Alexander III. Collector and Patron

February 26, 2020, marks the 175th anniversary of the birth of Emperor Alexander III, whose name was given to The State Russian Museum in April 1895. His art collection formed the original core of the Museum of Emperor Alexander III. The figure of this Emperor for a long time for various reasons did not cause interest and respect among historians. However, in recent decades, attention to this figure has increased significantly. Special mention is made of Alexander III's merits in museum construction and art education, which was due to his undoubted passion for history and fine arts. While still heir to the throne, the Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich became a passionate collector of paintings and applied arts. Later, becoming Emperor, he patronized The Itinerants, actively influenced the activities of imperial art manufactories, contributed to the reform of the Academy of Arts, and to the creation of art schools and new museums in both capitals and in provinces.

The jubilee exhibition will display about 300 works of painting, graphics, sculpture and applied art from museums and archives of Russia: The State Russian Museum, The State Hermitage Museum, The State Tretyakov Gallery, The Museum of the History of Religion, Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum, The State Museum Pavlovsk, Tsarskoe Selo State Museum, The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, The Museum of Fine Arts of Karelian Republic, Pskov State United Historical, Architectural and Art Reserve Museum, The State Archive of the Russian Federation, The Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, and also from private collections.

The exhibition is supported by Sistema Charitable Foundation.