"Manege" exhibition hall, acting as an organizer of major art exhibits, has over twenty five years of its existence acquired the role of a cultural center within St. Petersburg. Fruitful long-term cooperation ties "Manege" with the museums of St. Petersburg and of its surroundings.
   Besides orgainizing exhibits, "Manege" has for ten years been involved in collecting art. The results of these efforts are embodied in an extensive collection of modern art works, which includes over 1,500 pieces of art. Among these there are paintings, sculptures, works of graphic, decorative and applied arts, objects and installations created by St. Petersburg artists. The collection is renowned in artistic circles. Works are continuously added to it by St. Petersburg artists and their heirs, who grant their works to the exhibition hall as gifts. The collection also increases as a result of St. Petersburg Administration Committee's on Culture and the exhibition hall's own buying activities.
   "Manege" exhibition hall's collection reflects the history of development of fine arts in St. Petersburg after the 1920's in a rather varied and many-sided way.
   The part of the collection representing the first three decades of the 20th century aims at demonstrating the roots of the artistic tradition which nurtured modern St. Petersburg art. This includes the works of such artists as V. Belakovskaya, V. Proshkin, L. Yudin, V. Sulimo-Samauillo, and others. "The Circle of Artists" group is represented by paintings and graphic arts works by A. Pakhomov, D. Zagoskin, A. Pochtenny and L. Volshtein. The 1940's and 50's are reflected in the works of such artists as K. Rudakov, V. Grinberg and I. Lizak.
   The period engulfing the 1960's and 70's is represented in the collection rather abundantly, this includes works of such underground Leningrad artists as A. Arefiev, R. Vasmi, V. Shagin and Sh. Schwartz. Works by I. Ivanov, A. Manusov and A. Basin remind of a distinct current in modern alternative art, associated with two famous St. Petersburg exhibits in 1974 and 1975.
   Creative unions which have been formed inside the official Soviet Artists' Association are represented in "Manege" by some first-class works of art. This is true of "The Eleven" (Z. Arkashuni, G. Egoshin, V. Vatenin, V. Teterin, and others) and of the "8-Stair" group (A. Zaslavsky, L. Dobashina, L. Lanets, V. Mishin, V. Dolgopolov, and others).
   The period which began when political reform started in Russia is reflected in the works of members of the Experimental Fine Art Brotherhood, of "Mitki" and "Kochevye" groups, as well as by certain individual artists.
   The objectives of "Manege" exhibition center's work are distinctly different from those of the State Russian Museum, also involved in collecting modern art. While the Russian Museum's approach is largely retrospective and does not aim at creating a permanent collection, using modern art works mostly for thematic exhibits, the "Manege"'s goal is to create a permanent collection which will become the future St. Petersburg Museum of Modern Art. "Manege" exhibition center concentrates on collecting works that are characteristic of specifically St. Petersburg art, rather than the art of Russia in general.
   Marina Borisovna Jigarkhanian is the current Chief of "Manege" exhibition hall's Department of Modern Art.

   "Manege" exhibition hall's photo album

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