The Fine Arts Museum holds one of the stronger provincial art collections in Russia, covering Russian and European painting from the 17th century to the 20th. The Russian Imperial-era works are the highlight — landscapes and realist paintings from the 19th century that capture the scale and character of the steppe and the Don basin.
There are also holdings of Western European paintings, prints, and decorative arts, plus changing contemporary exhibitions. The museum is housed in a handsome 19th-century mansion in the city centre. It tends to be quiet — an enjoyable contrast to the crowded museums of Moscow and St Petersburg.