Museum Accessibility

Exhibitions

Current exhibitions

In the Mirror of Fate: Russian Historical Portraiture
November 18, 2025–May 12, 2026

In the Mirror of Fate: Russian Historical Portraiture

Held in the state rooms of St Michael’s (Engineers’) Castle, this large-scale exhibition of historical portraiture from the 17th to the 19th centuries features approximately 300 works of painting, graphic art, and sculpture from the collection of the Russian Museum and other leading national museums...
The St Michael’s Castle
Pyotr Kazimirovich Baltun (1904–1980). Director of the State Russian Museum 1945–1951
March 25, 2026–April 27, 2026

Pyotr Kazimirovich Baltun (1904–1980). Director of the State Russian Museum 1945–1951

The exhibition in the Garden Vestibule of the Mikhailovsky Palace continues the series of exhibitions dedicated to the directors of the Russian Museum, exploring their lives and their role in shaping the museum’s collection.
The Mikhailovsky Palace
The Era of Emperor Alexander III and Its Legacy
December 26, 2025–June 15, 2026

The Era of Emperor Alexander III and Its Legacy

Marking the 180th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Alexander III (1845–1894), the Elisabeth and Sergius Educational Society Foundation for the revival of mercy and charity traditions with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation launched a major exhibition project The Era of...
The St Michael’s Castle
Pyotr Konchalovsky: Garden in Bloom
April 3, 2026–September 14, 2026

Pyotr Konchalovsky: Garden in Bloom

The Russian Museum, with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and VTB Bank, presents the large-scale exhibition dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Pyotr Konchalovsky. The Benois Wing showcases works from the collection of the Russian Museum, 18 leading museums across the...
A Special World
April 10, 2026–May 17, 2026

A Special World

The exhibition A Special World – a project by artist Daniil Zuev, which he has been developing since 2021 – has opened at the Russian Museum’s Multimedia Centre.
The project is built around drawings created by children with special needs in collaboration with the artist. 
The Western Pavilion of St Michael’s Castle
Alexander Brullov: A Master of Watercolours
April 1, 2026–June 2, 2026

Alexander Brullov: A Master of Watercolours

The exhibition Alexander Brullov: A Master of Watercolours has opened in Academy Room 14. It features 35 watercolours by the artist, a brother of the great painter Karl Brullov.
The Mikhailovsky Palace

Permanent expositions

Avant-Garde: The Great Experiment of Russian Art

Avant-Garde: The Great Experiment of Russian Art

Avant-Garde: The Great Experiment of Russian Art permanent exhibition offers everyone an opportunity to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of remarkable experiments with form and colour and to acquaint themselves with the main avant-garde movements: Suprematism, Constructivism, Expressionism and F...
The Benois Wing
Russian Art of the First Half of the XIX Century

Russian Art of the First Half of the XIX Century

The exhibition shows masterpieces representing the variety of trends in the Russian art of the time (classicism, romantism and beginning in the second third of the XIX century realism). The works by academic school masters are also widely represented: the canvases by Karl Brullov (the ...

The Mikhailovsky Palace
Ancient Art of ХII—XVII Centuries

Ancient Art of ХII—XVII Centuries

Collection of the Old Russian painting of the Russian Museum is one of the largest and most significant in Russia. It includes around six thousand icons. The permanent exhibition housed in the first four halls of Mikhailovsky Palace represents a part of this collection, the most valuab...

The Mikhailovsky Palace
Russian Art of the XVIII Century

Russian Art of the XVIII Century

The exposition of Russian art of XVIII century is chronologically organized and presents the main stages and trends of Russian art of this time. One part of the display is dedicated to the time of Peter I and focuses mainly on the names of Ivan Nikitin and Andrei Matveyev, the greatest portraiti...

The Mikhailovsky Palace
Russian Art of the Second Half of the XIX Century

Russian Art of the Second Half of the XIX Century

Even when it first opened back in 1898, the Russian Museum owned many canvases painted by such masters of the second half of the nineteenth century as Ivan Aivazovsky, Konstantin Makovsky, Ilya Repin, Vasily Polenov and Vasily Surikov. Although the selection of works before the revolution w...

The Mikhailovsky Palace
Folk Art of the XVII-XXI Centuries

Folk Art of the XVII-XXI Centuries

Permanent exhibition of Russian Folk art of XVII-XXIth centuries includes some 1,500 exhibits. Arranged chronologically, they show history of the development of Peasant art and of local centres of artistic crafts, all their main kinds and genres.

The Mikhailovsky Palace

Archive

Arkhip Kuindzhi: The Illusion of Light
September 11, 2025–March 30, 2026

Arkhip Kuindzhi: The Illusion of Light

Arkhip Kuindzhi: The Illusion of Light is a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Arkhip Kuindzhi, one of the most brilliant and enigmatic artists in the history of Russian landscape painting. For the first time in many years in St Petersburg, the full scope of the artist’s genius will be present...

The Benois Wing
Russian Traditions
December 13, 2025–March 9, 2026

Russian Traditions

The large-scale exhibition Russian Traditions in the Benois Wing features an unprecedented number of works – more than 650 pieces from the collection of the Russian Museum. Masterpieces of painting, unique costumes, celebrated lace, and extremely rare samples of Kresttsy stitching and gold embroider...
The Benois Wing
Fyodor Vasilyev. 175th Anniversary of the Artist’s Birth
September 27, 2025–March 2, 2026

Fyodor Vasilyev. 175th Anniversary of the Artist’s Birth

Fyodor Vasilyev (1850–1873) is one of the greatest masters of Russian landscape painting. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the master’s celebrated works as well as rarely exhibited pieces from the museum’s collection.
The St Michael’s Castle
Adult-Friendly
December 23, 2025–April 13, 2026

Adult-Friendly

The exhibition Adult-Friendly is an artistic exploration of childhood, presented not as a “golden age” but as a crucial stage in shaping the individual. The display is divided into key thematic sections: Home, The World, Travel and Holidays, Games, Imagination, Scary Stories, and The Future.
The Marble Palace
Vasily Pushkaryov (1915–2002). Director of the State Russian Museum, 1951–1977
January 28, 2026–February 23, 2026

Vasily Pushkaryov (1915–2002). Director of the State Russian Museum, 1951–1977

On 28 January, an exhibition dedicated to Vasily Pushkarev opened in the Garden Vestibule of the Mikhailovsky Palace.
The Mikhailovsky Palace
The Triumph of Minerva
December 29, 2025–April 13, 2026

The Triumph of Minerva

The painting Catherine II as Minerva, Patroness of the Arts was painted by the Italian artist Stefano Torelli, who was invited to Russia by Ivan Shuvalov in 1762.
The Marble Palace