Erarta dedicates itself exclusively to contemporary art (by definition, that which has been created between 1945 and present time), which does not include famous masters such as Malevich, Kandinsky, or the genre of Russian Constructivism of the 1920s which all fall into the modern art era (1860–1945). Our aim is to show the world that Russia is still home to extremely talented and authentic artists whose work deserves to be admired by the widest possible audience. With the passing of time, contemporary works of art become ‘classic’ – for example, like those created by Warhol, and we believe that many works from our collection, created in their majority by living Russian artists, will also become ingrained in the fabric of the history of art. This is because they all have deep meaning and their creators have something worthy to tell the viewers and their impulse will find resonance with both today’s public and future generations. As far as art forms go, painting, collage, sculpture, object, installation, video art, and science art are represented in the collection that is on display in the Museum Wing, while temporary shows in the Exhibitions Wing also often showcase other forms.

Each work in the museum collection must meet three criteria simultaneously: firstly, we must truly love it; secondly, we must truly believe it’s an outstanding piece of art – the kind of work that is on the level of those that go on to be recognised among the best pieces of their era. And thirdly, we must clearly be able to explain to our viewers why we believe the first two viewpoints apply. Erarta’s permanent collection currently contains over 2800 contemporary works of art by more than 300 artists.

Absolutely not. All our staff speak English and we put in a huge amount of effort to make sure our foreign guests enjoy their experience. All our content is translated into English, including signage, labels, wall texts, videos, menus, etc. Also, we’re one of the few institutions in St. Petersburg who don’t charge foreign visitors a higher admission fee. We want Erarta to feel like home away from home for you so dispel all fears and come on down!