Peter Aven is a billionaire art collector

Peter Aven is a well-known Russian billionaire, ranked 24th in the Russian Forbes 2017 Richest People Index, who heads the Board of Directors of Alfa Bank. But there is another side of the successful businessman's life that is well known to specialists in the field of painting, culture and art.

Petr Aven is a philanthropist, a passionate football fan and a collector whose art collection has been exhibited in the world's most prestigious venues. Works by famous Russian artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been exhibited at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the Royal Academy in London, the Belvedere in Vienna, the New York Museum of Modern Art, and other prestigious venues.

It is not surprising that Petr Aven's collections are in demand; his collection includes works by Kandinsky and Serov, Korovin and Chagall, Petrov-Vodkin and other artists considered international classics.

Why are Petr Aven's collections highly appreciated by experts and considered the best collections of Russian artists' works in the world? It's quite simple - a systematic approach to enriching the collection, but most importantly, his personal feelings and preferences were key guiding factors for Aven. The collection includes still lifes, portraits, landscapes and other artistic genres in which famous masters worked.

In addition to paintings, Petr Aven has also amassed the most complete and unique collection of Soviet porcelain, which, although considered complete to date, is regularly supplemented with new unique exhibits. For example, a plate with the autograph of Shchekotikhina-Pototsoy or the expected addition to the collection of a Chekhonin dish (negotiations are underway with the owner of this unique object).

Another direction that attracts Aven the collector is Abramtsevo ceramics. The exhibits of this collection were made by Russian masters at the end of the 19th century and each of them is considered a genuine work of decorative and applied art.

Today, paintings and objects from Aven's collections can be seen in the world's largest museums, including the Tretyakovka and other prominent venues. Aven is planning to open a private museum in Riga to display the best works from his unique collections.

In an extensive interview for ARTANDHOUSES, Petr Aven spoke in detail about his collection and his plans to open his own museum.