ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Im perial 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 train ing 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 establish ing 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 esthetic necessities. Empress Elisabeth Petrovna went a step fur ther 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 aris tocracy lived at St. Petersburg, it was definitely decided by the Senate (1757) to establish the Academy of Fine Arts (Akadyemiya Hudo chesty) in that capital, and a sum of 6,000 roubles was appropriated to that effect. Pro fessors of painting and sculpture were mostly French, but it was Russian Shevakinski to whom the chair of architecture was first en trusted and who secured permission from the Empress to move from her palace to the Acad emy 100 of the finest paintings, which consti tuted the first picture gallery in that institu tion. But the small appropriation of 6,000 roubles was soon exceeded and the deficit was repaired by Shuvalov from his private purse.
Shuvalov directed the Academy most success fully for six years and, after the death of Empress Elisabeth, he retired and for the fol lowing 30 years the Academy was entrusted to the care of Betzki, who secured a constitu tion 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 placed 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 ad ministration, 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 Acad emy prospered considerably; the budget was increased, a greater number of students were sent abroad (especially to Rome) and a new constitution was granted (30 Aug. 1859) where by the program of education was radically changed. The yearly budget was increased to 72,626 roubles and, besides the duty of pre paring and training the students of art, the Academy now began to organize, at regular in tervals, 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.
W. M. Frivol/1.nm, Chief of the Slavonic Division, New York Public Library.