The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Academy of Fine Arts, Imperial Russian

ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Imperial Russian, was first established in a primitive form by the great Emperor Peter I, who, realizing the civilizing power of such institutions, invited to St. Petersburg notable artists in all branches for the purpose of training young Russian aspirants in the arts, or sent abroad those who desired to perfect themselves in painting and sculpture. It was only Empress Catherine II, who, in establishing the Imperial Russian Academy of Science (q. v.), introduced into that institution the teaching of painting and sculpture from other and more progressive countries. While it was unable to produce at once great masters, it certainly succeeded in propagating the history of fine arts and in supplying a few remarkable reproductions from French, Italian, Spanish and German masters, thus acquainting the Russian public with the æsthetic necessities. Empress Elisabeth Petrovna went a step further by separating the School of Fine Arts from the Academy of Science, which act was amplified by Shuvalov, who submitted to the Empress plans for the establishment at the Moscow University of a Faculty of Fine Arts. However, as the court and the Russian aristocracy lived at St. Petersburg, it was definitely decided by the Senate (1757) to establish the Academy of Fine Arts (Akadyemiya Hudozhestv) in that capital, and a sum of 6,000 roubles was appointed to that effect. Professors of painting and sculpture were mostly French, but it was the Russian Shevakinski to whom the chair of architecture was first entrusted and who secured permission from the Empress to move from her palace to the Academy 100 of the finest paintings, which constituted the first picture gallery in that institution. But the small appropriation of 6,000 roubles was soon exceeded and the deficit was repaired by Shuvalov from his private purse. Shukalov directed the Academy most successfully for six years and, after the death of Empress Elisabeth, he retired and for the following 30 years the Academy was entrusted to the care of Betzki, who secured a constitution and a charter of rights and privileges. Under the direction of Kokorinov the first public exposition of the Academy took place in 1765 to the marvel of the visitors. In 1812 the Academy was places under the Ministry of Public Education whereby the financial state of the institution was greatly improved. The president of the Academy, A. L. Oleninyi, in order to check the rising criticism of the administration, published a short history of the Academy embracing the period from 1764 to 1829, which showed a crying inadequacy of the administration and caused the Academy to be transferred to the Ministry of the Imperial Court. Under this new protectorate the Academy prospered considerably; the budget was increase, a greater number of students were sent abroad (especially to Rome) and a new constitution was granted (30 Aug. 1859) whereby the program of education was radically changed. The yearly budget was increased to 72,626 roubles and, besides the duty of preparing and training the students of art, the Academy now began to organize, at regular intervals, public expositions, and an art museum was also established. The complete course of study in either of the two divisions of the Academy (painting-sculpture and architecture) lasts five years and the number of students in the last decade varied from 500 to 1,000, of which number about 10 per cent were women.