. Bruni's "The Brass Serpent" (1841), which also features biblical story, associated with the 40-year wandering of the people of Israel in the desert.... People doubted the ability of Moses to lead them out of the desert, then God sent rain of poisonous snakes on them.... After many people died, the Lord ordered Moses to put up a copper the serpent and those who looked at him with faith remained to live...
Before us is his creation “Socrates defends Alquiades at the Battle of Potidaea” (1828)....
"Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo Field" (1824) - the author was a former serf of Count N.P. Rumyantseva - V.K. Sazonov...
By the way, in this room, as in the previous one, you can get acquainted with the closed (in literally this word) exhibition... If you noticed - along the walls of the hall there are small tables covered with velvet... So, if you lift this cloth, then under it you will see various sketches, drawings of famous masters from private collections... Many visitors don’t know about this and pass by... And they close it all from prying eyes for only one purpose - so that they don’t take pictures... As soon as you lift the curtain, the caretaker of the hall in the pose of an attacking cobra will relentlessly monitor your body movements...
Following paintings by S. Shchedrin and M. Lebedev
we fall into the hands of O. Kiprensky and a collection of his portraits...
Portrait of O.A. Ryumina (1826)...
In the same room, a model of the statue for the fountain in the Catherine Park of Tsarskoye Selo “Milkwoman with a Broken Jug” by P.P. is exhibited. Sokolov (1807-1810)....
In the next room we become witnesses to the work of A.G. Venetsianov... If before that the heroes of the paintings were famous or noble people, then in Venetsianov the images of peasants, their way of life and everyday life come to the fore...
Paintings "Peeling beets" (1820),
"The Reaper" (1826) and
“Fortune telling by cards” (1842) is a clear confirmation of the above....
At the window we see a project for the tombstone of the monument to M.I. Kozlovsky, works by S.S. Pimenov (1802)...
We get acquainted with the work of Vasily Grigorievich Perov in the next room....
We see a topic relevant for the present time in his work “Hunters at Rest” (1877)...
The procedure for a monastic dinner is reflected in all details by Perov in his work “Meal” (1865)...
The aspirations of a lonely man, his thoughts, problems and ways to solve them are reflected in the painting “The Guitar Player” (1865)...
Before us are the works of the famous landscape artist I.I. Shishkina...
"Pine forest" (1883),
"Forest (Shmetsk near Narva)" (1888)...,
"Ship Grove"....
Next to Shishkin we see the works of M.K. Klodt is a master of realistic landscapes of the Russian village.....
Here is one of his works - “A Herd by the River at Noon” (1869)....
The “gaps” between the paintings are filled with works by E.A. Lanceray - Russian animal sculptor...
All his life he was passionate about horses, so it is no coincidence that these animals are present in many of his creations....
Before us is a cast of bronze "Arab with lion cubs" (1879)....
In the second half of the 19th century, the “neo-Greek” style became popular in painting, which was expressed in the form of multi-figure spectacular spectacles, bloody dramas, etc.
This is exactly what we had to face in the next hall of the museum...
Painting by G.I. Semiradsky "Phryne at the Festival of Poseidon in Eleusis" (1889) - shining example this direction in art...
From the same “series” and full of dramatic expression, the painting by K.D. Flavitsky "Christian Martyrs in the Colosseum" (1862)....
On the way to the next room, we again come across the work of E.A., already known to us. Lansere - "Kyrgyz school on vacation" (1880)...
After some time we find ourselves “captivated” by the Russian folk epic.... And all this thanks to the fairy-tale and battle works of V.M. Vasnetsova:
- “Battle of the Scythians with the Slavs” (1882)
and "The Knight at the Crossroads" (1882)...
Let's go get acquainted with the work of another of our famous artists - V.I. Surikova...
We slowly pass by "Stepan Razin"....
We linger a little at the painting “Salome brings the head of John the Baptist to her mother Herodias” (1872) (it’s not very often that you see a head on a tray...)
and stop at the canvas "View of the monument to Peter I on Senate Square in St. Petersburg" (1870)
Let's move on to the next room - here is the continuation of Surikov's exhibition....
We sit comfortably on the sofa so that we can leisurely and quietly admire “Suvorov’s Crossing of the Alps” and “Ermak’s Conquest of Siberia”
but then a gang of Nakhimovites appeared from somewhere....
We had to hastily retreat to another room and we had already examined the details of these paintings in the hotel through a camera....
We did this in a timely manner, because... in the next, small hall, a monumental painting by I.E. was exhibited. Repin with the “short” title “The ceremonial meeting of the State Council on May 7, 1901, on the day of the centenary of its establishment” (1903).
To fulfill this government order, the artist first painted 60 portraits separately. statesmen, and then, with the help of his students (B.M. Kustodiev and I.S. Kulikov), transferred them to a large canvas...
Our acquaintance with Repin’s work continues in the following rooms....
Painting "Seeing off a recruit",
“Nicholas of Myra saves three innocently convicted people from death” (1888),
"Barge Haulers on the Volga" (1870),
"On the Turf Bench" (1876),
"Cossacks" (1880) - all this is just a small part of the works of the outstanding artist of his era, Ilya Efimovich Repin...
The next room and before us are the works of not only a unique painter, but also a traveler, a man who relentlessly accompanied the Russian army in military operations in Japan, Central Asia and other “hot spots” - V.V. Vereshchagina...
The painting “At the Doors of the Mosque” (1873) is one of the many works of the Turkestan series, reflecting the customs of the Central Asian states...
During one of his last travels, and this was Japan, Vereshchagin was amazed by its monuments of classical culture, originality, originality of costumes...
The canvas "Japan. Shinto Temple in Nikko" (1904) was painted based on the impressions received...
By the way, when did it start Russo-Japanese War, the artist rushed into the thick of events and tragically died on March 31, 1904, together with Vice Admiral Makarov, while on the flagship Petropavlovsk (the ship was blown up by a mine in the Port Arthur roadstead)...
Continuing our further journey through the Russian Museum, we find ourselves in a room with works by I.I. Levitan - the master of “mood landscape”...
"Golden autumn. Slobodka" (1889),
"Gloomy Day" (1895),
"Lake. Rus'" (the main work of the late Levitan: the artist died, leaving it unfinished...),
"Early Spring" (1898)....
These are, of course, not his masterpieces like “March”, “Golden Autumn” or a series of works about Ples, but still...
In the same room we see works by K.A. Korovin "Lilac" (1915),
and K.F. Bogaevsky "Ships. Evening Sun"....
The next hall of the museum...
I.I. Brodsky "Portrait of the Artist's Wife" (1908),
A.N. Benoit "Flora's Pool" ....
K.A. Somov and his most famous painting “Winter Skating Rink” (1915)... (According to painting experts, this painting depicts an absolutely superb landscape, which can really be seen in St. Petersburg in winter...)
An exhibition of works by Andrei Petrovich Ryabushkin - a representative of the historical and everyday genre...
Some of his best works: “Moskovskaya Street XVII century on a holiday" (1895),
"They're coming! (The people of Moscow during the entry of a foreign embassy into Moscow at the end XVII century)"
Somehow, obviously deep in thought and deeply immersed in art, we did not notice how we ended up in some kind of corridor...
But even here the walls were not empty...
In addition to all sorts of advertising posters, there were also historical photographs (for example, this one is called “The War is Over. The rise of B.K. Rastrelli’s sculpture “Anna Ioanovna with a Little Arab” from a hiding place in the Mikhailovsky Garden, 1945”),
and even sculptures that had no place in the main halls of the museum (“Alexander III "work by M.M. Antokolsky 1897)
Realizing that there was nothing more to see in the corridor, we returned to the main halls of the museum and found ourselves at an exhibition of works by A.I. Kuindzhi, one of the famous Russian landscape painters, a student of Aivazovsky...
"Sea. Crimea" (1898),
"Moonlight night on the Dnieper",
"Sunset"....
How great is all this??? As they say, taste and color have no comrades... Experts have their own opinion, but we, as people far from lofty matters, have a slightly different opinion: if you like a painting, it means it’s good, but look for strokes and nuances of mood in the canvas the artist, his vision of what is happening is not for us.... Sorry if anyone was offended...
If you believe the plan, we are in hall number 32...
Here sits thoughtfully "Spinoza" by M.M. Antokolsky...
Well, we find ourselves “captured” by V.D. Polenov - one of the outstanding Peredvizhniki artists....
The central place in his exhibition is occupied by the painting “Christ and the Sinner” (1888), in which he depicted a plot from the Gospel....
In order for everything to turn out realistically, Polenov had to visit Syria, Egypt, Palestine...
Less large-scale works artist: "Sick Woman" (1879),
“And he returned to Galilee in the strength of the spirit”...
The next room presents works by G.G. Myasoedov - “a prominent representative of Russian realism of the second half of the 19th century, founder of the “Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions”” (quote from Wikipedia)
That's right. Why is his painting “Time of Misery. Mowers” not realistic?
Here we can also see the works of K.A. Savitsky (the painting "To War" - reflects the events associated with the beginning Russian-Turkish war 1877),
and I.M. Pryanishnikova ("Procession"),
and K.E. Makovsky: ("Bedhouse" 1889),
"Family portrait",
“Folk festivities during Maslenitsa on Admiralty Square in St. Petersburg” (1869);
and H.P. Platonov "Naimicha", and N.P. Bogdanov-Belsky "At the School Door" (1897)...
When moving to another building, we encounter the works of M.M., already familiar to us. Antokolsky "Ermak",
and "Tiger and Sinai" by A.L. Obera....
From the Mikhailovsky Palace we move to the Benois building...
In the first hall of this building M.A. is “waiting” for us. Vrubel - "... one of the brilliant creators of Russian Art Nouveau, whose work is marked by high artistic skill and the desire to create works of great style. According to the master, art should “awaken the soul from the trifles of everyday life with majestic images.” (quote from the annotation to his work, posted in the exhibition hall)....
After such “instruction”, it’s time to look at the master’s paintings...
Work "Bogatyr" (1898)....
Art connoisseurs call Vrubel a mysterious genius of painting...
His masterpiece is "Morning"....
“His painting “The Flying Demon” is also imbued with an atmosphere of mystery...” (opinion of experts...)
I repeat, we are not experts. Maybe everything in Vrubel’s works is mysterious, but for some reason they did not awaken our “soul from everyday trifles.”
In the next hall of the museum, paintings by M.V. are exhibited. Nesterova...
Before we begin examining them, let’s get acquainted with the opinions of professionals...
"Mikhail Nesterov creates images of great spiritual power and significance. They are saturated with subtle lyricism, detached from earthly concerns, full of contemplation and religious reflection. The artist shows the complex spiritual life of his heroes, the wealth of their intellectual and moral capabilities, the harmonious interexistence of man and nature. Definition " Nesterov's landscape" - peaceful, quiet, soft green - has entered the modern Russian lexicon."
Let's look at all this with the eyes of a layman....
Painting "Great tonsure" (1898)...,
"Holy Rus'" (1905),
"Reverend Sergius of Radonezh" (1899)...,
"Dumas" (1900)...
In this case, oddly enough, our opinion about Nesterov’s work almost coincided with the opinions of experts...
Hall No.... Already lost count....
In general, this room houses works by V.A. Serova...
"The greatest Russian portrait painter V.A. Serov created a brilliant painting gallery of his contemporaries, diverse in character and social status. In the second half of the 1880s - 1890s, he painted lyrical contemplative portraits using impressionistic painting techniques. The artist is objective and truthful in his depiction, careful in choosing a pose, gesture, and turning the model’s head...."
It's time to figure all this out in practice...
"Portrait of Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova" (1902),
"Portrait of S.M. Botkina, wife of P.D. Botkin" (1899),
"Portrait of Princess O.K. Orlova" (1911)
And this is a work from a “different opera”....
"Bathing horses"...
In our opinion, after all, Serov’s portraits look more attractive than works of other genres (at least when compared with the paintings exhibited in the Russian Museum)...
In the next room we have the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of Boris Kustodiev...
“Portrait of F.I. Chaliapin” (1922) (The artist did this work while already paralyzed. He painted in parts, while the canvas was tilted over his chair)
"Merchant's Wife at Tea" (1918)...
"Balagany" (1917)...
In the works of B.M. Kustodiev mostly displays the originality of provincial life with its significant moments: bazaars, folk festivals, fairs, etc.
We examined the next couple of halls (exhibition of works by B.D. Grigoriev, I.I. Mashkov) quite quickly and fluently...
Of course, when the number of halls inspected exceeds seventy, one feels a certain fatigue, weariness, and a desire to finish it all quickly...
In our opinion, the exhibition organizers, having obviously provided for all these human factors, also met the museum visitors halfway: the closer to the exit, the softer and more culturally speaking.... In general, the paintings become simpler in terms of the traditional perception of the surrounding reality...
Especially from the latest exhibitions we were heartily pleased with the movement in art called “primitivism”...
Museum workers describe this trend as follows: “the involvement of Russian peasant art and urban folklore in the circle of current artistic traditions, deep interest in the art of self-taught artists was almost universal in the 1910s. Conscious simplification artistic form did not have the nature of imitation, but was an attempt to give the images of the reality transformed by the artist that clarity, simplicity and at the same time semantic capacity with which folk art was endowed by its nature..."
Now let's see what it all looks like....
For example, a series of paintings by M.F. Larionov (as he painted in his youth)....
But his later masterpiece - “Venus”. when they see this work, they will take on a thoughtful look, make a smart expression on their face, after which, for several tens of minutes, using professional slang, they will enthusiastically tell you that this is a true masterpiece...
In our unenlightened opinion, children in kindergarten will draw more beautifully...
"Cyclist" from N.S. Goncharova...(all entangled in the silks, threads and thoughts of the artist...)
Another masterpiece.... Haven't you guessed who is in front of you? Yes, this is “Portrait of a Philosopher” by L.S. Popova. Somewhat reminiscent of the “checkered” one from the film “The Adventures of Prince Florizel”.
It seems that we are not the only ones in this room who are “delighted”....
Well, now we have to evaluate the most grandiose masterpieces of primitivism... Although no, it is already called differently - Suprematism (which means, translated into simple Russian, “an early manifestation of abstract art of modern times”)
We are standing in front of the works of the classic of this genre K.S. Malevich... Paintings "Black Circle" (1923), "Black Cross" (1923) and "White Radiator" ... (Sorry, the radiator turned out to be real. - I was confused by the sign located on it, where it was indicated, that it cannot be photographed with flash)...
It’s a pity that “Black Square” is not presented here.... After all, as Malevich said: “The square is the embryo of all possibilities...”
After some time, colored paints obviously appeared in Malevich’s arsenal. In 1928, he already begins to use them....
At least in the film “To the Harvest (Marfa and Vanka)” this is already visible...
By the way, in Malevich’s arsenal there is another phrase: “Whoever feels painting sees the object less, who sees the object, feels the painting less...” So regarding his “cool” works, everything is elementary - you see the object (for example, a square, circle), but it doesn’t “smell” of painting...
And finally, the great theorist of new art once said: “Art must renounce what was yesterday.” So he (Malevich) abandoned real art...
In the same room, paintings in 3 D picture....
In the paintings exhibited in this hall one can already find the beginnings of realism....
"Three at the table" P.N. Filonov (1914)...
Next room....
Here we can get acquainted with the works of K.S. Petrova-Vodkina....
"Herring" (1918),...
"Fantasy" (1925),
Next we find ourselves in the art of the 1920s - 1930s, which “reflected political and social changes in society. Themes of labor and sports become dominant. Equally relevant is the portrait, in which the image of a contemporary acquires a collective character. In its desire to embody in picturesque In their canvases, the ideals of modern times, artists widely turn to the traditions of monumental art - panels and frescoes...."
The collective nature of the Russian woman of that time is visible in the painting “Woman with Buckets” (V.V. Pakulin, 1928)
And here is a picture about sports
and his fans (A.N. Samokhvalov “Girl in a T-shirt” 1932)...
The canvas “Militarized Komsomol” (A.N. Samokhvalov, 1932) was very relevant for that era (Now it’s clear where we see such things from our Chinese or Korean colleagues)
The following halls - and a new era in art...
Famous picture A.A. Deineka "Defense of Sevastopol" (1942)
More “peaceful” canvases:
"Noon" A.A. Plastov 1961,
"Morning" A.A. Mylnikov 1972,
"Baggars" O.V. Bulgakova 1979...
"The Pickers" Ya.I. Krestovsky 1975,
Very actual topic for the late 80s and early 90s of the last century was reflected in the painting by A.A. Sundukov "Queue" (1986)
And again an attempt to return to primitive things....
V.N. Nemukhin "Interior No. 3. Diptych" (1997)
"A Point in Its Space" by F. Infante-Aran (1964)
Well, it seems we have reached the desired point in the space of the Russian Museum, which is called the exit...
A sip fresh air it won't hurt us....
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Probably the Russian Museum should be one of the main items on the list of visiting attractions in St. Petersburg. Especially if you come to the Northern capital for one, two or a little more days. "Why?" - you ask.
First of all: there is a truly wonderful collection here. best works Russian artists, sculptors and folk craftsmen.
Secondly: in the Russian Museum there is no such excitement and pandemonium as in the Hermitage, and the atmosphere of the museum evokes a feeling of calm and peace of mind.
Thirdly: it’s very easy to get here (no need to stand in huge queues for a ticket).
Russian Museum. More recently, when uttering these words, both townspeople and visitors to the city meant only the beautiful building in the Empire style on the Square of Arts. The first state museum opened in the Mikhailovsky Palace in 1898 national art, and here the main exhibitions of the museum are located. But in recent years, the museum has included three more palaces with a significant historical and cultural past.
So, the Russian Museum consists of four buildings: the Stroganov Palace, the Marble Palace, the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Mikhailovsky (engineering) Castle. All these palaces are located in different places in St. Petersburg and have the words “Russian Museum” in their names.
To avoid confusion, we will call the main building of the Russian Museum the Mikhailovsky Palace, located at Inzhenernaya Street, 4. It is here that the main halls and exhibitions of the State Russian Museum are located. This is exactly where guests of St. Petersburg who arrive in the Northern capital for the first time want to go.
How to get to the Main Building of the Russian Museum.
The palace is very easy to get to from the Nevsky Prospekt metro station (2nd, blue line).
After leaving the metro, follow (follow the red arrow) along Mikhailovskaya Street towards the monument to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, located on Arts Square.
Immediately behind the monument you will see the Main building of the Russian Museum - Mikhailovsky Palace.
Opening hours of the Main building of the Russian Museum:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - from 10-00 to 18-00.
Thursday from 13-00 to 21-00.
Tuesday is a day off.
The ticket office closes half an hour before the museum closes.
No matter how pleasant it would be to enter the museum through the front entrance, all visitors, according to Soviet-Russian tradition, will have to enter through the back entrance. A small sign near the marble staircase with lions will inform you about this.
Below is a diagram of the Mikhailovsky Palace. It consists of three main parts: the Benois Wing, the Russian Wing and, directly, the Mikhailovsky Palace itself.
You can also get to the Main Building of the Russian Museum through the second entrance in the Benois building.
The photo below makes it possible to quickly find out where the second entrance is located - on the Griboyedov Canal Embankment, next to the Resurrection Cathedral (Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood).
Both entrances will lead you to the ticket office, where you need to buy tickets to visit the Russian Museum.
For adult citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, a ticket will cost 350 rubles, for students over 16 years old, students and pensioners - 170 rubles, for children under 16 years old (regardless of citizenship) - free.
Be sure to pick up a free layout of the exhibitions from the ticket office or from the museum staff. It will make it easier for you to build your route.
After the ticket office, following the signs, you find yourself on the main staircase of the museum. Here you can meet groups of schoolchildren.
If you come to a discovery, then you can use a little trick for a more comfortable viewing experience. The beginning of the exhibition, according to the signs, is to the right of the stairs on the second floor. But if you go to left side, then you will be practically in all alone look at the magnificent paintings of K. Bryulov, A. Ivanov, I. Aivozovsky and others. Then, in any case, you will look at the beginning of the exhibition.
F. Bruni "The Copper Serpent".
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky “Wave”.
Painting by Karl Pavlovich Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”. Nicholas I awarded the artist a laurel wreath, and the latter began to be called “Charlemagne.”
I.K. Aivazovsky "The Ninth Wave".
Grigory Ivanovich Ugryumov “The ceremonial entry of Alexander Nevsky into the city of Pskov after his victory over the Germans.”
Pay attention to the faces of two “harmless” Europeans captured by Alexander Nevsky, who executed several thousand Russian people.
O. A. Kiprensky “Portrait of Life Hussar Colonel Evgraf Vasilyevich Davydov.” This is a relative famous hero Patriotic War of 1812 by Denis Vasilyevich Davydov.
P.P. Sokolov "The Milkmaid with a Broken Jug."
Interiors of the premises of the Mikhailovsky Palace.
F.I. Shubin "Catherine II the Legislator".
Portraits of children.
Dmitry Grigorievich Levitsky “Catherine II the Lawgiver.”
The sculpture of M. I. Kozlovsky “Psyche”, often called “Girl with a Butterfly”. According to legend, Aphrodite herself was jealous of the beauty of young Psyche.
N.N. Vitali "Venus".
Tourists take photographs with great enthusiasm, holding Catherine II's hand.
Boris Vasilievich Sukhodolsky “Painting”.
I am very pleased with the large number of children here. For them, the employees of the Russian Museum tell interesting, memorable stories.
Anton Pavlovich Losenko “Wonderful catch”.
After visiting the halls of the Mikhailovsky Palace, you will be taken to the Russian Wing, where you will see in person the paintings familiar from childhood.
Viktor Vasnetsov “The Knight at the Crossroads.”
V. I. Surikov “Stepan Razin”. The artist managed to show the inner tension of the Russian rebel hero.
A small painting by Vasily Surikov “View of the monument to Peter I on Senate Square in St. Petersburg” is mesmerizing.
Vasily Surikov “Suvorov’s Crossing of the Alps” (painting size 4 by 5 meters). Here is a real military leader, together with his soldiers, storming the Alps to quickly help “our beloved” Europeans. Who in Europe now will remember the exploits of our soldiers?
Ilya Efimovich Repin. "Portrait of Emperor Nicholas II" 1896.
Portrait last emperor Russia. It seems that Nicholas II already knows about his fate...
Ilya Efimovich Repin “The ceremonial meeting of the State Council on May 7, 1901 in honor of the centenary.”
V. I. Surikov “Conquest of Siberia by Ermak.”
And these are Ermak’s comrades with muskets conquering the north.
In the film “Letter to the Turkish Sultan” all the characters attract attention. Repin worked on the image of each Cossack individually, so each hero of the picture turned out to have his own character.
Ilya Repin “Seeing off a recruit.” There is so much tragedy in the picture. Young man sent to the army for a long 25 years.
Opposite I. Repin’s painting “Barge Haulers on the Volga” there are always many visitors; there is a comfortable soft sofa here.
At Sadko, schoolchildren were told about the film in German.
But the picture is a contradiction. Victor Vasnetsov. Painting "Battle of the Scythians with the Slavs."
Firstly: the Scythians are the ancestors of the Slavs. Secondly: the Scythians and Slavs are separated by several centuries.
This turns out to be a fight between a great-great-grandfather and his grandson. Since the Middle Ages, all evidence has been destroyed ancient origin peoples inhabiting modern Russia.
Here short excerpt from the work of Professor Anatoly Alekseevich Klyosov:
“Unfortunately, in Russian historical science the destructive, destructive approach traditionally continues, whether it concerns Normanism or other periods of Russian history. Only sources that downplay the role of the Slavs in historical processes. There is no “Historiography” by M. Orbini in this circulation, there are no works of the Polish Archbishop Stanislaw Bohusz (Stanislaw Bohusz, 1731-1826), an outstanding educator, in one of whose works - “ Historical research origin of the Slavs and Sarmatians” - describes the Slavs living in ancient times from Syria to the Pontus Euxine (Black Sea). There are not dozens of other books that became classics in antiquity or the Middle Ages, which tell about the Slavs of past millennia. There is a whole library of Serbian historians of the past about this, in which those whom Russian (and Western) historians call “Scythians” are called Slavs. If historians have objections to this, where are they? Or do they live by the saying “I see nothing, hear nothing, tell nothing to anyone”?”
Ilya Repin “Nicholas of Myra saves three innocently convicted people from death.” It is with this painting that the Russian Museum under Alexander III begins.
Lukian Vasilievich Popov “Naimichka”. The girl will spend her entire childhood caring for someone else’s child...
It feels like Leo Tolstoy is about to get up and walk.
Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko
Alexey Danilovich Kivshenko “Sorting feathers.” The girls stuffing pillows with feathers argued a little...
Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky "Transfer of the sacred carpet in Cairo."
Each painting contains a story. Here is a painting by Vladimir Makovsky “The Night House”. A cold storm is heading towards St. Petersburg. Homeless people are trying to get into the shelter, everyone is freezing and they understand that there is not enough space for everyone.
In this old man in a hat and scarf with a folder in his hands, you can recognize the artist A.K. Savrasov. This remarkable painter spent the end of his life in loneliness and poverty, surviving on rare orders, wandering around corners and slums.
A little girl with bare legs in huge boots is crying, perhaps this is the last night of her life. But no one can help her...
This is a nice touch to the numerous contemporary articles “How well they lived under the Tsar.”
K.E. Makovsky "Family Portrait".
The next painting recently hung next to the “Blanket House”; it depicts the family of Vladimir Makovsky’s brother. The girls are the same age as the child in the previous picture, but by their origin they deserve a life of prosperity. Now these paintings have been placed further away from each other, in different rooms.
I.I. Shishkin "Ship Grove". The works of this artist are immediately recognizable.
Vasily Vereshchagin “Shipka-Sheinovo (Skobelev near Shipka).” A small fragment of the Victory celebration.
But here are the Russian soldiers who remained forever to lie for the freedom of the Bulgarians.
Vasily Perov "Pugachev's Court". The bodies of the executed nobles lie next to the “judge”.
Vasily Grigorievich Perov “Monastery meal”. Good picture about the life of people in robes.
Henryk Semiradsky "Phryne at the Festival of Poseidon in Eleusis." In the ancient Greek city of Megara, 2500 years ago, there lived a woman named Phryne. Her beauty and amazing white skin for a southern country amazed many artists and sculptors. A sculpture of Aphrodite of Knidos was sculpted from it and Aphrodite Anadyomena was painted. In the picture, she herself takes off her clothes so that everyone can be blinded by her beauty.
K.D. Flavitsky "Christian martyrs in the Colosseum." The first Christians were subjected to severe torture. The picture shows how a little boy is being dragged into an arena with wild animals. “If your God protects you, let him save you from being torn apart by lions,” with these words they led the Christians to death to the jubilant cries of 100,000 Roman spectators.
Russian hero.
Adrian Volkov "The Death of Ivan Susanin."
V. Jacobi “Ice House”. A funny wedding on the orders of Anna Ioanovna in the ice palace.
A.P. Ryabushkin "Moscow street of the 17th century on a holiday." Roads... How little they have changed over several centuries in Russia.
Leonid Posen “Scythian” is a distant ancestor of the Russians, whom they want to “eradicate” from our history.
The Russian Museum has a wonderful display of products by Russian craftsmen. The entire right wing on the first floor of the Mikhailovsky Palace is occupied outstanding works ancient and modern masters.
Just imagine how much work and skill is needed to carve such an openwork box from bone.
Or here interesting job made of wood “How mice buried a cat” (late 19th century).
In this short story about the State Russian Museum, we showed you only a small part of the paintings, sculptures, and works on display. It will take several days to carefully examine all the museum’s exhibitions.
A little history: The main building of the Russian Museum.
“In terms of the grandeur of its external appearance, this palace will serve as a decoration for St. Petersburg, and in terms of the elegance of the taste of its interior decoration, it can be considered among the best European palaces...”, wrote the magazine “Domestic Notes” in 1825. That year, every self-respecting St. Petersburger was sure to visit here, at the just completed Mikhailovsky Palace, built by the architect Carl Rossi for Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich and his wife Elena Pavlovna. Now this is the main building of the Russian Museum. The White Hall is the only room that was preserved after the palace was rebuilt for the needs of the museum exactly as it was under Russia. Beautiful girls seated on chariots - the Muses, daughters of the goddess of memory Mnemosyne and Zeus, are depicted on the ceiling lamp; Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna was fond of painting, music, and poetry. The paintings were done beautifully Italian artists Giacomo Batisto Scotti and Antonio Vigi. Everything else is the fruit of the labor of Russian craftsmen: carpenter Bobkov, bronzer Zakharov, furniture and parquet makers Znamensky and Tarasov, sculptor Stepan Pimenov. The White Hall is a true masterpiece in which Rossi thought through absolutely everything, from the arrangement of columns to the smallest details ornament and ceremonial service. Fortunately, all this has been preserved: the picturesque wall paintings, sculptural decorations, type-setting parquet flooring - everything remains from the time of Russia. Even the furniture is in the same places (its quantity and location were determined by the architect himself). The hall was so good that the English King George even asked to make a small copy of it.
But not only yours appearance the famous White Hall. Here was the famous music salon of the Grand Duchess. Russian musical society, thanks to which the first music classes were opened in 1860, and then the first conservatory in Russia, originated here, on these evenings. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky made his debut as a conductor at the Mikhailovsky Palace, and Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, and Mikhail Glinka performed their works here. These walls heard the voices of Vasily Zhukovsky and Ivan Krylov. For many years the salon was one of the most important culminating centers of the capital.
“The Grand Duchess’s musical and artistic evenings were extremely interesting,” recalled their first participant, famous composer, pianist Anton Rubinstein. — The best artists who ended up in St. Petersburg gathered here. Often among the guests was the majestic figure of Emperor Nicholas.”
