ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

This unique tour affords us an exceptional opportunity for an all round, detailed study of the development of artistic ideas and culture in Russia. We will visit the Russian Museum – a treasure house of world importance, where the wealth and variety of Russian art is superbly represented.

This unique tour affords us an exceptional opportunity for an all round, detailed study of the development of artistic ideas and culture in Russia. We will visit the Russian Museum – a treasure house of world importance, where the wealth and variety of Russian art is superbly represented. The Russian Museum, founded just over 100 years ago, boasts the largest collection of Russian art in the world – approximately 400,000 works. All the artistic movements and schools that have marked the 1,000 year history of Russian art, from the 10th century to the present day, are displayed in the four buildings that make up the museum. It is organised in a clear chronological progression, providing a very good idea of the major developments in the history of Russian art. Our tour of the collections begins on the second floor with Russian icons from the 12th to 17th centuries. On display are over one hundred icons. Russian portraiture of the 18th century is represented by canvases by Nikitin and Matveev – painters highly esteemed by Peter the Great. Rokotov’s works mark a new period in Russian portraiture. The art of portrait painting matured with Dmitry Levitsky. The second floor of the museum also embraces the period from the middle of the 19th century to the present day. The display starts with painters that belonged to a new movement known as the Itinerants. Landscape painters concentrated on the beauty of the Russian countryside. The most noted among them were Savrasov and Vasiliev. The most versatile painter of the turn of the century was Ilya Repin – whose paintings are among the highest achievements of Russian art. A painter who stands apart in Russian art is Michael Vrubel. His tormented paintings are touched with mysticism and terror. Another major contribution to 20th century art was the World of Art movement, formed by Alexander Benois. They proclaimed the doctrine of “Art for Art’s sake” and introduced the works of French impressionists into Russia. The Russian avant-garde is represented by the works of Michael Larionov, Natalia Goncharova, Kazimir Malevich, Vasily Kandinsky, Mark Chagal, Alexander Rodchenko and Pavel Filonov.

Our journey to and from the Russian Museum will take approximately half an hour each way. We will spend approximately two hours touring the Museum with our guide, standing or walking, and there are approximately 40 steps. We may have a little time to look in the Museum shop – which will accept Roubles.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC CRUISES