The State Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg boasts more than 200,000 artifacts, including incredibly rare books, ritual objects, icons, traditional costumes, dishware, objects made from precious stones, sculptures and pictures. Thanks to the museum’s rich and diverse collection, visitors have the chance to familiarise themselves with the faith and religious customs of various indigenous peoples, as well as discover how the religious beliefs of these ancient peoples developed. The people of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome worshipped dozens of gods, so how did mankind transition from polytheism to worshipping just one god – to monotheism?  The museum exhibits pay particular attention to three world religions – Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. Here guests can learn about the main branches of Christianity: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Join RTG TV host Evgenia Altfeld on an educational journey into the mysterious world of religious traditions, rituals and customs. She will see the multi-figure display of “Sukhavati – the Pure Land of the Buddha Amitabha,” as well as discover that the colour, shape and placement of all of the details of the work - such as people’s gestures – are deeply symbolic.