Yekaterinburg Fine Arts Museum, Yekaterinburg (must see)

The Yekaterinburg Fine Arts Museum is one of the main public art museums in the Ural region. It opened in 1936, during a period when regional museums were being created to support education and wider access to culture. The collection was formed through state transfers and local sources, bringing together works from different periods of Russian art. Today, the museum is spread across several historic buildings, with each one focused on a specific part of the collection.

One of the most well-known sections is dedicated to Kasli cast iron art, a craft closely linked to Ural industry. The displays include decorative objects, sculptures, and architectural details made in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The main centerpiece is the large cast iron pavilion created for the 1900 Paris World Exhibition. It is made up of hundreds of detailed elements and shows how industrial materials were used not only for practical purposes, but also for complex artistic design.

Another major part of the museum is the collection of Russian icon painting, dating from the 16th to the early 20th century. The icons are arranged in chronological order, making it easy to see how styles, colors, and compositions changed over time. Nearby galleries present Russian painting from the 18th and 19th centuries, including portraits, historical scenes, and landscapes. These works reflect academic traditions and careful attention to form and detail.

The final section focuses on modern and 20th-century art. Paintings, graphic works, and sculpture explore themes of social change, industrial development, and everyday life. Temporary exhibitions, lectures, and guided tours help connect the permanent collection with newer artistic ideas and provide additional context for visitors.