In 1895, Emperor Nicholas II passed a decree on establishing Russia’s first State museum of Fine Arts. In 1898, the Russian museum was opened in the premises of the Mikhailovsky Palace, which at that time belonged to the Russian treasury.

Nowadays, the Russian Museum is a unique storage of artistic values. Its collection numbers about 400 000 exhibits pertaining to all periods of the Russian art development, all its trends and genres, directions and schools, from X to XXI century. The main exposition is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Benois Wing — another part of the palace ensemble.

The Mikhailovsky Palace is an amazing and unique architectural monument. It was designed by the outstanding architect Carlo Rossi. Rossi had planned and sketched literally all decorative details, from a cast-iron railing of the gates, adorned with his favorite military attributes, and the layout of the park, to various patterns of the inlaid parquet floors in the palace rooms.

During the tour you will see magnificent halls of the Mikhailovsky Palace, famous paintings by Russian artists, and sculptural works.