Rumyantsev Estate Museum
Located in a beautiful neoclassical mansion on Angliyskaya Naberezhnaya - the English Embankment - this fascinating museum can lay claim to being the first privately-owned public museum in Russia. Founded in the early 19th century by Count Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev, a prominent statesman and diplomat, it contained the vast collection of historical and cultural artifacts he had gathered over many years service in different European countries. On his death, the collection was moved to Moscow, and formed the basis of the Russian National Library.
In 1938, in recognition of the mansion's history, it began to be used as a museum of the history of St. Petersburg, but it was not until after the Second World War that the museum began to function fully. Today the museum has over 4000 exhibits charting different periods of the city's history, including a harrowing exhibition on the Siege of Leningrad, as well as a display that elucidates the history of the museum and the Ryumantsev family. For the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, several of the main rooms in the mansion were restored to their 19th century splendor.
There is plenty of interest to be seen here, including a wealth of historic photographs and documents. The mansion is also used regularly to host exhibitions by contemporary artists from Russia and beyond.
| Location: | 44, Angliyskaya Naberezhnaya |
|---|---|
| Metro: | Admiralteyskaya |
| Telephone: | +7 (812) 571-7544 (to arrange English-language tours) |
| Open: | Thursday to Monday, 11 am to 6 pm. Tuesday, 11 am to 5 pm. |
| Closed: | Wednesdays |
| Website: | http://www.spbmuseum.ru/themuseum/museum_complex/rumyantsev_mansion/ |
| Admission: | Adult: RUB 200.00. Students/children: RUB 100.00 |
| Photo and video: | free/included |
| Accessibility note: | Sorry, this museum is not wheelchair accessible. |
