St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture and Architecture (file photo)

Top 2: St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture and Architecture

The Repin Institute of Fine Arts, or I. Repin St. Petersburg State Academy Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, is one of the oldest and biggest higher art institutions in all of Russia. It was established in 1757 on the initiative of Ivan Shuvalov, a noted Maecenas of that time, to promote the development of Russia's fine arts. The Institute has since spawned a galaxy of talent, including many great Russian painters and architects.