The Museum of Russian Art

I’m trying to get my kids more cultured and they were both adopted from a Russian speaking country so I thought –perfect. I’ve been to this museum before, it’s small, the perfect size to just pop in for an hour. They had a nice exhibition on World War I and also a Minnesota/​Ukrainian painter’s work on display in the basement. Very friendly people work there. Nice parking. The kids got in free. The museum store was very tempting. We will be back.

Russian propaganda on display. The permanent collection everyone loves has been pulled in favor of a dubious WWI exhibit. According to staff it is basically a translation of an exhibition in Russia in which Russia is the victim, and the allies are to blame for everything. This exhibition (along with questions about how the content was developed and funded) would be a great newspaper story. Revisionist history is hard to stomach, Putin’s propaganda is even worse!

The architecture, the views, the pictures, in short everything a fabulous place to visit.

Super friendly and knowledgeable reception even though I came in right before closing time. The entrance fee was only $ 9 and the Fabergé egg and wood carving exhibits were both really nice. The building itself is really cool — it is an old Spanish Colonial style church that was gutted and refurbished as the museum. The gift shop had a good amount of imported stuff but it was a little more on the fancy side — there wasn’t any Russian foods or candies or small, cheaper souvenirs like magnets like I had hoped — but if you’re interested in porcelain and books, they had a nice selection. Another bonus for me is that it was super easily accessible by bus (short walk from Rt 18). A really nice cultural spot in the Cities.

It’s interesting… It’s more like walking through someone’s house who loves Russian artifacts.

For my 500^th review
Its a Museum of Russian Art. As most Americans know Russia is big, large, huge, cold and has bears. This museum is not. Its quite small, not overwhelming and almost homey. They also have heat and no bears. So don’t be afraid. Because of the size of the museum you feel like you got to see everything when you are done here. Which is a good sense of accomplishment.
They usually have some sort of a rotation with Russian museums and you get to see some rare pieces in small collections.
Its pricey, but its for the arts. Skip your latte and go.
Also, Ive been to a few events there, its the perfect space for a small (ish) event with mansion providing a very cozy and unique atmosphere.

This is truly a gem of a museum. Basically a rotating private collection of Russian art (mostly paintings) primarily from the 20^th century, this lovely gallery allows you to see painters largely unknown outside of Russia in a wide-​ranging collection. Little of it is Socialist Realism, though some of the artists were also known for that. Turns out a lot of them did other works for private collectors or personal pleasure, too. The works from the 1990’s are fascinating as you see the artists struggle with the Soviet collapse in a variety of ways, and explore new themes like Adam and Eve after the Fall.

I’m a North American Reciprocal Museum member, so the entrance was free, but I can understand if people feel the museum price is a few dollars too much. I found the architecture to almost be more interesting than the art — -but it was really neat to see an art gallery in a former church space. The gift shop people were really nice too and they had interesting displays. Currently, there is a special exhibit on drawings by a Jewish woman who was exiled to Siberia which was interesting too. I’d recommend.

What a lovely little museum! It’s the perfect size for an afternoon visit. The museum features a beautiful building and well-​curated exhibits. The special exhibit we viewed (The Romanovs; Legacy of an Empire Lost) was well documented and featured one-​of-​a-​kind artifacts including the pearl and diamond earring that Czarina Alexandra may have been wearing when she was assassinated.
Need I say that I visited the gift shop? Five stars for the gift shop alone! A lovely selection of truly unique and beautiful items including Russian Matryoshka dolls.

this place has nice paintings but it is Jewish ran anti-​Russian establishment… it is filled with things only to picture bad parts of Russian life, and if you attend tour they fill your head with anti Russian/​Communust misinformation…
tour guide tells people wrong facts and relates them to pictures…, thus brainwashing people how bad life in Russia or former USSR was… or even is now…
it feels like these Jews were hired by American government machine to portray Russian life during communism as hell…
i lived in Russia while i was young and did allot of research about Russian life before/​during/​after communist rule using information available online and in libraries… and talking to people in Russia and in USA… and just like with any other régime there were ups and downs in life there but in no way it was unlivable or hellish as allot of semitcs describe it…

Man this building would make a great house. ;-{)
I was not sure what to expect when we decided to visit here. But what we saw was much better than what I figured we would see.
Very well presented art of which you do not see every day. It competes with any museum one can find.
In the basement there is an exhibit of Jewish heritage in photo form and all the while one reads the explanations it sure does emphasize how difficult life was for these people.
Yeah so go, see the art, but a gift if one is of mind and talk with the folks working there.
We had a very delightful conversation with the woman at the entrance counter about the museum, out upcoming trip to Paris and hers to Spain, all in all a very nice experience.

Another great aspect of living in the Twin Cities area is the abundance of great art and architecture. The Museum of Russian art is a great example of both.
Located in a Spanish Mission style church (Mayflower) in Minneapolis just off of 35W, this is one of the most highly regarded Russian art museums in the country. The beautiful building is an unorthodox place for such a collection, but it really is the highlight of the experience. The main room has a high ceiling where you can see up to the pieces on the second level. There is also a lower level (it housed photography when I was there) for temporary exhibits, and a beautiful gift shop complete with complimentary hot beverages.
The art itself is impressive because Russian art tends to be vastly different from other places in Europe. The role of the strict goverment definitely plays a role in many of the pieces, as does industry, struggle, and hard work. It truly represents many aspects of Russian history. Some may not find such pieces as aesthetically pleasing, but it is equally as powerful.
I should mention a couple things for first time visitors… First, parking is free in the lot across the street. Secondly, if you are a student, you can get in free by showing your ID. And lastly, they have a strict NO PHOTOGRAPHY policy. The building is very photogenic and I would have loved to have shot in there, but sadly, it’s not allowed.
Pros: Free parking lot, excellent art collection, beautiful building, student discount, gift shop, friendly staff
Cons: No photography, collection isnt very large in terms of the number of pieces

Why aren’t all museums the size of TMORA? At other museums, you feel that you’re being dismembered! Your two feet and two eyes are the four horses to which you are chained to get quarted. Your eyes wishing to see every single object and your feet dreaming the exit door and a sofa pull you in opposite directions and they don’t settle down unless you’re torn up! But at TMORA, your eyes and feet are at peace. You could spend more-​than-​enough time on the art work in all galleries and still get out of «the only Russian art museum in North America» in one piece.
I like most of their Soviet era art exhibitions and especially enjoyed «The Art of Vasili Nechitailo» exhibition a couple of years ago. Also, the handcrafted works of art at Izba Gift Store located at the mezzanine level of the museum are fun to watch, yet very expensive to buy.

I live in California but visit my daughter in Minneapolis twice a year. I was so favorably impressed the first time I went to the Museum of Russian Art that I became a member on the spot. Since then, whenever I’m in Minneapolis, I make it a point to go to the museum at least twice: once to see all the exhibits and later to look more carefully at my favorites works. The museum also sponsors excellent lectures and musical programs.

The gallery space is fantastic, open and airy and so peaceful. I always seem to find something new to view on each visit. Staff are friendly and always willing to answer questions. You could put a visit here together with a visit to the Mpls Museum and have a fine day of art and culture. Well worth checking out.

I really had a wonderful time at TMORA. I used a Groupon to go with a friend on a blustery December afternoon. The museum is a converted church, and you can tell immediately from the vault-​like ceilings that this used to be, indeed, a house of worship. There were two exhibits going on, the one downstairs showcased porcelain ware used during the reign of Romanovs. I was particularly tickled by this since I was just watching the benign, cartoon version of «Anastasia» the day before; needless to say, I spent a few minutes longer around Nicholas II’s pieces than with the other Romanovs. It was amazing how exquisitely well-​kept the porcelain were. The rest of the museum showcased its current exhibition of The Art of Vasili Nechitailo, a 20^th century artist who mostly did oil-​on-​canvas pieces of the Russian farmland and Steppe. I’m not an art expert, but it was nice to see painting that I could actually appreciate with my naked eyes, not my third (and a tad pretentious) eye that you need for those über-​modern paintings. The museum store was in Christmas mode, with a couple of trees decked with the most adorable ornaments. I was so tempted to buy the Russian Dolls, since it reminded me of the ones we had back in my grandparents’ home in the Philippines. Unfortunately, they were expensive (i.e. $ 83 for a small, hand-​crafted piece), so I opted for a magnet that resembled a Russian Doll.
Overall, I was greatly impressed at TMORA. It’s cool that they fill 80% of their museum with traveling exhibitions, which means it’s the kind of museum you’ll want to go back to if you’re into Russian history and culture.

The Museum of Russian Art is brilliant. The space it is in is small, but it is extremely well designed. They change their exhibitions with some regularity and when I was there they had this great tiny exhibition on Russian nesting dolls that was extremely well done and beautifully designed. The other exhibitions were more stoic but also wonderfully presented. The staff I interacted with were very enthusiastic and very helpful. I would agree that the gift shop had a great selection, though it was a bit on the pricey side for me. But, they had free coffee, and you can’t beat that! Its a quick museum stop — probably 60−−90 minutes but it is very worth the visit.

Sarah T and Elizabeth S summed up the cultural attributes of this fine museum so well, I don’t think I need to give my two cents on the caliber of paintings etc.
What I do want to comment on is the museum as an event space. Absolutely spectacular. If you’re looking for a venue to host a fundraiser or throw a cocktail party, check this place out! I was here for a fundraiser for the Allen Page Foundation in which B. Clinton spoke and it was a spectacular evening.

The Museum of Russian art is housed in a wonderful space. The paintings will challenge your perceptions of what life was like in Soviet times. There are also beautiful depictions of Russian landscapes and lovely portraits of Russian people, both pre– and post-​revolution. There is currently an interesting exhibit on art restoration that shows how some of the paintings were restored.
There’s free tea in the giftshop, and hundreds of sparkly items on sale made by skilled Russian artisans. Most of the items are on the pricey side, but you won’t find them cheaper unless you fly to Moscow.
Overall, the Museum of Russian Art is an excellent way to spend an afternoon.

This is a little hidden gem of a museum located in South Minny. The building itself is a cool Spanish colonial motiff which is kind of funny since it houses Russian art…
The galleries are pretty small but that just adds to the charm of the place plus you can see all of the collection and not be too overwhelmed.
Don’t miss the gallery in the basement level. It is one of the coolest I have visited. The lights are very dim and the paintings are illuminated by overhead lights. Very dramatic and intense.
Lastly, the giftshop is amazing! I was there right after Christmas so lots of the holiday decorations were 50−60% off. Since I love international Christmas décor, I was in heaven! Great book collection that I could have easily spent all afternoon browsing… also a great collection of kids books/​toys, etc.
Two thumbs up for Russian Art!