It occupies a parcel of land immediately to the east of the Summer Garden in Saint Petersburg.

It was set up in Saint Petersburg in 1876 by Baron Alexander von Stieglitz (1814–84), a millionaire philanthropist, as the School of Technical Drawing.

By the end of the century, the Central School had branches in Yaroslavl, Saratov, and Narva.

As Mukhina was not personally linked to the school, the educational establishment (informally known as Mukha) was renamed after its founder in 1994.

The faculty of Design comprises the following departments:[1] The faculty of Monumental and Decorative Art comprises the following departments:[2] In 2016 the Centre for Innovative Education Projects has been established[3] as an integral part of the academy.