20th Century Art Museum

"The art museum is on the second floor, and the local history museum is on the first floor. There's only one ticket office, so you need to buy tickets for both. Once you get to the second floor, you realize that the paintings here are truly of artistic value. There aren't many, but the entrance fee is symbolic. Aivazovsky is the most prolific artist, and you can find him here. Makovsky is also often found in the art galleries, and I love his style. Basically, there's a little bit of Polenov and Shishkin. But that's quite impressive for a small regional city like Ulyanovsk."

Sergo Kuzovkin

"Good day everyone! We, local residents and friends, decided to visit our favorite museum for the first time since its renovation on Tuesday, September 16th! Upon entering, we saw the beautiful and very friendly ladies working the cloakroom and ticket office, as well as the attendants. They immediately lifted our spirits, explained the rules, set us in a beautiful mood, and answered all our questions, demonstrating their knowledge and expertise! We thoroughly enjoyed viewing familiar paintings and exhibits, and also got to explore the newly opened exhibition! We'd love to do it again, but this time with a guide... A big thank you to the museum staff, and I wish you good health and many more visitors!"

Светлана Когтина

"The house-monument to the writer Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov is a cultural heritage site. The idea for this monument was born in the early twentieth century, specifically in 1910. Funds for the construction of this monument were raised through petitions sent throughout Russia and abroad.
Construction began in 1912. Three years later, it was completed. Initially planned as a museum, it soon housed the Karamzin Public Library, and the rest was given over to the infirmary of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union. In 1918,
it housed the United People's Museum, later renamed the Museum of Local History.
The Art Museum occupied the second floor of this magnificent building only in 1932.
Currently, the first floor is occupied by the Museum of Local History, and the second floor by the Art Museum. Since I'm more interested in art history than in local history, I chose to visit the Art Museum.
The Art Museum, as I mentioned earlier, is located on the second floor, and a magnificent grand staircase leads into the museum from the central vestibule. Exhibition halls are located to the left and right of the central hall, with antechambers on the eastern side. The halls are decorated with a variety of stucco moldings and original doorway designs.
The museum's collection contains unique collections of Russian and Western European paintings, sculptures, and graphic works from the 16th to 20th centuries.
The collection apparently began to develop during the Bolshevik nationalization of the property of Simbirsk nobles, industrialists, and merchants.
Many works by unknown artists, likely serfs, are present.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the museum was actively replenished with artefacts from the State Museum Fund, the Pushkin House of the Academy of Sciences, and the State Hermitage Museum. The collection continues to expand. Admission to the museum costs 1 euro. Oddly enough, the museum is apparently funded by the regional Ministry of Culture.
There's an audio guide for almost every painting.
It's not crowded. Tickets can be purchased at the museum box office and online on the museum's official website.

Photography, video recording with professional equipment, and flash photography are prohibited in the museum.
Mobile phone photography is permitted without the use of stabilizers or tripods.
I definitely enjoyed the art museum. I highly recommend it."

Vitalij Lasman