Collections from Russian palace museum on display in Beijing

An exhibition displaying more than 200 pieces of art works and collections from a Russian palace museum opened Thursday in Beijing's Summer Palace.

The exhibits from Peterhof State Museum Preserve include oil paintings, furniture, silverware, clothing, books and toys, showing imperial life and exquisite craftsmanship from the Romanov Dynasty in the 18th and 19th centuries, organizers said.

Exhibits also include portraits of 14 Russian czars, including those of the Peter the Great and Catherine II.

The exhibition, which will run through October 9, aims to promote the mutual understanding of Russian and Chinese cultures, according to the Summer Palace in Beijing, which signed a cooperative art exchange deal with Peterhof last year.

Peterhof State Museum Preserve, formerly the Summer Palace of Peter the Great, was built in the early 18th century in Saint Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia.