The Museum of Russian Art was established in 2002 by Susan and Raymond Johnson who are collectors of Russian art. Starting in 1990, they acquired over 10,000 pieces of art. They frequently donated pieces to different museums, universities, and in other culturally-relevant events/institutions.

When they realized what a treasure they had in their collection of Soviet-era Russian art, they wanted to preserve the collection and allow others to enjoy it as well. To that end, they founded The Museum of Russian Art in 2002 in Bloomington. It moved from its original location to where it is now in 2005.

The collection includes 20th-century paintings, of course, but it has so much more than that. It has textiles, lacquer art, Matryoshka dolls, art by Russian emigres, and much more.

In addition, the museum offers lextures seminars, and other educational opporturities that are related to Russian art.