Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
As well as the magnificent Mikhailovsky Palace, the Russian Museum's main building,
the museum also owns three other impressive palaces in the city centre, boasting tem-
porary exhibits, permanent collections and grand staterooms. These are the Marble
palaces, the Marble Palace has the best art collection, while the Stroganov Palace has
the best interiors.
Enter the museum via the ground floor entrance to the right of the main facade.
Pick up a museum map before ascending the magnificent main staircase to the
1st floor, as this is where the chronological ordering of the exhibits begins.
Rooms 12-17: Dominance of the Academy
By the early 19th century the Academy of Arts was more and more influenced by
Italian themes, given the unfashionability of France. In Room 12 look for Vladimir
Borovikovsky's magnificent
Catherine II Promenading in Tsarskoe Selo
and his
Por-
trait of Murtaza Kuli,
his picture of the brother of the Persian Shah. Room 13 is fill of
peasant subjects with uplifting titles such as
Peeling Beetroot
. Room 14 is truly spec-
tacular, including enormous canvases such as Karl Bryullov's incredible
The Last Day
of Pompeii
and
The Crucifixion
.
