Museum of Old Petersburg

The Museum of Old Petersburg was an example of the attempts of the World of Art to resurrect the forgotten art of the eighteenth century. In spring 1907, Alexander Benois founded a Commission for the Study and Description of Old Petersburg at the Society of Architects and Artists. At the end of the year, the commission announced its intention of opening a museum. The collection was largely formed from private donations between 1908 and 1909 and housed at 21 Cadet Line – the home of Count Pavel Süsor, chairman of the Society of Architects and Artists. Alexander Benois was the first chairman, while other former members of the World of Art sat on the board. Yevgeny Lanceray designed the museum’s notepaper and envelopes in 1912, combining the coat of arms of Peter the Great, images of St Petersburg, architectural designs and maps in a Baroque composition.