The Novosibirsk State Art Museum on Lenin Square has a collection that punches above what you might expect from a Siberian city. The core strength is Russian painting from the 18th to 20th centuries — Realist landscapes, Socialist Realist canvases, icons — supplemented by a collection of Western European art, including some pieces originally evacuated here from Leningrad museums during the Second World War and never returned.
The museum is small enough to cover in a couple of hours without fatigue. The building itself is an example of the Stalinist neoclassical style that followed the Constructivist buildings of the early Soviet period — heavy columns, high ceilings, a certain ceremonial solemnity. Check current exhibition schedules; the temporary show programme has become more interesting in recent years.