Walking around the picturesque Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, you should definitely look into the Museum of the Academy of Arts, which houses a rich collection of paintings and sculptures. For 260 years this institution has been open to the public - and this is a considerable period.
Museum History
The existence of the museum is inextricably linked with the activities of the Russian Academy of Arts.
The educational institution was founded by the noble nobleman Ivan Shuvalov in 1757. Almost immediately, Shuvalov gives his own collection (more than a hundred paintings by European artists) as a gift to the newly created museum. Only one canvas was preserved from this collection - A. Celesti “Beating the Babies”.
The date of birth of the Museum of the Academy of Arts is considered to be 1758.
Building on University Embankment
Even the museum building is historical. It was built at the behest of Catherine II. The empress granted privileges and approved the charter, determined the states with her own hand. After all, the Academy was to educate Russian masters of fine art.
During the reign of Catherine II, in 1764, a complex of academic buildings was laid in the then-fashionable style of early classicism. The project was prepared by outstanding architects of those years, who determined the face of St. Petersburg - A. F. Kokorin and J. B. Wallen-Delamot.
The Academy building was built in an interesting form - round, as if drawn by a compass. Previously, only the second floor was reserved for the art gallery, the pupils lived on the third, and classes were held below.
Collection fund replenishment
The museum was launched by Count I. Shuvalov. Many valuable works were transferred to the museum of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg personally by Catherine II.
The nobles, imitating the empress, considered it their duty to contribute to the replenishment of the museum's collection fund. Many donated their own collections of paintings, prints, sculptural copies.
Then the expositions began to replenish with the best creations of students and teachers: their own and beautiful copies. Immediately there was a tradition to leave the best graduation works of students who became professors or received awards in the museum fund. Thanks to this, it is now possible to trace how the renowned masters began their career.
Modernity at the Museum of the Academy of Arts
Today, the premises of the Academy of Arts is not only a museum, but also a library, archive, creative laboratories and workshops, as well as the State Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. On the 3 floors of the building there are permanent exhibitions of the Museum of the Academy of Arts.
Immediately from the threshold, a visitor to the museum falls into the kingdom of antiquity. Most of the copies from the preserved ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were made by students, starting from the XVIII century. Many casts are the only evidence of the existence of sculptures in ancient times. There are also cork models of ancient architectural monuments created in the XVIII century. hands of the Roman sculptor Kiki.
Second floor
The exposition on the second floor was called the Academic Museum. In the art gallery of eight halls exhibited the best paintings, which served as a role model for more than one generation of artists.
Here you can observe the formation of Russian painting, starting from the XVIII century. Original paintings by K. Flavitsky, I. Kramskoy, I. Repin, I. Shishkin, N. Roerich and other famous brush masters make an indelible impression on museum visitors. Exhibited a large collection of artists of the Soviet period. Of great interest are the sketches prepared for the murals of St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Tauride Palace.
In this museum, paintings of 18th-century European artists, fashionable in the 18th century, recognized at that time as a role model, hang on the walls, and nowadays you can get an idea of these painters only here in the Museum of the Academy of Arts.
On the second floor along the facade overlooking the Neva, there is an enfilade of the so-called Parade Halls, which include:
- Catherine;
- Titianovsky;
- Conference hall;
- Raphael.
Elegant premises are now used for temporary exhibitions, concerts and other events. They constantly exhibited copies of works by Italian artists of the 16th-18th centuries, including the lost painting of Titian, and the cycle of Raphael paintings from the Vatican.
In the decoration of the halls, exquisite decorative elements of the early 19th century were preserved.
Third floor
On the top floor there is a permanent exhibition telling about the architecture of the Northern capital in drawings, drawings and models. Here you can see the design models of the famous St. Petersburg buildings - Mikhailovsky Castle, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Smolny, Exchange, Alexander Nevsky Lavra and others. In total, more than 500 exhibits are presented.
The visitors to the Museum of the Academy of Arts leave enthusiastic reviews in the visitors' book and on the site, and no one has regretted that they spent time visiting this amazing place.
In a small room with mezzanines, where the Ukrainian artist and poet T. G. Shevchenko in 1858-1861. drew etchings, a memorial workshop was recreated.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions are held in the state rooms of the Museum of the Academy of Arts on a regular basis; you can find out the dates on the institution’s website.
2 exhibitions are held annually:
- Summer, where the graduation creations of students are demonstrated.
- Spring, with the work of teachers.
On weekends, the conference room hosts music evenings with classical music.
Museum Road
The Museum of the Academy of Arts is located in the center of St. Petersburg on Vasilievsky Island. Address: University Embankment, 17.
Nearby metro stations that are easily accessible by public transport:
- from art. m. "Sportivnaya-2" buses No. 24, 3M, 3MA, 6, 47;
- from art. m. "Vasileostrovskaya" buses number 24, 3M, 6 or walk 10-12 minutes;
- from art. m. "Admiralteyskaya" you can walk to the museum on foot through the Annunciation bridge or take buses No. 3 and 7, trolleybuses 11.10.
Important for visitors
The museum opens the door for guests:
- Wednesday and Friday from 12:00 to 20:00;
- Sunday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.;
- Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
When planning a visit, please note that the ticket office closes half an hour earlier. Monday and Tuesday are days off.
The cost of tickets to the Museum of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg is determined depending on the category of visitors:
- pensioners and children - 50 p.;
- students - 100 r.;
- the rest - 200 p.
