STIEGLITZ MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ARTS

13 Solyanoy pereulok 191028 St. Petersburg
Open: 11am - 5pm
Closed: Mondays and Sundays
Tel. 273-3258
Nearest metro station: Chernyshevskaya

The Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts was founded in 1878 at the Baron Stieglitz School of Technical Design by its first director, the architect Maximilian Messmacher. The building, which houses the museum, was constructed to his design between 1885 and 1895- Thanks to Messmacher, one of Europe's richest collections of decorative and applied arts was amassed here. Originally an educational institution, the museum eventually housed about 30,000 exhibits, most of which were transferred to the Hermitage following the 1917 revolution. The museum at the Mukhina Higher School of Art and Industry (the former Stieglitz School) was only opened to visitors in 1945.

At present the museum displays examples of Russian and Western European minor art?.(u6th-20th centuries), as well as Soviet applied art and industrial design. There are remarkable collections of Russian tiled stoves (18th century) and Soviet textiles (1920s-40s). Works by the School's former pupils take pride of place in the exhibition, which is regularly augmented with the output of the Academy students.