The world's largest collection of Russian paintings - Russian Museum (paintings)

Initially, the Russian Museum, whose paintings represent the world's largest collection of Russian paintings, was conceived as a collection of works by Russian masters exclusively.

The author of idea

The museum was founded by decree of Nicholas II in 1895, and the name was given to the "Russian Museum of the Emperor Alexander III". Why? Because the idea of its creation belonged to Alexander Aleksandrovich Romanov, known for his patriotism. For this purpose, he decided to redeem Michael's descendants from the descendants of Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov, as the great-grandchildren of Pavel I had long been citizens of Germany, and only real estate linked them to Russia. Alexander III died in 1894, and in 1895 Nicholas II, fulfilling the will of his father, bought a palace in the treasury and founded the Russian Museum there. Pictures for him were obtained from several Russian treasuries.

First replenishment

The largest number of paintings were provided by the Russian Academy of Arts and the Hermitage, respectively 122 and 80 paintings. Of the Winter Palace and two suburban palaces (Gatchina and Alexandrovsky), 95 works were received. The Russian Museum, whose paintings at the time of opening in the total calculation amounted to 445 pieces, 148 paintings received from private collections. The largest income was provided by the descendants of AB Lobanov-Rostovsky, a Russian diplomat whose princely family was from the Rurikovichs, and MK Tenisheva, the princess-patron of the arts, who herself was an artist-enamel. The idea of creating a museum of Russian painting was so popular with art lovers that over 10 years of its existence the collection has doubled. Fund replenishment took place both at the expense of funds allocated by the treasury for these purposes, and at the expense of donations.

Loved at any state structure

In the first post-revolutionary years, museum funds grew rapidly due to nationalized private collections. In the Russian Museum, the paintings came in large quantities due to the activities of the State Museum Fund that existed from 1921 to 1928. So, in 1925 the paintings in the museum's collection were already 3648. It should be noted that during the war and the blockade, not a single copy of the museum from the cellars stored in the cellars and from the more than 7,5 thousand paintings taken to Perm were taken. For all the years of existence, the Russian Museum enjoys special love of the inhabitants of the city on the Neva. St. Petersburg paintings in their world-famous galleries have always collected the best. He could afford it, being the capital of a huge rich empire. The Hermitage is one of the 10 best museums in the world. But the complex, whose main building is located in the heart of the Northern capital, on the Griboedov embankment, house 2, is not deprived of world fame and attention, nor the love of all Russians.

Legendary treasury

Russian museum what pictures make so famous? Since its opening in March 1898 to the present day, its foundation is made by the first receipts. Of the masterpieces of the Hermitage, one can particularly distinguish the works of Karl Bryullov, Ivan I. Ivanov, F. A Bruni and I. K. Aivazovsky. About such treasures as "The Last Day of Pompeii" or "The Ninth Wave", can only dream of the world's treasures of painting.

The immortal canvases of Argunov and Levitsky, Venetsianov and Kiprensky, Tropinin and Fedotov came from the Academy of Arts. There is no Russian painter, whose works the Russian Museum would not possess. Aivazovsky, whose paintings are collected in Hall 9, is one of the main authors of the collection of works.

Aivazovsky - one of the main pearls in the crown

Among the paintings of the world-famous seascape in the collection of the Russian Museum there is also a canvas depicting Judas at the time of Christ's betrayal. There is a very beautiful windmill, there is an amazing view of Vesuvius. But, of course, the most beautiful are his paintings dedicated to the sea: both the Baltic and the Mediterranean. At any time of the day: and with the moon, and with the bright blinding sun - the sea of Aivazovsky is beautiful. In the Russian Museum, a remarkable selection of his works: the ocean and in a storm, and at full calm, ships sinking, suffering and proudly standing in the roadstead, single schooners and whole squadrons, twenty-gun ships and fishing boats - the marinas of Aivazovsky are unique, unique, adorable, their a lot of. Separately, one can speak of sails illuminated by the sun from different directions, near and on the horizon.

The top of creativity

In total in the Russian Museum there are more than 20 paintings of this brilliant artist, known for his great heritage. The Museum of St. Petersburg has the "Ninth Wave". The legendary canvas, painted in 1850, is the most famous canvas by this artist. One of the most popular paintings in Russian painting, even called mystical, prompted the writing of poems by not just one poet, both domestic and foreign. Especially popular are the verses of Baratynsky, written under the impression of this masterpiece. The poet devotes a raging ocean to such lines: "... the earth trembles before him, he has overshadowed the sky with huge wings ..."