Hillwood Museum (Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens) is a museum in Washington, D.C. It boasts one of the finest collections of Russian art in the West.

The museum's collection was assembled by American heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. From 1935 to 1955, she was married for the third time to American diplomat Joseph Davies and lived with him in Moscow from 1937 to 1938. As a holder of a large collection of Western European art, she visited antique and consignment shops in Moscow, where she acquired antiques, paintings, icons, church vestments, and porcelain. In the 1940s, upon returning to the U.S., Post began acquiring Russian art pieces in New York, London, and Paris.

She later decided to turn her home into a museum. After her death, the house and art collection were transferred to a special foundation.

The Russian collection includes:

- Konstantin Makovsky's painting "The Boyar Wedding Feast";
- Karl Bryullov's painting "Countess Samoilova and Her Adopted Daughter";
- portraits of the Russian imperial family;
- porcelain from the Catherine era;
- church utensils;
- icons;
- silver bowls;
- over 80 Fabergé items, including two Fabergé eggs;
- the coronation crown of Alexandra Feodorovna

#usa #america #russiansinusa #washington @ Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens