Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
149
museum. The brothers' collections are a big part of it, but many works were nationalized
from private collections by the Soviets. The museum is the premier repository of Russian
art, starting with the earliest Orthodox icons, which date from Russia's conversion in the
9th century. It then traces the country's history through the naturalism of the 19th cen-
tury, the Art Nouveau works of Mikhail Vrubel, and the 20th-century Avant-Garde
works of Malevich and Kandinsky. Seek out Ilya Repin's heart-wrenching portrait of Ivan
the Terrible ripped by remorse after slaying his son in a rage, and underrated talents such
as the eerie Impressionist Arkhip Kuindzhi. Several artists represented had only a casual
relation to Russia, but that doesn't diminish their artistic value. Much improved by a
lengthy renovation, the Tretyakov reopened in 1995 with a visitor-friendly layout and
increased services for non-Russian speakers. Viewing the museum chronologically makes
the most sense, though it requires one clumsy detour to view the earliest icons on the
second floor. The English audioguide is good if you're on your own. Allow a full morning
or afternoon for this one. The pedestrian street in front is ideal for strolling, and the
adjacent restaurant is a treasure of Russian cuisine, though it's often full.
10 Lavrushinsky Pereulok.
&
499/230-7788.
www.tretyakovgallery.ru. Admission 250 rubles, 150 rubles
students and children over 7. Audioguide 250 rubles. No credit cards, but there's an ATM. Small group
tours in English, price negotiable depending on size of group. Tues-Sun 10am-7:30pm. Metro: Tretya-
kovskaya or Novokuznetskaya.
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
(Muzei Izobratitelnykh Isskustv imeni Pushkina)
This rich and worthwhile museum is often overlooked in favor of St. Petersburg's Her-
mitage Museum. In fact, the two complement each other, and both deserve a look. Most
visitors head straight for the impressive collection of French Impressionist works, though
the museum also boasts ancient Greek sculptures and Egyptian bronzes, as well as works
by Rembrandt, Rubens, and the Italian masters of the Renaissance. There is also a small
but worthwhile collection of post-Impressionist and modernist art. Be sure to view the
ever-expanding exhibition of controversial paintings stolen from European Jews by the
Nazis and later seized by looting Soviet troops (Russians call them “rescued” artworks),
including pieces by Renoir, Daumier, and van Gogh. Note that this Pushkin Museum is
merely named after Russians' favorite author Alexander Pushkin; if you want to see a
museum about him, skip ahead to the “Literary Moscow” section below.
12 Volkhonka.
&
495/697-4481.
www.museum.ru/gmii. Admission 300 rubles, 100 rubles students and
children 7 and up. Audioguides 250 rubles; available at the coat check downstairs. Tues-Sun 10am-7pm.
Metro: Kropotkinskaya.
Museum of Private Collections
Adjacent to the Pushkin is this three-story man-
sion-turned-exhibition hall, which hosts rotating exhibits from private Russian collec-
tions, often of very high caliber. Recent shows have included a collection of antique glass,
engravings from the collection of the Norwegian ambassador, and still lifes by Russian
“Wanderer” artists
(peredvizhniki).
10 Volkhonka.
&
495/697-1610.
www.museum.ru/gmii. Admission 50 rubles. Wed-Sun noon-7pm.
New Tretyakov Gallery/Museum of Modern Art
(Novaya Tretyakovka) A
gargantuan concrete slab of a building across from Gorky Park houses Moscow's main
modern art museum (the New Tretyakov) and the Central House of Artists, a cluster of
galleries, concert spaces, and art shops (see next review). The New Tretyakov follows
Tretyakov Gallery's trajectory into the modern era, starting with Russian art from the
1920s and heading to the present. The building's scale and style are well-suited for the
Constructivist canvases of Vasily Kandinsky and Kasimir Malevich, and for its impressive
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