Gosudarstvennyi Russkii Muzei (State Russian Museum), St. Petersburg

Acknowledged in 1992 by the President of the Russian Federation as one of Russia's most precious objects of cultural heritage, The State Russian Museum is home to the largest collection of Russian fine art in the world. Founded in 1898 by Emperor Nicholas II in memory of his father Alexander III, it became the first state museum of Russian art. Today it holds over 400,000 exhibits spanning a period of one thousand years including an overwhelming collection of medieval icons and works from well-known Russian masters such as Repin, Shishkin, Nesterov, Cahagall, Rublev and Brullov. A visit to The State Russian Museum is to experience the essence of Russia in a fantastic display of style, shape, color and meaning.