Art Museum, Sochi (must see)

The Sochi Art Museum is located in a large public building completed in 1936. It was designed by Soviet architect Ivan Vladislavovich Zholtovsky. The building was not built as a museum. It first served state authorities and later the city committee of the Communist Party. Designed in the Stalinist Empire style, it has a symmetrical plan, columns, and large interiors. Exhibitions began here in 1972, and it became an art museum in 1976.

The museum’s collection includes more than 6,000 objects and covers a wide time range. Visitors can see items from antiquity, such as ancient silver pieces and weapons, as well as works from the 19th, 20th, and early 21st centuries. The main focus is on Russian art, shown through painting, graphic works, and sculpture.

The permanent exhibition features works by well-known Russian artists, including Ivan Aivazovsky, Ivan Shishkin, Vasily Polenov, and Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. These works are shown alongside Soviet-era art, making it easy to compare different periods and styles. Temporary exhibitions change often, usually every month, and focus on regional artists, contemporary Russian art, or selected themes from the collection.

The museum also works as an educational space. Along with guided tours and lectures, it includes modern features such as a virtual branch of the Russian Museum, interactive video displays, and 3D cinema equipment. Even with these additions, the atmosphere stays calm. The halls are spacious and well lit, encouraging visitors to move slowly and spend time with each artwork.