Russia's Museums - Explore the History, Art and Culture of Russia

Russia is an incredibly interesting country and when you visit, you will likely be fascinated not only with the country¡¯s history, but also with its culture. One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with the various aspects of Russian history, art and culture is to visit the many Russian museums which can be found across the country. Some of these museums are also housed in beautiful buildings of historical importance which means you can enjoy the architectural value of the building as well as its many beautiful contents.

Instead of one or two general museums with information and articles relating to a variety of topics, Russia has a large number of different museums with only one or two core focuses. A large number of these museums are dedicated to the various art forms, art movements and art works that Russia has seen through the ages, but there are a number of other museums which are not art related. The Russian Ethnographic Museum, for instance, is related to various aspects of the different cultures which exist in Russia. Lomakov¡¯s Automobiles and Motorcycles Museum is dedicated to antique cars and motorcycles which have been painstakingly restored, while the Museum of Wooden Architecture & Peasant Life provides interesting insight into the history of this age-old form of sculpture as well as the masses who lived in poverty simply because they weren¡¯t born to a life of privilege. The Vladimir Vysotsky museum is dedicated to the life and work of this famous Russian poet while the State Historical Museum is a more generalized historical museum with varied displays.

There are really so many great museums in Russia that you might have difficulty choosing which ones you should visit whilst in Russia. On one hand, museums such as the State Darwin Museum or the Palaeontology Museum might be very interesting to you, but on the other hand you may prefer museums such as the State Polytechnical Museum or the Armoury Museum. We cannot recommend that you choose any museum in particular ¨C only that you carefully read through the many museums which we have listed before making your choice. Hopefully the information which we have provided will prove to be most helpful to you in this regard.

Russian Architecture

For most of its history, Russian architecture has been predominantly religious. Churches were for centuries the only buildings to be constructed of stone, and today they are almost the only buildings that remain from its ancient past. The basic elements of Russian church design emerged fairly early, around the eleventh century. The plan is generally that of a Greek cross (all four arms are equal), and the walls are high and relatively free of openings. Sharply-sloped roofs (tent roofs) and a multitude of domes cover the structure. The characteristic onion dome first appeared in Novgorod on the Cathedral of Sancta Sophia, in the eleventh century. On the interior, the primary feature is the iconostasis, an altar screen on which the church's icons are mounted in a hierarchical fashion.

Architecture during 15th - 18th Centuries Till 1477, there were few noted architectures in Moscow. Italian architects and craftsmen like Aristotele Fioravanti were invited by Ivan III, the Grand Prince of Moscow, to construct some magnificent multi-domed buildings such as Cathedral of the Dormition, Archangel Cathedral, Palace of Facets and Cathedral of St. Basil. They mainly followed the Russian style but utilized Italian methods of building.

Architects employed in 1703 were Russian, Italian, French and German. The style adopted by them was Renaissance rather than Byzantine tradition. During the reign of Empress Elizabeth, the architects were mainly Italians. Their work included royal palaces and buildings, which were destroyed during World War II. The Baroque style of Bartolomeo Rastrelli was very popular during 18th century. His luxurious work included the Winter Palace, the Catherine Palace and the Smolny Cathedral.

Architecture in the 19th Century The 19th century was mainly dominated by the Byzantine and Russian Revival. During the first quarter of this century, there was Greek Revival which prevailed up to the middle of the 19th century. Thon, the leading Russian architect of this period (1838-1883), designed the Church of the Annunciation at St. Petersburg and the Cathedral of St. Saviour at Moscow in Lombard-Byzantine style. Another distinguished neoclassical building of that period was Zakharov's Admiralty at St. Petersburg.

Reconstruction of the cities using massive design plans and technical advances was the main priority during that period. In 1918, Alexey Shchusev and Ivan Zholtovsky founded the Mossovet Architectural Workshop, where planning of the reconstruction of Moscow as a new Soviet capital took place. But after World War II, the focus was on reconstructing the destroyed buildings and building new ones. In 1945, Stalin changed the look of many post-war cities. After his death in 1953, social and political changes took place in the country, which brought an end to the Stalinist architecture. As a result the buildings became simple and square.

Modern Russian Architecture Due to the downfall of Soviet Union, many architectural projects were canceled or put on hold. Theme or height of a building was no longer a criteria, and this improved the financial conditions and architectural rates in Russia. As a result, skyscraper buildings were constructed in Moscow city, though, some architects continued to follow the Stalinist architecture and constructed buildings like the Triumph-Palace.

In more recent years, the dissolution of the Soviet state and a renewed interest in traditional Russian culture have produced a new appreciation of more modest folk architecture. The few remaining examples of traditional wooden architecture, such as those on display in the outdoor architectural museum in Kostroma, are now among Russia's most treasured architectural monuments.

About the author:

As a researcher of russian art, I have an experience of more than 20 years. The wonderful russian art leaded me to a hallowed hall and strengthened my belief to go on researching. If you are also interested in russian art or have any questions about it, feel free to contact me by visiting Florist or by email. I'd be glad to make friends with you.