A new multimedia exhibition, “St. Petersburg. Living Canvases,” has opened at Lakhta Hall, inviting visitors to experience the city’s rich history through animated artworks. The exhibition, which runs until September 2025, uses advanced technology to bring paintings and engravings from the Russian Museum collection to life on large panoramic screens.

The exhibition is divided into four halls, each dedicated to a distinct period in St. Petersburg’s history: the city’s founding, the 18th century, the 19th century, and the 20th century. Visitors can expect to see ceremonial portraits of emperors come alive and speak, ships sailing along the Neva River in engravings, and workers marching in demonstrations.

Organizers suggest starting the experience with a visit to the Lakhta Center’s observation deck to fully grasp the exhibition’s concept. The exhibition aims to illustrate how the city’s history has led to modern landmarks like the Lakhta Center.

The collaboration with the Russian Museum, which possesses the city’s largest collection of digitized works, was crucial to the project. The museum provided artworks specifically related to St. Petersburg’s development, which were then combined into a cohesive narrative by professional guides.

Approximately twenty people worked on the project, including voice actors for the narration and the voices of historical figures. Artificial intelligence was used for a portion of the work. The exhibition faced challenges including the limited availability of high-quality digitized material, the complexity of animating detailed artworks, and the difficulty of condensing St. Petersburg’s extensive history into a one-hour experience.