The State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan is among the largest and most renowned art museums in Russia. Its collection includes paintings, sculptures, graphics, theatrical decoration, and decorative applied arts from Western European schools of the 16th and 19th centuries of the classical type, Russian art from the 16th to the 20th centuries, as well as Soviet and Tatar visual and decorative applied arts. The museum possesses a unique collection of icons transferred from the cathedrals of Sviyazhsk, and the largest collection of works by N. I. Feshin in Russia, a well-known master of Impressionism and Modernism. Some exhibits are on permanent display, while others can be seen at temporary exhibitions. The museum's collection numbers over 26,000 exhibits and is considered one of the most extensive in the Volga region.

The history of the museum dates back to the late 19th century when it was part of the painting gallery of the State Museum of the TASSR, with the first collection donated by archaeologist A. F. Likhachev according to his will. The museum was established in 1958 by order of the Ministry of Culture of Russia based on the painting gallery of the State Museum of the TASSR. In 1967, the museum was housed in a mansion from the early 20th century, which previously served as the residence of the commander of the Kazan Military District, General A. G. Sandetsky. The museum includes the mansion with the main exhibition, a park, a scientific archive, a Resource Center for the Creative Development of Children and Adolescents, a conference hall, and storage buildings.

Since 2005, the National Art Gallery 'Khasinè', located in the Kazan Kremlin, has become a structural subdivision of the museum, and in 2009, the Gallery of Contemporary Art of the GMIIR Tatarstan joined them. In 2016, the first Cultural and Exhibition Center of the Russian Museum was opened on its basis, which includes the Resource Center for the Creative Development of Children and Adolescents and the 'Russian Museum: Virtual Branch' with an informational and educational focus.