The article analyzes the previously insufficiently researched art program of Nicholas I in Florence. That is – the study of the museum fund of Italian and European paintings, orders of art copies within the framework of the general state policy of copying similar to the policy of France and Italy, replenishment of the museum fund of St. Petersburg and Russia. Based on documents kept in domestic and foreign archives, modern literature of art historians in Russia and Italy, the author draws attention to the “pitfalls” of the classical art market in Italy, which the Russian monarch faced. His artistic preferences are also analyzed; his contribution to the formation of the museum fund of St. Petersburg and Russia is assessed. The features of the “Russian approach” to copying are revealed, which acquire relevance and practical significance during the pandemic crisis and modern technologies.