Russia in Florence

Florence has always been tightly connected with Russia throughout the centuries.

An ideal itinerary representing this bond must necessarily start from the beautiful Russian Orthodox Church situated in Via Leone X, close to Fortezza da Basso.

Starting from the 19th century, many important Russian artists and writers have spent part of their life in Florence. Fedor Dostoevskij - an assiduous attender at Gabinetto Vieusseux - finished writing “The idiot”, during one of his long stays in the city (1869), in a flat right in front of Pitti Palace. Pëtr Il'ič Čajkovskij, who also loved Florence, finished composing “The Queen of Spades” in Villa Bonciani, his house in via San Leonardo 64, where he spent many years. More recently, famous director Andrej Tarkovskij was also highly attracted to Florence and Tuscany. Many marble plaques affixed to the walls of Florentine houses  commemorate these people. A lot of Russian personalities, part of the local Russian community, are buried in the Cimitero agli Allori.

The Demidoffs, rich Russian industrialists, moved to Florence in 1819 and left many traces of their power and influence in the city and its neighborhoods, including the Medici park of Pratolino, named Villa Demidoff after its owners, and the monument by Lorenzo Bartolini, which can be admired in Piazza Demidoff in Oltrarno district. Not much is left of their magnificent Villa di San Donato in Polverosa (in Novoli district), but many of its treasures can be still admired in the Orthodox Church as well as in the Stibbert Museum.

In addition, not to miss, a permanent exhibition of Russian icons has recently opened to the public in Pitti Palace.

If you are interested in an introduction to our city in Cyrillic, visit this link.