I. A. Veprev was the most well-known expert in the Shemogod birch bark craft. His works enjoyed wide popularity and gained fame to Shemogod birch bark.

Birch bark played an important role in the life of peasants in the North of Russia. It was widely used by people in Siberia and the Far East. One could not picture peasant life without birch bark.

Birch bark items present an original form of folk arts and crafts. Russian handicraftsmen made great use of birch bark properties.

The art of wood painting has its peculiar features and characteristics typical for various regions of Russia. Our ancestors adorned their household items, such distaffs, boards, chests, and on other wooden utensils.

Lots of churches in Vyatka (Kirov) have preserved iconostases, which are monuments of applied art. They owe high artistic value to the skill of local woodcarvers. Canonic requirements, stylistic Moscow trends and local artistic preferences gave rise to the original works of art in Vyatka.

The art of woodcarving has been known in Russia for ages. Village and town wooden houses in Old Russia were traditionally decorated with wood carved elements.

In the late 19th century about forty people worked as burr craftsmen. The city of Vyatka (modern Kirov) was the centre of the burr craft. Some more burr workshops were located in the Shcherbinka and Troitsk districts and manufactured mostly cheap burr items.

Throughout centuries craftsmen of the Vyatka lands (Kirov Region nowadays) were engaged in wood processing. It is no wonder they laid the foundation to the unique burr craft.

Satirical graphic art works released both as independent series or albums and in journals played a special role in the history of Russian lithography. The satirical series Lost but Lovely Creatures by A.I. Lebedev enjoyed wide popularity in due time.

Copperplate engraving was extremely job-laden and painstaking and so it was used less and less in the 19th century. The artist I.P. Pozhalostin was one of its last adherents in Russia.

After the reign of Peter I was over the engraving art ceased to serve the purposes of documentary and educational character. Engraving masters resorted to Baroque art instead.

The earliest samples of Russian engraving date back to the mid 16th century. It was metal plate engraving and wood-cut printing. This type of art was called into existence thanks to development of book publishing, and the first prints were used for decorating church books.

Kozhlyansky Clay Toy was one of the best-known folk toy crafts until the October Revolution of 1917.

Khludnevsky clay toy is a traditional Russian folk craft in the Kaluga Region. It was named after the Village of Khludnevo, where it was started.

The Stary Oskol clay toy is a folk art handicraft in the Stary Oskol District of the Belgorod Region. It has been known since the early 18th century.

It is the oldest painting on this list of recent art auction records. Really, gala portraits by Vladimir Borovikovsky, such as portraitist of Catherine the Great and Pavel the First, are art works of museum level and can rarely be found at the auctions.

The fervent representative of the Jack of Diamonds (Bubnovy Valet) art group of the bygone era just lately got into top auction ratings. It is very strange that such a vigorous and powerful master was bypassed for such a long time.

The list of the most expensive paintings according to results of world auctions opens with Paul Cezanne’s work and goes on with Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon. Russian paintings are presented in the top list with one work by Kazimir Malevich.

F.M. Dostoyevsky Academic Drama Theater was founded in Novgorod in 1853, though the first permanent theater was opened in the city 28 years prior to that.

The Tarelka Hotel stands right on the Mount Moussa-Achitara, at the height of 2260 meters above sea level. It is a really unique object of Dombai.