The State Russian Museum is one of the most famous and most visited museums in St. Petersburg. Its collection comprises over 400,000 items, making it the largest museum of Russian art in the world. The museum’s main exhibition is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace in the center of St. Petersburg. The museum has several branches.
Visitor Information
The museum’s main building is located in the city center, near Nevsky Prospekt, on Arts Square.
The most convenient way to reach the Russian Museum is from the Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor metro stations, along the Griboyedov Canal Embankment or Mikhailovskaya Street. The distance from Nevsky Prospekt is approximately 350 meters.
You can find the location of the museum and nearby attractions on the St. Petersburg map.
Mikhailovsky Palace. Address: 4 Inzhenernaya Street. Nearest metro stations: Gostiny Dvor and Nevsky Prospekt. (Entrance from Arts Square.)
Benois Building. Address: 2 Griboyedov Canal Embankment. Nearest metro stations: Gostiny Dvor and Nevsky Prospekt. (Entrance from the Griboyedov Canal embankment.)
Entrance tickets to the Mikhailovsky Palace or the Benois Wing in 2026 start at 500–700 rubles. (The price is for adults and is subject to change.) Many categories of visitors receive discounts. For more information, please visit the museum’s official website.
Hours are subject to change. The museum typically opens at 10:00 AM and is open from 7:00–8:00–10:00 PM.
Don’t miss: The exhibition of works by Ivan Shishkin, “Ivan Shishkin. Russian Forest,” is on display in the Benois Wing until November 9, 2026.
About the Museum
The State Russian Museum was founded in 1895 by decree of Emperor Nicholas II. The museum opened in March 1898. The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg was the first state museum of Russian fine art in Russia. Until 1917, the museum was called the “Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III.”
Works of Russian art were donated to the museum from various sources, including the Academy of Arts, the Hermitage, and the Winter Palace. Many works were acquired from private collections. Over the following years, the museum’s collection expanded from various sources.
Currently, the museum’s collection comprises over 400,000 items. The works housed in the museum provide a glimpse into the development of Russian art over a period of more than 1,000 years, from the 10th century to the 21st century. The Russian Museum houses exhibits representing all types and genres of art. Here you can see icons from the 12th to 15th centuries, paintings, sculptures, drawings, and engravings.
The museum’s main building is located in the city center, near Nevsky Prospect, on Arts Square. Designed by architect Carlo Rossi, the building was constructed between 1819 and 1825. The palace was originally intended for Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, son of Emperor Paul I (the Mikhailovsky Palace). In 1895, the building was purchased by the treasury and transferred to the museum. The Mikhailovsky Palace and adjacent buildings currently house the museum’s main exhibition. (Don’t confuse the Mikhailovsky Castle (Engineers’ Castle) located nearby.)
The Russian Museum manages and operates a large number of sites in St. Petersburg: the Mikhailovsky Palace, the Benois Wing, the Mikhailovsky (Engineers’) Castle and its adjacent park, the Marble Palace, the Stroganov Palace, the Summer Palace of Peter the Great, the Mikhailovsky Garden, the Summer Garden, and Peter the Great’s Cabin.
Don’t miss: the popular landmark of the Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood is located next to the Russian Museum.
The museum’s most popular exhibitions are located in the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Benois Wing.
Mikhailovsky Palace. Address: 4 Inzhenernaya Street. Nearest metro stations: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospekt.
Benois Wing. Address: 2 Griboyedov Canal Embankment. Nearest metro stations: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospekt.
Marble Palace. Address: 5/1 Millionnaya Street. Nearest metro station: Nevsky Prospekt. Mikhailovsky Castle. Address: Sadovaya Street, 2. Nearest metro stations: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospekt.
Stroganov Palace. Address: Nevsky Prospekt, 17.
Cabin of Peter the Great. Address: Petrovskaya Embankment, 6. Nearest metro station: Gorkovskaya.
Mikhailovsky Palace
The Mikhailovsky Palace is the main building of the Russian Museum. The entrance to the Mikhailovsky Palace is located on Arts Square.
Address: Inzhenernaya Street, 4. Nearest metro stations: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospekt. (Entrance from Arts Square.)
Benois Wing
The Benois Wing is a separate building, the western wing of the Mikhailovsky Palace. This section of the museum houses some of the collections and exhibitions of the Russian Museum. The Benois Wing is located between the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Griboyedov Canal. The entrance is from the Griboyedov Canal embankment.
Address: St. Petersburg, Griboyedov Canal Embankment, 2.
Mikhailovsky Castle
This palace has two names: Mikhailovsky Castle or Engineers’ Castle. It is one of the branches of the Russian Museum. The Engineers’ Castle is located near Arts Square, approximately 700 meters from the Mikhailovsky Palace. The Engineers’ Castle is located between Sadovaya Street, where the Moika River flows from the Fontanka River.
Address: St. Petersburg, Sadovaya Street, 2.
Peter the Great’s House
Peter the Great’s wooden house is the first building built in St. Petersburg. It was built in three days, from May 24 to 26, 1703, near the banks of the Neva River. The house measures 12.7 x 5.7 meters and is constructed of pine logs. To protect the house from the elements, a protective canopy was built over it in 1723. Later, the fortifications were rebuilt several times, and Peter the Great’s house was located within the fortifications.
Since 1930, Peter the Great’s cabin has housed a museum. This museum displays Peter the Great’s personal belongings. Peter the Great’s cabin is located near the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Summer Garden
The famous Summer Garden is also under the management of the Russian Museum. The entrance to the Summer Garden is approximately 500 meters from the Mikhailovsky Palace.
The Summer Garden was opened to the public on May 10, 1755. The Summer Garden remains open and free to visit (for now), but there are exceptions. On summer weekends, events may be held in the Summer Garden, and admission to the park may be charged on these days. Therefore, it is highly likely that you will not be able to enter for free on summer weekends, as Empress Elizabeth Petrovna wished.