The author examines similarity of historical and cultural development of Russia and Scandinavian countries. Cultural ties between the two domains evolved over many centuries. The most intensive period of development of Russian-Scandinavian artistic contacts stretched from mid-1880s-1890s up to the end of the first decade of the 20th century. In 1890s Russian painters considered achievements of Scandinavian colleagues as an example of a quest for progress, a creative approach to finding one’s way in development of fine arts. At the same period in Russia a number of major international art exhibitions were arranged with active northern painters’ participation. The Russian interest in the art of Scandinavian countries in the late 19th - early 20th c. was anything but accidental. The development of artistic culture in Nordic countries was in tune with the Russian artists’ quest for other ways of creative expression. Northern culture attracted sympathy of Russian painters, black-and-white artists and art critics of diverse, often opposing groups and movements. For example, among the admirers of Scandinavian fine arts were V.V. Stasov and A.N. Benoit, I.E. Repin, V.A. Serov, F.A.Malyavin, the artists of the "Mir iskusstva” group, and representatives of Moscow School of Painting (K. Korovin, A. Arkhipov, V. Perepletchikov etc.). By mid-1890s relations of Russian and Scandinavian art schools had become very intense and productive. This interaction coincided with significant events that influenced further development of artistic and other forms of culture on both sides. It manifested itself in publications of works of A. Strinberg and K. Hamsun in Russian, in staging of H. Ibsen’s plays at the Moscow Art Theater, exhibitions (especially of A.Tsorn’s works), and other activities that served to cross-fertilisation of cultures of Russia and Scandinavian countries.