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The Mikhailovsky Palace, main building of the State Russian Museum, St Petersburg

No. 6 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 5,087,276 visitors in 2025

State Russian Museum

St Petersburg, Russia · City guide: St Petersburg

The world's largest collection of Russian art, from icons to the avant-garde, in St Petersburg's Mikhailovsky Palace.

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Photo: Andrey Korzun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The State Russian Museum is No. 6 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 5,087,276 visitors in 2025, up 41% on 2024 and more than double its 2019 figure. Founded by Emperor Nicholas II in memory of his father, Alexander III, it opened in 1898 as the first state museum of Russian art.

Its main building is the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by Carlo Rossi and completed in 1825. The collection runs from medieval icons to contemporary art. The museum also runs the Marble Palace, the Stroganov Palace, St Michael's Castle and the Summer Garden.

A painted ceiling in the Mikhailovsky Palace, State Russian Museum
A painted ceiling in the Mikhailovsky Palace, State Russian Museum. Photo: Vityavo, CC0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest. Check the official website for opening days and hours.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    Icons

    Medieval Russian icons, including works by Andrei Rublev.

  • 2

    The Last Day of Pompeii

    Karl Bryullov's huge canvas of the eruption of Vesuvius made him famous across Europe.

  • 3

    The Ninth Wave

    Ivan Aivazovsky's dramatic seascape of shipwreck survivors at sunrise.

  • 4

    Ilya Repin

    His Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks and the vast Ceremonial Sitting of the State Council.

  • 5

    The Russian avant-garde

    Works by Kazimir Malevich, including a version of his Black Square, Wassily Kandinsky and Marc Chagall.

Getting there

The museum is on Arts Square, just off Nevsky Prospekt. The nearest metro stations are Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor. Pulkovo Airport is about 20 km south of the centre.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Tickets are sold at the museum and online. Separate tickets cover the other palaces. Check the official website for prices and hours.
Time needed
Two to three hours for the main building.
Currency & payments
Russian rouble (RUB). Check before you travel which payment cards and methods will work for you.
Visa & entry
Most visitors need a Russian visa. A unified e-visa is available to citizens of some countries, but not, for example, the US, the UK or Canada. Check the rules for your nationality before you travel.

Official information: State Russian Museum (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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