The State Russian Museum is the largest museum of Russian art in the world. It is situated in Saint Petersburg in the Mikhailovsky Palace. The building of the museum is another example of Saint Petersburg’s posh architecture. It was first built by Nicholas II in honour of his father Alexander III. The original name of the museum was the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III. At the moment the museum contains more than 390 000 items of art, among them 5000 icons. The museum also has a large collection of books, more than 170 000 items.
