A collection of 78 Russian icons, which had been assembled by members of the Medici and Lorraine dynasties, has become part of the Uffizi Gallery's standing exposition.

The Uffizi gallery is one of the most important Italian museums, as well as one of the largest and best known museums in the world. It holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. After the Medici dynasty died out, their art collections were given to the city of Florence.

Uffizi Galleries’ director, Eike Schmidt, officiated the opening ceremony of the Uffizi Museum of Russian Icons. He claimed this is the oldest collection of Russian icons outside of Russia. It has have never been exhibited before, but for several of its items, which were displayed only at temporary exhibitions.

"For us Italians, this is certainly one of the most important collections," said section curator Daniela Parenti. "It is also a rare case for Europe." She pointed out that many of the works date back to the 16th - 18th centuries. The curator also mentioned that another large collection of Russian icons is kept in the city of Vicenza.

The halls of the former residence of the great dukes of Tuscany, the Pitti Palace, were allocated for the section of Russian art. As noted by Parenti, the choice in favor of this place was not accidental. “We know these icons were previously in the Pitti Palace, so it seemed appropriate to bring them back to this environment,” she concluded.