The collection of the Department of Russian Culture consists of over 300,000 items and reflects a thousand-year Russian history. Icons and articles of artistic handicraft represent the inner world and way of life of ancient Rus. The items of Peter the Great's time illustrate the epoch of important transformations. Works by celebrated masters of the 18th century enable us to appreciate the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna and the grandeur of Catherine the Great.
A unique work, the War Gallery in the Winter Palace was created in commemoration of the victory in the 1812 Patriotic War. The original palace interiors contain numerous works of art of the period from the 19th to early 20th centuries, many of which belonged to the tsar's family.
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