Russian Art

In 2021 Russian Art at Christie’s achieved impressive results, attracting passionate collectors from across the globe. We are committed to maintaining a reputation in the marketplace for exceptional expertise and objects of the highest quality and provenance.

Last year, our Russian Art sales realised over £17 million, a reflection of the resilience of this dynamic category

Why Christie’s?

Our ties to Russia stretch back to the 18th century, when James Christie negotiated the sale of Sir Robert Walpole’s collection to Empress Catherine the Great. Christie’s has continued to pioneer in the category ever since: holding the first ever dedicated Fabergé sale in 1934, opening our Russian Art department in 1969, and handling the most prestigious collections in the field.

Christie’s is the auction house of choice for Russian masterpieces

Record prices for Russian masterpieces

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT COLLECTION
Kazimir Malevich (1879–1935)
Suprematist Composition, 1916

Estimate: Not published
Sold for: US$85,812,500
New York, May 2018

World auction record for a Russian painting


The Rothschild Fabergé Egg
A jewelled vari-colored gold-mounted and enamelled egg on plinth, incorporating a clock and an automaton, 1902

Estimate: £6,000,000–9,000,000
Sold for: £8,980,500
London, November 2007

World auction record for a Russian work of art


PROPERTY FROM THE SCHEIWILLER COLLECTION, ITALY
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (1878–1939)
Still life with lilac, 1928

Estimate: £1,000,000–1,500,000
Sold for: £9,286,250
London, June 2019

World record for a painting sold in a Russian Art auction


Over 70 records for leading Russian artists

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin
Valentin Serov
Natalia Goncharova
Ilya Mashkov
Ilya Repin
Boris Kustodiev
Yury Annenkov
Konstantin Somov
Vasili Vereshchagin
Vladimir Borovikovsky
Alexander Iacovleff
Vladimir Baranoff-Rossine
Aristarkh Lentulov
Vera Rockline
Aleksei Bogoliubov
Isaak Levitan
Lev Lagorio
Pavel Tchelitchew
Viktor Vasnetsov
Léon Bakst
Vasilii Shukhaev
Pavel Filonov
Appolinari Vasnetsov
Orest Kiprensky
Maria Iakunchikova
Filipp Maliavin
Alexandre Benois 
Mikhail Zichy
Karl Bryullov
Ivan Pokhitonov
Aleksandr Golovin
Stanislav Zhukovsky
Vladimir Orlovsky
Sergei Chekhonin
Dmitri Plavinsky

Prestigious collections

Christie’s has been entrusted with the sale of Russian Art from some of the world's most prestigious collections.

Global reach

Christie’s has offices and representatives in 46 countries, with 10 salerooms worldwide. Our 2021 Russian Art sales attracted over 320 registered bidders from 34 countries, including India, China and the Middle East. Last year, the Russian Art department led more than 40 new clients to bid at Christie’s.

We work closely with our colleagues in Moscow to promote the Russian Art sales to our expansive client base. Active since 1993, Christie's Moscow hosts a programme of exclusive events, designed to engage the most dedicated art lovers and cultivate fledgling collectors.

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, FRANCE
Konstantin Korovin (1861–1939)
In the garden

Estimate: £500,000–700,000
Sold for: £742,500
London, November 2021


Storytelling

Storytelling plays a key role in Christie’s promotion of Russian Art. Our collecting guides – covering everything from Soviet porcelain to Fabergé – drive a huge amount of organic traffic to christies.com, whilst one-off features highlight individual works with fascinating provenance.

An important life-size jewelled, silver and gold-mounted agate model of a dormouse
By Fabergé, St Petersburg, c.1900

Estimate: £80,000–120,000
Sold for: £225,000
London, November 2021


Social media

Christie’s audience on social media has a combined total of more than 1.8 million followers. We are the first global auction house to have launched a WeChat mini-program, offering the application’s 1 billion users easy access to auction lots — unlocking a powerful client base across Asia. Tastemakers and influencers have proven to be a powerful marketing and communications tool, highlighted by the successful collaboration with Russian jewellery influencer Katerina Perez for the Fabergé sale of the Harry Woolf collection in November 2021.

Konstantin Gorbatov (1876–1945)
The Invisible City of Kitezh

Estimate: £350,000–550,000
Sold for: £525,000
London, June 2021


International press coverage

Our dedicated press teams in London, New York and Moscow ensure that Christie’s Russian Art auctions generate significant global pre- and post-sale press coverage. Our most recent Fabergé sale of the Harry Woolf collection received 135 online and offline press coverage pieces with more than 2.7 million views.

An important jewelled gold
and platinum mosaic brooch
By Faberge, St Petersburg, c.1913

Estimate: £70,000–90,000
Sold for: £350,00
London, November 2021


Digital innovation

Christie’s uses innovative digital advertising to ensure the right messages reach the right people. Throughout 2021, we have significantly enhanced the functionalities of our website, attracting a total of 13.5 million unique visitors to christies.com

Unrivalled expertise


Our Russian Art teams in London and New York boast over 90 years of combined specialist experience. We source consignments worldwide, travelling the globe in pursuit of Russian Art of the highest calibre for auction or private sale.

Russian Art

London · 13 June
Consign by mid-April

London · 29 November
Consign by mid-September