The Permanent Collection Gallery

Akhmed A. Kitaev
Among the Birch Trees, 1962
Oil on canvas
Gift of Eric Lorentzen, 2016
TMORA Permanent Collection

In the two decades since its establishment, TMORA has built a remarkably diverse permanent collection of works, ranging from paintings and sculpture to objects of folk art and cultural artifacts. Beginning with the 2002 donation of seven paintings from the Museum’s founders, the collection has grown at a fast pace, reaching thirteen thousand items in 2022. Initially a collection of paintings, TMORA’s holdings have branched off to map the rich cultural landscapes of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. TMORA’s unique and extensive collections include Soviet-era posters, nonconformist art from the post-WWII Soviet era, holiday ornaments, 20th-century nesting dolls, collections of early 20th century peasant woodwork crafts, portraits of an aristocratic Russian family that fled revolutionary Russia, collections of figurines from major Soviet porcelain factories, postage stamps and currency, lacquer boxes, samovars, folk clay toys, and more. These have been increasingly useful in mounting exhibitions from TMORA’s own holdings, rather than having to depend upon loaned works for the display in the Museum’s four galleries. 95% of the collections originate from Russia within its 1991 borders.

The Permanent Collection Gallery will rotate works of art from the Museum’s holdings every year.