St. Petersburg Museums of Decorative Art
From the founding of the city, when Peter the Great invited a multitude of European craftsmen to his new city to introduce modern techniques to Russia, St. Petersburg has been a centre of innovation in the applied arts. Museums in the city chart the development of Russian decorative art, from simple traditional handicrafts to the extravagant luxury of the late Tsarist era.
Housed in the beautiful 18th century Shuvalov Palace, this new museum has rapidly become one of St. Petersburg’s most popular visitor attractions, displaying the world’s largest collection of Fabergé eggs and a wealth of other antique jewels and artifacts.
Part of the Baron Stieglitz College of Art and Industrial Design, one of St. Petersburg's most prestigious art schools, this fascinating museum has a superb collection of decorative art from all over the world, including several halls of traditional Russian handicrafts, and is well worth seeking out.
Displaying the products of the Leningrad Glass Art Factory, a Soviet project founded to experiment with the decorative application of glass, this charming and colourful museum is housed in the Conservatory of Yelagin Palace.
This charming museum has a huge range of dolls and toy soldiers, including traditional folk dolls in a variety of national costumes, and modern dolls by fashionable designers. The museum also runs masterclasses where visitors can learn to make their own dolls.
The Imperial Porcelain Manufactory was founded in 1744 and is one of the world's great historic porcelain factories. This museum on the factory grounds traces the production history of this great St. Petersburg institution.
