The Republican Museum of Fine Arts in Petrozavodsk was founded in 1960 based on the art collection of the largest local history museum in the region.

The museum's permanent exhibitions are located in the historic building of a gymnasium built in 1790, whose facade faces Kirov Square, previously known as Sobornaya. In 2001, the building was renovated and adapted for the needs of the museum. Today, this exhibition complex is one of the main museums in Petrozavodsk and all of Karelia.

In October 2020, renovations were completed, during which windows and entrance doors were replaced, the facade was updated, and the entrance area and exhibition spaces were modernized. The museum now features convenient navigation in three languages and storage areas for personal belongings, while the hall has become more spacious.

The museum's collection, presented in the main halls, includes ancient icon painting, folk art, works from the 17th and early 20th centuries, as well as contemporary art. The collections contain about 12,000 items, and the library holds over 17,000 documents. Among the masterpieces on display are works by such masters as Vasnetsov, Shishkin, Polenov, Levitan, and others.

The museum's exhibits are divided into several thematic collections: Ancient Russian Art includes over 2,500 iconographic works collected in Karelia, primarily from Obonezhye and Western Pomorye. Examples of 16th-century icons include "The Dormition," "Deesis," and "Saints Eustathius and Tryphon." Decorative and applied art is represented by more than 2,000 exhibits, including weavings and embroidery with folk patterns. Russian art from the 13th to early 20th centuries includes paintings, graphics, and sculptures by both famous and unknown masters. Domestic art of the 20th century is represented by paintings that reveal the theme of the Russian North and Karelia. The art of Karelia in the 20th century includes thousands of exhibits reflecting the development of the region's culture. The epic "Kalevala" is represented by books, paintings, and decorative applied art. Foreign art includes paintings from the Hermitage, Meissen and Sèvres porcelain, as well as sculptures and works gifted by foreign masters.