Currently, the Russian Museum is run by the Summer and Mikhailovsky Gardens, the Mikhailovsky Castle Garden and the Engineering Square. For many residents and visitors of the city, this is still an unexpected surprise, and the garden of the Russian Museum has been there since its foundation.
In 1895, the treasury bought from the heirs of the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhaylovna Mikhailovsky Palace with a garden. In the premises of the palace on March 19, 1898, the exposition of the Russian Museum opens, and the Mikhailovsky Garden becomes the museum’s garden. Every year 600 rubles were allocated for its maintenance, but these funds were not enough. Every year the administration of the museum added to the care of the garden up to 700 rubles from other sources.
Mikhailovsky Garden was open for public walks in the summer months, a playground for children was organized in the garden. The order in the garden was watched by two watchmen, and in the summer months also a policeman. In the state of the museum until 1922 there was a senior gardener, under his leadership there were 5 garden workers and women workers. In the north-western part of the garden there was a greenhouse with greenhouses, in which flowers were grown for the summer garden decoration in front of the Mikhailovsky Palace. In the greenhouse, flowers were also grown for sale by Easter. The last time the plants were sold in the Mikhailovsky Garden for Easter in 1917.
In 1907, 30 oaks were planted along the garden paths from the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood. Every year, for planting in the garden, decorative bushes were bought: lilacs, roses. In the winter time, a skating rink was arranged on the pond of Mikhailovsky Gardens.
In 1918, the garden of the Russian Museum (former Mikhailovsky), then called the Mikhailovsky Garden, was closed to the public. In the garden, vegetable gardens for the staff of the museum were trebled. In the greenhouses, vegetable seedlings were grown for the needs of the Central Council of the National Economy.
In 1922 the Mikhailovsky Garden was transferred to the Garden and Park Administration of the city of Petrograd, and the garden was opened for visitors. The administration of the Russian Museum opposes this decision and for a number of years fights for the return of the garden in vain. In the late 20-ies of the XX century Mikhailovsky Garden finally become an urban garden.

Mikhailovsky Garden. General plan in 1895 VA RA.

The plan of the place belonging to the Russian Museum, 1919.

The Easter table, the artist A.V. Makovsky, 1915-1916

Garden of the Russian Museum (former Mikhailovsky), a fragment of a photo of 1920.

Garden of the Russian Museum (former Mikhailovsky), photo 1929.