Benois Wing, Art museum branch at Griboedov Canal Embankment, Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Benois Wing is an art museum on Griboedov Canal Embankment in Saint Petersburg with exhibitions spread across two floors. The building houses collections of artworks spanning nearly two centuries, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.
Construction began in 1914 but was interrupted by World War I and finally completed in 1919. Architects Leonty Benois and Ovsennikov created a building that later became an important part of the Russian art museum.
The wing displays works by artists such as Kandinsky and Malevich that shaped Russian modern art. Visitors can observe how artistic styles evolved from the late 19th century to today.
The Benois Wing stands at the corner of the Griboedov Canal Embankment and Inzhenernaya Street, west of the Mikhailovsky Palace. Since the postwar period a special passage links it directly to the palace, so you can move between the two buildings without going outside. Enter from the embankment side to reach the wing's exhibition halls.
The Benois Wing was founded as the Palace of Arts, intended for exhibitions by various artistic associations; in 1917 it hosted a large show of the Community of Artists marking 45 years of Ilya Repin's creative work. A special passage to the Mikhailovsky Palace was added only in the post-war period.
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