Initially, the Russian Museum, the paintings of which represent the world's largest collection of domestic paintings, was conceived as a collection of works exclusively by Russian masters.
The author of the idea
The museum was founded by decree of Nicholas II in 1895, and the name was "Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III." Why? Because the idea of its creation belonged to Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov, famous for his patriotism. For this purpose, he decided to buy the Mikhailovsky Palace from the descendants of Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov, since the great-grandchildren of Paul I had long been German citizens, and only real estate connected them with 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 was provided by the Russian Academy of Arts and the Hermitage, respectively 122 and 80 paintings. 95 works came from the Winter Palace and two suburban palaces (Gatchinsky and Aleksandrovsky). The Russian Museum, whose paintings at the time of opening totaled 445, received 148 paintings from private collections. The largest revenues were provided by the descendants of A. B. Lobanov-Rostovsky, a Russian diplomat whose princely family came from the Rurikovich, and M.K. Tenisheva, a princess-philanthropist, who herself was an enamel artist. The idea of creating a museum of Russian painting came to the liking of art lovers so much that in 10 years of its existence the collection doubled. The replenishment of funds took place both at the expense of the funds allocated by the treasury for these purposes, and through donations.
Beloved in every state system
In the first post-revolutionary years, museum funds grew rapidly due to nationalized private collections. The Russian Museum received paintings in large quantities due to the activities of the State Museum Fund, which existed from 1921 to 1928. So, in 1925 there were already 3648 paintings in the museum’s collection. It should be noted that during the years of the war and the blockade, not a single copy of the museum was damaged from more than 7.5 thousand paintings stored in basements and taken to Perm.
For all the years of existence, the Russian Museum enjoys special love of the inhabitants of the city on the Neva. St. Petersburg has always collected the best paintings in its world-famous galleries. He could afford it, being the capital of a vast wealthy empire. The Hermitage is one of the top 10
museums in the world. But the complex, the main building of which is located in the very center of the Northern capital, on the embankment of the Griboedov Canal, house 2, is not deprived of either world fame and attention, or the love of all Russians.
Legendary treasury
Russian Museum what paintings make so famous? From the moment it was opened in March 1898 to the present day, its basis is made up of the first arrivals. Among the masterpieces of the Hermitage , the works of Karl Bryullov, I. I. Ivanov, F. A Bruni and I. K. Aivazovsky can be especially distinguished. Treasures such as The Last Day of Pompeii or The Ninth Wave can only be dreamed of by 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 room 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 marine painter in the collection of the Russian Museum there is also a canvas on which Judas is depicted at the time of Christ's betrayal by him. 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: both with the moon and with the bright blinding sun - the Aivazovsky Sea is beautiful. The Russian Museum has a wonderful selection of his works: the ocean in the storm and in full calm, ships sinking, in distress and proudly standing on the roads, lonely schooners and entire squadrons, twenty-gun ships and fishing boats - Aivazovsky’s marinas are unique, unique, delightful, their many. Separately, we can talk about sails illuminated by the sun from different sides, near and on the horizon.
Top of creativity
In total, the Russian Museum has more than 20 paintings by 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 of this artist.
One of the most popular paintings in Russian painting, which is even called mystical, prompted the writing of poems by more than one poet, both domestic and foreign. Especially popular are the poems of Baratynsky, written under the impression of this masterpiece. The poet devotes to the raging ocean such lines: "... the earth trembles before him, he covered the sky with huge wings ..."