The great sculptor Ernst Neizvestny, one of the most famous natives of Yekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk, was honored in 2013 when the first museum in Russia dedicated to his life and work opened in his hometown, coinciding with the master's 88th birthday.

The modern museum's exhibition features etchings from the series "The Fate of the Artist," sculptures, graphics, jewelry, archival documents, and personal belongings of Neizvestny. Some exhibits were gifted by the master himself, while others were donated by fellow artists.

The Neizvestny Museum is located on one of the oldest streets in the city, in the Petelina memorial house, opposite the residence of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Ural Federal District.

The contemporary exhibition of the Ernst Neizvestny Museum occupies two floors and consists of five thematic halls.

Hall No. 1, "Ernst Neizvestny. A Man of the World"

The first hall presents information about the life of the famous sculptor. Here, visitors can watch the film "The Bronze Age of Ernst Neizvestny" and view portraits created by Ural artist G. S. Mosin in 1963, Russian graphic artist B. I. Zhutovsky in 1975, and portraitist I. S. Aydarov in 2009.

Hall No. 2, "Ernst Neizvestny. Philosophy of Creativity"

This hall is dedicated to Neizvestny's work "The Heart of Christ," the original of which is located in the Vatican Museum. The theme of the cross and crucifixion, key to the artist, runs through all his work. Here, visitors can also see lithographs of "The Heart of Christ" and "Crucifixion" from the 1980s-1990s.

Hall No. 3 "Creativity of the 1940s, 1960s"

This hall features the museum's largest work, the sculpture "Centauress with Child" from 1963. The exhibition reflects the theme of the synthesis of the human and non-human, or "second nature" of man, in Neizvestny's work. Here, visitors can also see works such as "Hand," "Man-Robot," "Atomic Explosion," "Step," and "Wounded Soldier." The sculpture "Two Faces" was created under the impression of the destruction of the exhibition at the Manege in 1962, after which the sculptor left Russia.

Hall No. 4 "Creativity in the First Half of the 1970s"

This hall presents not only sculptures but also book illustrations by Ernst Neizvestny. Real publications are complemented by a virtual selection of engravings on a video panel. Here, visitors can also see the graphic series "Fate. The Fate of the Artist," a kind of artistic diary of Neizvestny's feelings and thoughts. More than 20 works were gifted to the museum by the author himself.

Hall No. 5 "Creativity of the Second Half of the 1970s, 2000s"

The final hall is dedicated to works created by Neizvestny during his emigration to the USA. The video wall features easel works of the master that are absent from the museum, as well as large monumental works, including his main work, "Tree of Life," a sculptural composition installed in the atrium of the Bagratyonn pedestrian and traffic bridge in Moscow.