This art museum is in the building of the former Academy of Arts and was originally conceived as an academic museum for the preservation of works by the Academy's students, especially those who had received awards or other honours. As time went by, however, the museum gradually accumulated one of the finest art collections in the country. The Academy was founded in 1857 and was designed to educate boys in such a way that they would leave as artists.
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Photo by Photobank Lori
Many great Russian artists studied at the Academy including Ilya Repin and Karl Bryullov. Visitors can see works by Russian artists from the mid-18th century to the present; a collection of plaster casts of classical and Western European sculpture; architectural drawings and designs; and a unique collection of wooden models of the Academy, the Stock Exchange, St. Michael's Castle, the Smolny Convent and other famous buildings.
On the whole, the displays reflect the history of art education in Russia. You can see works from the students and teachers, which show the steps that had to be taken to produce these future artistic stars. A large number of training assignments and diploma works by Academy students are also on show.
