Free visit days at the museum
Every Wednesday you can visit the permanent exhibition "The Art of the 20th Century" in the New Tretyakov Gallery for free, as well as the temporary exhibitions "The Gift of Oleg Yakhont" and "Konstantin Istomin. Color in the Window”, held in the Engineering Corps.
The right to free access to expositions in the Main Building in Lavrushinsky Lane, the Engineering Building, the New Tretyakov Gallery, the house-museum of V.M. Vasnetsov, museum-apartment of A.M. Vasnetsov is provided on the following days for certain categories of citizens in general order:
First and second Sunday of every month:
for students of higher educational institutions of the Russian Federation, regardless of the form of education (including foreign citizens-students of Russian universities, graduate students, adjuncts, residents, assistant trainees) upon presentation of a student card (does not apply to persons presenting student trainee cards) );
for students of secondary and secondary specialized educational institutions (from 18 years old) (citizens of Russia and the CIS countries). On the first and second Sundays of each month, students holding ISIC cards have the right to visit the exhibition “Art of the 20th Century” at the New Tretyakov Gallery free of charge.
every Saturday - for members of large families (citizens of Russia and CIS countries).
Please note that conditions for free access to temporary exhibitions may vary. Check the exhibition pages for details.
Attention! At the ticket office of the Gallery, entrance tickets are provided with a face value of "free of charge" (upon presentation of the relevant documents - for the above-mentioned visitors). At the same time, all services of the Gallery, including excursion services, are paid in accordance with the established procedure.
Visiting the museum on public holidays
On National Unity Day - November 4 - the Tretyakov Gallery is open from 10:00 to 18:00 (entry until 17:00). Paid entrance.
- Tretyakov Gallery in Lavrushinsky Lane, Engineering Building and New Tretyakov Gallery - from 10:00 to 18:00 (ticket office and entrance until 17:00)
- Museum-apartment of A.M. Vasnetsov and the House-Museum of V.M. Vasnetsov - closed
Waiting for you!
Please note that conditions for preferential admission to temporary exhibitions may vary. Check the exhibition pages for details.
Right of preferential visit The Gallery, except as provided for by a separate order of the Gallery's management, is provided upon presentation of documents confirming the right to preferential visits:
- pensioners (citizens of Russia and CIS countries),
- full cavaliers of the Order of Glory,
- students of secondary and secondary special educational institutions (from 18 years old),
- students of higher educational institutions of Russia, as well as foreign students studying in Russian universities (except for student trainees),
- members of large families (citizens of Russia and CIS countries).
Right of free admission The main and temporary expositions of the Gallery, except for cases provided for by a separate order of the Gallery's management, are provided for the following categories of citizens upon presentation of documents confirming the right to free admission:
- persons under the age of 18;
- students of faculties specializing in the field of fine arts of secondary specialized and higher educational institutions of Russia, regardless of the form of education (as well as foreign students studying in Russian universities). The clause does not apply to persons presenting student cards of "trainee students" (in the absence of information about the faculty in the student card, a certificate from the educational institution with the obligatory indication of the faculty is presented);
- veterans and invalids of the Great Patriotic War, combatants, former underage prisoners of concentration camps, ghettos and other places of detention created by the Nazis and their allies during the Second World War, illegally repressed and rehabilitated citizens (citizens of Russia and the CIS countries);
- military servicemen of the Russian Federation;
- Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation, Full Cavaliers of the "Order of Glory" (citizens of Russia and CIS countries);
- disabled people of groups I and II, participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (citizens of Russia and the CIS countries);
- one accompanying disabled person of group I (citizens of Russia and CIS countries);
- one accompanying disabled child (citizens of Russia and CIS countries);
- artists, architects, designers - members of the relevant creative Unions of Russia and its subjects, art historians - members of the Association of Art Critics of Russia and its subjects, members and employees of the Russian Academy of Arts;
- members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM);
- employees of museums of the system of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and relevant Departments of Culture, employees of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and ministries of culture of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation;
- volunteers of the Sputnik program - entrance to the exhibitions "Art of the XX century" (Krymsky Val, 10) and "Masterpieces of Russian art of the XI - early XX centuries" (Lavrushinsky pereulok, 10), as well as to the House-Museum of V.M. Vasnetsov and the Museum-apartment of A.M. Vasnetsov (citizens of Russia);
- guide-interpreters who have an accreditation card of the Association of Guide-Translators and Tour Managers of Russia, including those accompanying a group of foreign tourists;
- one teacher of an educational institution and one accompanying a group of students of secondary and secondary specialized educational institutions (if there is an excursion voucher, subscription); one teacher of an educational institution that has state accreditation of educational activities when conducting an agreed training session and has a special badge (citizens of Russia and the CIS countries);
- one accompanying a group of students or a group of military servicemen (if there is an excursion voucher, subscription and during a training session) (citizens of Russia).
Visitors of the above categories of citizens receive an entrance ticket with a face value of "Free".
Please note that conditions for preferential admission to temporary exhibitions may vary. Check the exhibition pages for details.
Vasnetsov we remember from the well-known from school "Three heroes" and "Ivan Tsarevich on a gray wolf." And today let's pay attention to the not so famous, but very interesting work of the master - "Three Princesses of the Underworld". Believe me, she has something to surprise us with!
Savva Mamontov
It is somehow strange that the great artists, whose work can be seen in the best museums, worked to order. Needed, earned, wrote even to decorate offices and apartments. Somehow it doesn't fit. Nevertheless, this is so, and it is with such an order that the history of this amazing picture is connected.
So, Viktor Vasnetsov had a friend - Savva Mamontov. And I must say, it was a well-known at that time (and still fond of art) entrepreneur and philanthropist. This means that he supported the artists "free of charge, that is, for nothing."
Here he is, Savva, you see - imposingly lounging on the sofa in Repin's painting. Almost new Russian. And who knows what would happen to Russian art, if there were no Savva, there would definitely be fewer paintings in the Tretyakov Gallery. Although there was still, of course, Tretyakov himself, and other patrons, but that's not the point. The importance of Savva for art cannot be overestimated - that's what I wanted to say.
Savva really wanted to support his friend, the artist Vasnetsov, by giving him a good commission. He came to the management of the Donetsk railway, of which he was a member, and convinced his colleagues that the best decoration of their office would be the work of Viktor Mikhailovich. They shook hands and Vasnetsov happily set to work.
Here it should be noted that Victor was a great lover of fairy tales and all kinds of Russian creativity and approached the order very creatively. “Three princesses of the underworld” were by the way not the only picture of the order, there was a couple more - “Flying Carpet” and “Battle of the Scythians with the Slavs”. And all the pictures, as you might guess, turned out to be very magical. And they would be good for ... a textbook, for example, or at least a gallery. But not an office where serious people solved serious problems. That's how the customers counted - and refused to buy paintings. 
Well, Savva had to decide the issue. The paintings were purchased by the patron's family.
But let's dwell on the "Three Princesses" in more detail. What an interesting idea was born in the head of the artist. At that time, minerals began to be mined in the Donbas - gold, precious stones and coal. There is such a fairy tale - "Underground Kingdoms", that's what Vasnetsov took as a basis, adding the princess of coal. That is, in his picture he made such an interesting image of the wealth of this region, depicting them in the form of royalty. Just look at these women - gold, precious stones and coal! This is not a picture, but a whole performance!
Apparently, Vasnetsov (and not only) thought so, and in 884 he created a second version of this work, with minor changes. It was acquired by a philanthropist and collector from Kyiv Tereshchenko.
Now the painting "Three Princesses of the Underworld" adorns the walls of the Tretyakov Gallery, and for those who live in Moscow or visit the capital, I highly recommend considering the "girls" in more detail.
Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is known for painting paintings based on various Russian legends, which are especially common among ordinary people. In 1880, by order of a Russian entrepreneur, the artist created a canvas called "Three Princesses of the Underworld", based on the fairy tale "Underground Kingdoms". This picture had two versions: in 1884, Vasnetsov slightly changed the position of the hands of one of the princesses in order to give her more calm and majesty.
In the center of the canvas are three majestic figures of girls against the background of dull gray rocks and a gently blue sky, on which pale pink clouds float by. The whole background only adds to the beauty of the main characters. Each heroine represents the wealth of the bowels of the earth. The girl, standing to the left of the others, is dressed in a luxurious golden dress embroidered with traditional Russian patterns, and a golden headdress flaunts on her head, which includes several precious stones.
Despite all her majestic appearance, she behaves rather modestly, not showing her superiority. Her sister, who stands in the center, is not inferior to her in beauty and royalty. The entire outfit of that one consists of precious stones, even the crown consists entirely of them. But she is also an example of royal pride and modesty. The two sisters are majestic and know their position. But the third sister, who stands to their right, does not at all look like her relatives. Instead of a bright, bejeweled dress, the girl is wearing a relatively modest black dress, and neither a crown nor anything else adorns the girl’s head. In addition, her hair falls freely over her shoulders and adds to her a kind of lightness and tenderness. The girl does not radiate the same regal power as her sisters, but for some reason it is still impossible to take your eyes off her.
It is with her modesty, unobtrusiveness and calm confidence that she attracts attention and significantly surpasses the other two representatives. It contains the image of a real Russian girl who never exposes her advantage to the outside, but behaves with restraint and without arrogance. Also, in addition to the three princesses of the underworld, the canvas depicts two men who are on the right side. They knelt before the majestic images. However, the girls do not even notice these ordinary people. The heroines simply froze in their poses and do not pay the slightest attention to what is happening around. Perhaps this happened for the reason that they were on the ground, and not in their usual environment. But it is precisely this staticness that adds to the princesses an increasingly majestic look that makes people admire them.
Thus, Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov in his painting “Three Princesses of the Underground Kingdom” depicted majestic girls, each of which represents a certain type of fossil that can be found in the bowels of the earth.
One of the important stages in the formation of V. Vasnetsov, as a pioneer of the fairy-tale genre in Russian painting, was the order by the industrialist and philanthropist Savva Mamontov in 1880 of three paintings for the board of the Donetsk railway. One of these paintings is "Three princesses of the underworld". Like the Flying Carpet, it carried an allegorical meaning and personified the riches hidden in the bowels of the Donbass. Although in the end the board refused to buy the paintings, the Mamontov brothers bought them. And in 1884, Vasnetsov again turned to this plot, slightly supplementing the original version. This painting was acquired by the collector and philanthropist I. Tereshchenko.
The plot of the picture is based on the Russian folk tale "Underground Kingdoms". According to her, Ivan Tsarevich and his brothers were looking for their mother Anastasia the Beautiful, kidnapped by Raven Voronovich. To do this, he had to go underground, where he met the princesses of the underworld kingdoms: Copper, Silver and Gold. Having defeated the villain, the hero gathered back upstairs, along with his mother and three princesses. But his brothers, seeing the handsome man, changed their minds about pulling Ivan out and cut the rope. It was this moment that Vasnetsov portrayed. The first version of the picture shows only the princesses themselves, and in the version of 1884 there are also two brothers bowing low in front of the beauties.
In order to please his plan, the artist replaced the Silver and Copper Princesses with Coal and Precious Stones. These three beautiful girls, shining with the beauty of their outfits, became the characters in the picture. In the center is the princess Precious stones. Her majestic posture and proud head held high speak of a noble origin. She has a beautiful face: a burning blush, sable eyebrows, scarlet lips. Her outfit is also striking: an expensive dress embroidered with a fancy ornament interspersed with precious stones: emerald, pinkish, turquoise, red and yellow, complemented by massive beads on the chest and a crown of gems.
To her left stands the majestic Princess of Gold in a sparkling golden robe. The intricate pattern on her dress is complemented by a rich scattering of gems that adorn the sleeves and hem of the dress. On the royal head, a kokoshnik crown shines with the brilliance of precious stones. But her beautiful face is sad, longing is felt in her lowered eyes. Although, it seems to someone that the Princess of Gold has an arrogant expression on her face.
A little apart from her majestic sisters stands the timid Coal Princess. Her outfit is modest, it does not have the pretentiousness and splendor of her sisters' robes. A simple but exquisite black brocade dress, shiny black hair falling over her shoulders, sadness on her snow-white face - the artist made her the most human of his heroines. In the version of 1881, the Coal Princess holds her hands together, which makes her image even more tragic, because according to the plot of the tale, her prototype was the beloved of Ivan Tsarevich. In the second version of the picture, Vasnetsov changed the position of her hands, placing them along the body, giving the figure of the younger princess calmness and majesty. Blocks of black rocks in the background, the red sunset sky give the picture monumentality. And the contrasting combination of earth and sky, against which the kidnapped princesses are shown, emphasizes the anxiety and excitement of the heroines.
In 1880-1881, Savva Mamontov ordered three paintings from Viktor Vasnetsov for the office of the board of the Donetsk railway.
Vasnetsov wrote "Three Princesses of the Underworld", "Flying Carpet" and "Battle of the Scythians with the Slavs". A fairy tale is taken as the basis of the picture. The painting "Three Princesses of the Underground Kingdom" personifies the richness of the bowels of the Donbass, for which the plot of the tale is slightly changed - it depicts the princess of coal.
Viktor Vasnetsov.
Three princesses of the underworld.
1879. First version. Canvas, oil. 152.7 x 165.2.
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
Members of the board did not accept Vasnetsov's work on a fairy tale theme as inappropriate for the office space. In 1884, Vasnetsov wrote another version of the painting, while slightly changing the composition and color. The painting is acquired by the Kyiv collector and philanthropist I.N. Tereshchenko.
In the new version, the position of the hands of the princess of coal has changed, now they lie along the body, which gives the figure calmness and majesty.
In the painting "Three princesses of the underworld" one of the characters - the third, junior princess - will be further developed in female images. The hidden spiritual sadness of this humbly proud girl will be found both in his portraits and in fictional images.
Underworld
Russian folktale
In that old time, when the world was filled with goblin, witches and mermaids, when milky rivers flowed, the banks were jelly, and fried partridges flew across the fields, at that time there lived a king named Gorokh with Tsarina Anastasia the Beautiful; they had three princely sons.
And suddenly a great misfortune shook - an unclean spirit dragged the queen away. The eldest son says to the king: "Father, bless me, I'll go look for my mother!" Went and disappeared; For three years there was no news or a rumor about him. The second son began to ask: "Father, bless me on the road, maybe I'll be lucky enough to find both my brother and my mother!" The king blessed; he went and also disappeared without a trace - as if he had sunk into the water.
The youngest son, Ivan Tsarevich, comes to the king: "Dear father, bless me on my way, maybe I will find my brothers and my mother!" - "Go, son!"
Ivan Tsarevich set off in an alien direction; I rode and rode and came to the blue sea, stopped on the bank and thought: "Where to go now?" Suddenly thirty-three spoonbills flew to the sea, hit the ground and became red maidens - all are good, but one is the best; undressed and jumped into the water. How many, how few they swam - Ivan Tsarevich crept up, took from the girl who was more beautiful than all, a sash and hid it in his bosom.
The girls bathed, went ashore, began to dress - there was not one sash. "Ah, Ivan Tsarevich," says the beauty, "give me the sash!" "Tell me first, where is my mother?" - "Your mother lives with my father - with Raven Voronovich. Go up the sea, you will come across a silver bird - a golden tuft: where it flies, you go there too!"
Ivan Tsarevich gave her the sash and went up the sea; Here I met my brothers, greeted them and took them with me.
They walk along the shore, they saw a silver bird - a golden crest and ran after it. The bird flew, flew and rushed under the iron slab, into the underground pit. “Well, brothers,” says Ivan Tsarevich, “bless me instead of a father, instead of a mother: I will go down into this pit and find out what the land of the infidel is like, is our mother not there!” The brothers blessed him, he tied himself with a rope, and climbed into that deep hole, and descended neither more nor less - exactly three years; descended and went down the road.
Walking, walking, walking, I saw a copper kingdom: thirty-three spoonbill girls were sitting in the courtyard, embroidering towels with cunning patterns - cities with suburbs. "Hello, Ivan Tsarevich! - says the princess of the copper kingdom. - Where are you going, where are you going?" - "I'm going to look for my mother!" - "Your mother is with my father, with Voron Voronovich; he is cunning and wise, he flew through the mountains, through the dales, through the dens, through the clouds! He will kill you, good fellow,! Here's a ball for you, go to my middle sister - what is she he'll tell you. And if you go back, don't forget me!"
Ivan Tsarevich rolled the ball and followed him. He comes to the silver kingdom, and there sit thirty-three spoonbill maidens. The princess of the silver kingdom says: “Before Selo, the Russian spirit was not seen, not heard, but now the Russian spirit is manifested with your own eyes! What, Ivan Tsarevich, are you whining about, or are you trying to do?” - "Ah, red maiden, I'm going to look for my mother!" - "Your mother is with my father, with Raven Voronovich; and he is cunning and wise, he flew through the mountains, through the dales, through the dens, through the clouds rushed! Eh, prince, because he will kill you! Here's a ball for you, go on you to my younger sister - what will she tell you: whether to go forward, whether to return back?
Ivan Tsarevich comes to the golden kingdom, and thirty-three spoonbill girls are sitting here, embroidering towels. Above all, better than all, the princess of the golden kingdom is such a beauty that one cannot say in a fairy tale, nor write with a pen. She says: "Hello, Ivan Tsarevich! Where are you going, where are you going?" - "I'm going to look for my mother!" - "Your mother is with my father, with Voron Voronovich; and he is cunning, and wiser, he flew through the mountains, through the dales, through the dens, through the clouds rushed. Eh, prince, he will kill you! : your mother lives there. When she sees you, she will rejoice and immediately order: "Nanny-mothers, give my son some green wine!" But don't take it, ask her to give you three-year-old wine that is in the cupboard, and a burnt crust for a snack Don't forget again: my father has two vats of water in the yard - one strong water and the other weak, move them from place to place and drink strong water, and when you fight with Raven Voronovich and defeat him, ask him only for a staff -feather".
For a long time, the prince and the princess talked and fell in love with each other so much that they did not want to part, but there was nothing to do - Ivan Tsarevich said goodbye and set off on his way.
Walked, walked, comes to the pearl kingdom. When his mother saw him, she was overjoyed and shouted: "Mothers-nannies! Give my son some green wine!" - "I do not drink simple wine, give me a three-year-old, and a burnt crust for a snack!" The prince drank the three-year-old wine, took a bite of the burnt crust, went out into the wide courtyard, rearranged the vats from place to place and began to drink strong water.
Suddenly Raven Voronovich arrives; he was bright as a clear day, but he saw Ivan Tsarevich - and became gloomier than a dark night; sank down to the vat and began to draw the helpless water.
Meanwhile, Ivan Tsarevich fell on his wings; Raven Voronovich soared high, high, carried him along the dales, and over the mountains, and over dens, and over the clouds, and began to ask: "What do you need, Ivan Tsarevich? Do you want to give the treasury?" - "I don't need anything, just give me a feather-staff!" - "No, Ivan Tsarevich! It hurts to sit in a wide sleigh!"
And again the Raven carried him over the mountains and over the valleys, over the dens and clouds. And Ivan Tsarevich holds on tight; leaned down with all his weight and almost broke off his wings. Raven Voronovich cried out: "Don't break my wings, take a feather-staff!" He gave the prince a staff-feather, he himself became a simple raven and flew to the steep mountains.
And Ivan Tsarevich came to the pearl kingdom, took his mother and went on his way back; looks - the pearl kingdom curled up in a ball and rolled after him.
He came to a golden kingdom, then to a silver one, and then to a copper one, took with him three beautiful princesses, and those kingdoms curled up in balls and rolled after them. Approaches the rope and blew a golden trumpet: "Brothers, if I'm alive, don't extradite me!"
The brothers heard the trumpet, grabbed the rope and pulled out into the world a soul - a red maiden, a princess of copper kingdom; they saw her and began to quarrel among themselves: one does not want to give her to the other. "What are you fighting, good fellows! There is a red maiden even better than me!" - says the princess of the copper kingdom.
The princes lowered the rope and pulled out the princess of the silver kingdom. Again they began to argue and fight; one says: "Let me get it!" And the other: "I don't want to! Let mine be!" - "Do not quarrel, good fellows, there is a girl even more beautiful than me," says the princess of the silver kingdom.
The princes stopped fighting, lowered the rope and pulled out the princess of the golden kingdom. Again they began to quarrel, but the beautiful princess immediately stopped them: "Your mother is waiting there!"
They pulled out their mother and lowered the rope behind Ivan Tsarevich; lifted it up to half and cut off the rope. Ivan Tsarevich flew into the abyss and was badly hurt - he lay unconscious for half a year; waking up, looked around, remembered everything that had happened to him, took a feather-staff from his pocket and hit it on the ground. At the same moment, twelve fellows appeared: "What, Ivan Tsarevich, do you order?" - "Bring me out into the open world!" The fellows grabbed him by the arms and carried him out into the open.
Ivan Tsarevich began to scout about his brothers and found out that they had long been married: the princess from the copper kingdom married her middle brother, the princess from the silver kingdom married her older brother, and his bride-to-be did not marry anyone. And the old father himself decided to marry her: he gathered a thought, accused his wife of holding a council with evil spirits, and ordered to cut off her head; after the execution, he asks the princess from the golden kingdom: "Will you marry me?" - "Then I'll go for you when you sew me shoes without measurements!"
The king ordered the cry to be called, to ask everyone and everyone: will anyone sew shoes for the princess without measurement? At that time, Ivan Tsarevich comes to his state, is hired by an old man as a worker and sends him to the tsar: "Go, grandfather, take over this business. I'll sew shoes for you, but don't tell me!" The old man went to the king: "I am ready to take up this work!"
The king gave him goods for a pair of shoes and asked: "Will you please, old man?" - "Do not be afraid, sovereign, I have a son chebotar!"
Returning home, the old man gave the goods to Ivan Tsarevich, he cut the goods into pieces, threw them out the window, then opened the golden kingdom and took out the finished shoes: “Here, grandfather, take it, take it to the king!”
The king was delighted, sticks to the bride: "Is it soon to go to the crown?" She replies: "Then I'll go for you when you sew" a dress without measurements for me!
The tsar again fusses, gathers all the artisans to himself, Gives them a lot of money, only to make a dress without measurements. Ivan Tsarevich says to the old man: "Grandfather, go to the king, take the fabric, I'll sew a dress for you, just don't tell me!"
The old man trudged to the palace, took the satin and velvet, returned home and gave it to the prince. Ivan Tsarevich immediately cut all the satin and velvet into shreds with scissors and threw them out the window; opened the golden kingdom, took from there whatever was the best dress and gave it to the old man: "Bring it to the palace!"
Tsar Radehonek: "Well, my beloved bride, isn't it time for us to go to the crown?" The princess answers: "Then I will marry you, when you take the old man's son and tell him to boil it in milk!" The king did not hesitate, gave the order - and on the same day they collected a bucket of milk from all the yards, poured a large vat and boiled over high heat.
They brought Ivan Tsarevich; he began to say goodbye to everyone, to bow to the ground; they threw him into a vat: he dived once, dived again, jumped out and became so handsome that he couldn’t tell in a fairy tale or write with a pen. The princess says: "Look, tsar! Whom should I marry: for you, the old one, or for him, a good fellow?" The king thought: "If I bathe in milk, I will become just as handsome!" He threw himself into a vat and boiled in milk.
And Ivan Tsarevich went with the princess to get married; married, he sent his brothers out of the kingdom and began to live and live with the princess and make good.
Vasnetsov V.M. Three princesses of the underworld.
1884. The second option. Canvas, oil. 173 x 295. Museum of Russian Art, Kyiv, Ukraine.
