MARBLE PALACE IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

The Marble Palace, located between the vast Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole) and the mighty Neva River, is truly memorable for its stern beauty. Thirty two different types of marble were used on its facades and interiors. In the last several years this historic palace saw a major transformation, becoming a part of the Russian Museum and home of its Modern Art department. At about the same time the equestrian statue of Emperor Alexander III had replaced the Bolshevik armored car in the palace's courtyard. The palace features several very diverse collections.

Since the spring of 1998 visitors come to the Marble Palace specifically for the excellent Russian Avant- garde exhibit, which is called "Museum within Museum: The Museum of Art Culture in the Russian Museum". Reconstructing perharps the best Russian Avant-garde exhibit of the 20th century (put together by Kazimir Malevitch in 1920s) it attempts to put this kind of art into a wider historical perspective. See the story

Another regular feature of the Marble Palace is the "Peter Ludwig Museum at The Russian Museum". This collection of the 20th century art originated as a gift from a famous European art collector Peter Ludwig. If you like modern art - this is the place to go.

Those who love the old European art will certainly enjoy the exhibition "Foreign Artists in Russia (the 18th and the 19th centuries)". Numerous foreign artists found warm reception in the Imperial Russia. Many of them settled in Russia and became very successful. Some even painted stories from Russia's ancient past.