The Museum of 20th–21st Century Art of St Petersburg (MASP) is a one-of-a-kind cultural institution with a unique character. What sets MASP apart from any other St Petersburg museum and stakes out its claim to a niche in Russia’s cultural terrain is its display, promotion, and research of the fine artwork and historic and contemporary art trends that originated here.

The museum was officially established in December 2015 as a branch of the Manege Central Exhibition Hall. However, this important for the city event was preceded by a lengthy existence of the collection itself, on which basis a new state cultural institution appeared – MASP.

The actual collection dates back to the year 1991, when the Culture Committee of the St Petersburg Mayor’s Office set the wheels in motion to found a new museum. The mission to put the collection together was entrusted to the Manege Central Exhibition Hall, whose team had for many years successfully handled the entire range of challenging tasks for the acquisition, recording, storage, and study of artworks. MASP’s collection currently numbers nearly 12,000 exhibits.

The complex of buildings, housing the Museum, consists of separate architectural structures grouped around the courtyard.

The museum carries out extensive exhibition activities drawing on its own collection and organising temporary displays on four sites of the main building.

In summer, the museum uses its inner courtyard as a venue for all manner of cultural events and exhibition initiatives.

The museum also sends its treasures on tour, staging exhibitions across Russia and abroad.

MASP also runs an educational centre, which offers a wide-ranging educational programme consisting of talks, workshops, creative seminars, and roundtable debates.

As part of its research work, the museum publishes books about its collection and releases updates on its exhibitions and educational projects.

MASP is situated at 103, Griboyedov Canal in the historic centre of St Petersburg, a two-minute walk from the legendary Mariinsky Theatre, the St Nicholas Naval Cathedral of the Epiphany, Yusupov Palace, and other iconic St Petersburg landmarks.

Café Constable, with its creatively designed interior, serves as both a place to rest during museum visits and to peruse and purchase souvenirs.

The café expands in the summer, moving its tables into the inner courtyard, where visitors can relax in the fresh air while sipping on cold beverages. In winter Café Constable helps its visitors to keep warm by playing vinyl records from its own collection.

There is also gift and book shop with a wide range of goods in the museum cloakroom area.