The Russian Museum

The Russian Museum is an institution which has been the home to Russian culture, in the form of art work, for the past 100 years. This grand museum holds the masterpieces which define and reflect the spirit of Russia’s long and mysterious history. This museum is unique in that the only artifacts and works of art it possesses are those created by Russians themselves. “It is the most complete gathering of Russian art anywhere, and is home to a 380,000-piece collection.” (Russian Life p.28) One will find that the origins of the museum reflect a high regard for Russian art, and that the museum has undergone little change except for it gaining power due to economic fluctuation. The museum tells a story, like any museum in any country which solely collects the works of its people, reflecting social attitudes, and times of social euphoria and social distress.

The building which is now called The Russian Museum, was built as a palace for Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich in 1825, by the renown Italian architect, Carlo Rossi. Alexander the III was an avid patron of the arts and had plans to create a Russian public museum. But this plan was never realized in his life-time. It was not until his son, Nicholas II’s, time that the museum opened. The Russian museum was established in 1895 as a “ art and cultural- historical museum.” The official name of the museum was The Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III until 1917. (Great Soviet Encyclopedia, p.385) Like many palaces, the Russian Museum itself is a work of art. This former palace possesses a grand facade on its front side, “ decorated with an eight-column Corinthian portico (a porch type structure with a roof supported by columns), and a sculptured frieze (an ornamented strip) by V.I. Demut- Malinovskii, and S.S. Pimenov.” (Great Soviet Encyclopedia p.385)

At the initial opening of the Russian Museum, the museum’s collection was a mere fraction of what it holds today. Its initial collection consisted of only 434 works, which had been transferred from places such as The Hermitage, Museum of the Academy of Arts, and various private collections and palaces. Due to the array of sources of the works, the initial collection was uneven in representation. ( The Russian Museum: Painting, p. 3) The collection of the museum grew rapidly in the years following its opening. It is noted in The Russian Museum: Painting, that one of the first major influxes of art works came following the October Revolution. Within the first 15 years of the museum's opening, the museum began to take shape and establish itself among its international counterparts. It began to organize its works on historic and scientific grounds which brought the museum up to “institution” type qualities.

The Russian museum contains a collection of works whose span ranges from 8 centuries ago to the present time. Its older works primarily consist of gold jewelry, icons, and sculptures, along with some paintings.

(Repin's "Zaporozhye Cossacks")

Through looking at books containing some of the collection, it can be noted that most of the early works portray biblical themes and genres. Art works in the middle centuries i.e., 16-1700’s contain many classical scenes which focus on the nobility. The 19th century Russian art in the museum consists of works by perhaps some of Russia’s most renown artists such as Repin, Briullov, and Kramskoi. Repin and Briullov painted some of the more well-known works such as "The Zaporozhye Cossacks," by Repin, and "The Last Days of Pompeii," by Briullov.

(Briullov's "The Last Days of Pompei")

Like the works of their contemporaries, these paintings are full of expression, revealing cultural and social attitudes about their city (St. Petersburg) and its people. Many of the works from this period were portraits and landscapes. The later art works of the 20th century are quite different in style and cultural influence. Various new styles emerged such as town scenes. The fall of Imperial Russia in 1917, following the abdication of the throne, by Nicholas II and the rise of Communism, clearly exhibit an impact on Russian art. Royal genres are all but lost. Russian Realism which was the style of many popular Russian artists from the mid to late 1800’s was quickly replaced by a new form of artistic expression which varied in style, but shared little if any similarities to the past styles. There were numerous major events which were responsible for the change of artistic expression and style.

(Repin's "Modest Mussorgsky")

As mentioned earlier, around 1917 the communist era began in Russia, this was perhaps the most monumental socio-political change in Russian history. The other two major events of the first half of the century were the onsets of World War I and later World War II. During these times The Russian Museum became a benefactor of the Communist regime in one sense. The “ Bolsheviks became the Robin Hoods of Russian culture; robbing the art storehouses of the rich and giving the treasures to the Russian Museum and to the Hermitage.” (Russian Life p. 31) On the flip side of communist ways Soviet bureaucrats seized many valuable works and sold them abroad. However, their sense of pride in Russian art and their respect for the cultural value that the Russians placed on the works in the Russian Museum, meant they took nothing from the Russian Museum to sell abroad.

Art during the Soviet period became more scrutinized and censored in an effort to minimize any negative or anti- communist imagery. Thus, a new patriotic feeling erupted in art which mindfully correlated with the newly formed communist party and later war effort. With all the social change which was going on there was no wonder that “ in the years after the Revolution works were produced which depicted the heroic reality of the period, the new way of life and the changes being effected in the country.” (The Russian Museum: Painting p.12) The new artistic style revealed no sense of suffering, unhappiness, or social distress among its subjects. The only works which revealed any emotional state about the Russian people were the works which depicted them fighting courageously and heroically in battle. In a way the works produced after the Revolution seemed lack any sense of emotion, they seemed more avant-garde. The new style took the form of still lifes and contemporary art.

(Chagall's "I and The Village")

Russian art work through the ages has not had any negative impact on the well-being of the Russian Museum. From just about all aspects, the museum has adapted well to the changes in the type of art which it collects. Popular avant-gardists such as Vassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich have helped to promote the importance of the Russian Museum. Their works are “ among the most famous and popular abroad, and the museum claims to have a colossal collection of Kandinski and the very best of Malevich.” (Russian Life p.29) There is no doubt that the Russian Museum possesses tremendous clout, both internationally and as a national museum. The museum contains culturally priceless works in which the nation takes pride. The museum has faced tremendous adversity in the past decades, surviving events such as the rise and fall of communist Russia, two World Wars, and a nation stricken by economic instability. Much of the museum's progress is credited to a decade of strong leadership by its director Vladimir Gusev. Many positive advancements have taken place during his directorship. “ It has doubled its square meterage, launched a massive reconstruction of its beautiful palaces and has increased the amount of art in its collection; and it is getting by on private funding despite the government’s failure to pay what it owes.” (Russian Life, p.28) Over the past few years the Russian Museum has faced its hardest times, primarily due to the economy in Russia. Both public and private funding has dropped enormously, along with museum attendance. Criticism of the museum's collecting style has erupted. “ The program for collecting contemporary works lacks funding and, some observers claim, direction.” The museum finds that the drop in attendance is bothersome, because the Russian Museum is the home of the nations artistic identity. It is quite startling to learn the funding which goes into the Russian Museum and compare it to that which goes into a campaign at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. As cited in Russian Life, “for 1997 the museum’s grants and gifts totaled a paltry $777,000.” This is only a fragment compared to the Metropolitans $36 million raised that fiscal year. (Russian Life, p.28)

The Russian Museum is a national treasure which is highly revered in its country, but it has yet to attract the masses like the Hermitage or other national galleries. The museum has and always will mean very much to the Russian people. It is said in Russian Life that the most frequent visitors of the museum are schoolchildren. The Russian Museum is clearly an important part of Russians' lives, and especially of those Russians residing in St. Petersburg. Though the museum has faced some problems in recent years, surely it will continue to grow in size and cultural significance.

VISIT THE RUSSIAN MUSEUM WEBSITE

Bibliography

(Print Resources)

Novouspensky, N. The Russian Museum: Painting. Aurora Art Publishers, Leningrad, 1979.

Prohorov, A.M. Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Volume 22. MacMillan, Inc., New York., Collier MacMillan Publishers, London, 1979.

Varoli, John. 'The Russian Museum 100 Years of Russian Treasures" Russian Life. October, November 1998 pp.28-33.

(Web Resources)

Russian Museum. http://www.cityvision2000.com/city_tour/artsq2.jpg From Arts Square and the Russian Museum by Cityvision 2000.

Russian Museum. http://www.cityvision2000.com/city_tour/rusmuz1.jpg From Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia by Cityvision 2000.

"Zaporzhye Cossacks". Picture by I. Repin. From the Russian Art page (Auburn U.).

"Last Days of Pompei". Picture by Briullov. Posted on Alexander Boguslawski's site.

"Mussorgsky". Portrait by I. Repin. From the Russian Art page (Auburn U.).

"I and The Village". Picture by Marc Chagall. From the site "Marc Chagall Art Prints and posters"

Return to student project page

Created on May 14, 1999