The Tretyakov Gallery is the most visited museum in the country. The gallery was founded at the end of the 19th century by famous merchants and philanthropists - Pavel and Sergey Tretyakov, who donated their collections to the city. The gallery is located in the former estate of the Tretyakov brothers in Lavrushinsky Lane. The museum fund was significantly replenished after the October Revolution of 1917 with collections of wealthy noble and merchant families. The spacious halls of the Tretyakov Gallery display ancient Russian icons and paintings from the Russian school of painting. Moving through the chronologically arranged halls of the museum, one can study in detail Russian fine art from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century.
The Tretyakov brothers lost their father when the eldest - Pavel - was seventeen years old, and the youngest - Sergei - fifteen. They turned out to be entrepreneurs from God. Very soon, the brothers expanded their business from ordinary trade in shops to their own large linen, paper and woolen goods store on the famous merchant street Ilyinka. They organize the trading house "P. and S. the Tretyakov brothers. In the mid-1860s, they acquired the Novo-Kostroma Linen Manufactory, which they later made one of the best in Russia. The historian of the Moscow merchants P.A. Buryshkin called the Tretyakovs among the five richest merchant families in Moscow
The Tretyakovs were well-known donors and philanthropists. Pavel Mikhailovich was a trustee of the Arnold School for the Deaf and Dumb, provided financial assistance to research expeditions, donated money for the construction of churches. Sometimes Tretyakov's donations exceeded the cost of acquiring paintings. Sergei Mikhailovich actively participated in the public life of Moscow. He was a member of the Moscow City Duma and the mayor. In this position, he did a lot for Moscow. Thanks to Tretyakov, Sokolnicheskaya Grove became Sokolniki City Park: he bought it with his own money.
In 1851, the Tretyakovs purchased from the merchants the Shestovs an estate in Lavrushinsky Lane with a two-story mansion, decorated with a classicist attic, and a vast garden. Alexandra Danilovna was the full owner of the house, and the Tretyakov brothers focused on trade. It was an ideal family and business union, rare among merchants. At the same time, the Tretyakovs differed in character. Pavel was withdrawn, he liked to work and read in solitude, he could look at and study paintings and engravings for hours. Sergey, more sociable and cheerful, was always in sight, he liked to flaunt.
Once Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov came to St. Petersburg on business and ended up in the Hermitage. He was so impressed by the richness of the art collection that he certainly wanted to start collecting. He soon acquired nine paintings by obscure Western artists. “The first two or three mistakes in such a difficult matter as determining the authenticity of old paintings forever turned him away from collecting paintings by old masters,” wrote I.S. Ostroukhov after the collector's death. “The most authentic painting for me is the one that I personally bought from the artist,” Tretyakov liked to say. Soon Tretyakov got acquainted with the collection of F.I. Pryanishnikov and decides to collect paintings by Russian artists.
In the Tretyakov Gallery, the year of foundation of the museum is considered to be 1856, when Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov acquired the first two paintings “Temptation” by N.G. Schilder and "Clash with Finnish smugglers" by V.G. Khudyakov. Today they hang side by side in the same room. The condition under which Pavel Mikhailovich selected paintings for his gallery can be found in his words addressed to the artists: “I don’t need rich nature, or magnificent composition, or spectacular lighting, no miracles, give me at least a dirty puddle, but so that in there was truth to it, poetry, and poetry in everything can be, this is the work of the artist.
But this does not mean at all that Tretyakov simply bought up all the paintings he liked. He was a bold critic who did not recognize other people's authorities, often made comments to artists, and sometimes even sought amendments. Pavel Mikhailovich usually bought a painting before the opening of exhibitions, right in the workshop, when neither critics, nor the audience, nor journalists had yet seen the painting. Tretyakov was well versed in art, but this was not enough to choose the best. Pavel Mikhailovich had a peculiar gift of a seer. No authority could influence his decision. An indicative case is described by S.N. Durylin in the book "Nesterov in life and work":
“At the preliminary, closed, vernissage of the XVIII Traveling Exhibition, where a few selected friends of the Wanderers were admitted, Myasoedov led V.V. Stasov, tribune-apologist of the Wanderers, D.V. Grigorovich, secretary of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, and A.S. Suvorin, editor of the Novoye Vremya newspaper. All four judged the picture with a terrible judgment; all four agreed that it was harmful... Evil must be uprooted. We went to look for a Moscow silent man in the exhibition, they found somewhere in the far corner, in front of some kind of picture. Stasov was the first to speak: this painting came to the exhibition due to a misunderstanding, it has no place at the exhibition of the Partnership.
The tasks of the Partnership are known, but Nesterov’s picture does not answer them: harmful mysticism, the absence of the real, this ridiculous circle around the old man’s head ... Mistakes are always possible, but they should be corrected. And they, his old friends, decided to ask him to give up the picture... A lot of clever, convincing things were said. Everyone found a word to stigmatize the poor "Bartholomew." Pavel Mikhailovich listened in silence, and then, when the words ran out, modestly asked them if they had finished; when he found out that they had exhausted all the evidence, he replied: “Thank you for what you said. I bought the picture back in Moscow, and if I hadn’t bought it there, I would have bought it here now, after listening to all your accusations.”
Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov began to collect his collection fifteen years later than his brother and managed to acquire only about a hundred pieces. However, his collection was the only one of its kind, because he was interested in modern Western painting - J.-B. C. Corot, Sh.-F. Daubigny, F. Milet and others. Pavel Mikhailovich, unlike his brother, who collected paintings for himself, sought to create a public museum of national art. Back in 1860 (and he was then only twenty-eight years old), he made a will, according to which he bequeathed one hundred and fifty thousand rubles for the establishment of an "art museum" in Moscow. Pavel Mikhailovich persuaded his brother to do the same.
In 1865, the wedding of Pavel Mikhailovich and Vera Nikolaevna Mamontova, the cousin of the famous philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, took place. The Tretyakovs had six children - four daughters and two sons. Everyone in the family loved each other. Pavel Mikhailovich wrote to his wife: “I sincerely thank God and you with all my heart that I happened to make you happy, however, children have a big fault here: without them there would be no complete happiness!” Sergei Mikhailovich married much earlier than his brother, in 1856, but his wife died shortly after the birth of her son. Only ten years later, Sergei Mikhailovich entered into a second marriage.
Pavel Mikhailovich adhered to traditional merchant views on the upbringing of children. He gave the children an excellent home education. Of course, artists, musicians and writers who visited Tretyakov almost every day played a significant role in shaping the children. In 1887, Pavel Mikhailovich's son Vanya, his father's favorite and hope, died of scarlet fever complicated by meningitis. Tretyakov painfully endured this heavy loss. The second son Mikhail suffered from dementia and could not become a full-fledged heir and continuer of the family business. Alexander's daughter recalled: “Since that time, the character of my father has changed a lot. He became sullen and silent. Only the grandchildren made the former affection appear in his eyes.
For a long time, Tretyakov was the only collector of Russian art, at least on such a scale. But in the 1880s, he had a more than worthy rival - Emperor Alexander III. There are many legends associated with the confrontation between Tretyakov and the Tsar. Pavel Mikhailovich several times literally from under Alexander's nose took away paintings by artists who, with all due respect to the august person, preferred Tretyakov. Alexander III, who was called the “peasant tsar”, became furious if, visiting traveling exhibitions, he saw the marks “property of P.M. Tretyakov.
But there were cases when the representatives of the emperor simply interrupted the price of Tretyakov. For example, after the death of Alexander III, his son Nicholas II offered an incredible amount for those times for the painting “The Conquest of Siberia by Yermak” by V.I. Surikov - forty thousand rubles. The newly-appeared emperor did not want to skimp in memory of his father, who dreamed of acquiring this painting. Surikov already had an agreement with Pavel Mikhailovich, but he could not refuse such a lucrative deal. Tretyakov simply could not offer more. As a consolation, the artist gave the collector a sketch for the painting for free, which still hangs in the museum.
Sergei Mikhailovich died in 1892. Long before his death, the Tretyakov brothers decide to donate their collections to Moscow. In his will, Sergei Mikhailovich donated to the city half of the house in Lavrushinsky Lane, all the paintings and the amount of one hundred thousand rubles. Pavel Mikhailovich donated his huge collection (more than three thousand works) to Moscow during his lifetime together with his brother's collection. In 1893, the opening of the Moscow Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov took place, with a collection of Western art hanging next to paintings by Russian artists. On December 4, 1898, Tretyakov died. His last words were: "Take care of the gallery and be healthy."
After the death of Tretyakov during 1899-1906, the main house was converted into exhibition halls. The facade, designed according to the drawing by V.M. Vasnetsov, became for many years the emblem of the Tretyakov Gallery. The central part of the facade was highlighted by a chic kokoshnik with a relief image of George the Victorious - the ancient coat of arms of Moscow. At that time, artists showed interest in the forms of ancient Russian art. Luxuriously decorated portals, lush window frames, bright patterns and other decorations - all this speaks of Vasnetsov's desire to turn the Tretyakov Gallery into an old Russian fairy-tale tower.
In 1913, the artist I.E. Grabar. The alteration of the exposition according to the scientific principle began, as in the best museums of the world. The works of one artist began to hang in a separate room, and the arrangement of the paintings became strictly chronological. In 1918, the Tretyakov Gallery was nationalized and transferred to the administration of the People's Commissariat for Education. It was at this time that the museum was significantly replenished with huge collections of P.I. and V.A. Kharitonenko, E.V. Borisova-Musatova, A.P. Botkina, V.O. Girshman, M.P. Ryabushinsky and collections from estates near Moscow.
In the 1980s, a grandiose reconstruction of the gallery took place. The project envisaged "the creation of a large museum complex, including storage facilities, an extensive exhibition space, a conference hall through the development of courtyards and the refurbishment of an old building while maintaining its historical appearance." Unfortunately, the new building, built at the intersection of Lavrushinsky and Bolshoy Tolmachevsky lanes, turned out to be alien to the architectural ensemble of the old buildings of the Tretyakov Gallery. The reconstruction turned into the actual death of the monument. The new corner building turned out to be outside the traditional ties with the environment.
As a result of the reconstruction, the exhibition area of the Tretyakov Gallery has increased one and a half times. In 1998, the first permanent exhibition of art of the 20th century was opened in the new building of the museum on Krymsky Val, built according to historical, chronological and monographic principles. The collection of the museum now has about one hundred and fifty thousand works. The collection of Pavel Mikhailovich has increased more than fifty times. The Tretyakov Gallery is a huge educational and cultural center engaged in scientific, restoration, educational, publishing, popularization and other activities.
In one of the letters to the artist Vasily Vasilievich Vereshchagin P.M. Tretyakov wrote: “Your indignation against Moscow is understandable, I myself would have been indignant and would have abandoned my goal of collecting works of art long ago if I had in mind only our generation, but believe that Moscow is no worse than St. Petersburg: Moscow is only simpler and, as it were, ignorant . Why is Petersburg better than Moscow? In the future, Moscow will be of great, enormous importance (of course, we will not live to see this). Pavel Mikhailovich Tretkov was a real patriot and noblest man. And then he turned out to be a real visionary.
Every time we come to the gallery, we remember its great creator, not only because there is a monument to Tretyakov in front of the entrance (a wonderful monument, by the way). Pavel Mikhailovich is not just a collector, the founder of the museum, he, along with artists, created Russian fine art, and the role of Tretyakov here is objectively greater than the role of any of them. I.E. Repin (and he knew a lot about this) once said: “Tretyakov brought his work to grandiose, unparalleled proportions and bore the question of the existence of an entire Russian school of painting on his shoulders.”
The Tretyakov brothers came from an old but not very rich merchant family. Their father, Mikhail Zakharovich, gave them a good home education. From their youth, they took up the family business, first trading, and then industrial. The brothers created the famous Big Kostroma Linen Manufactory, did a lot of charity work and social activities. Both brothers were collectors, but Sergei Mikhailovich did it as an amateur, but for Pavel Mikhailovich it became his life's work, in which he saw his mission.
Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov is not the first collector of Russian art. Famous collectors were Kokorev, Soldatenkov and Pryanishnikov, at one time there was a gallery of Svinin. But it was Tretyakov who was distinguished not only by his artistic flair, but also by democratic convictions, deep true patriotism, and responsibility for his native culture. It is important that he was both a collector and a patron of artists, and sometimes an inspirer, a moral co-author of their work. We owe him a magnificent portrait gallery of outstanding figures of culture and public life. He was an honorary member of the Society of Art Lovers and the Musical Society from the day they were founded, he contributed substantial sums, supporting all educational initiatives.
The first paintings by Russian artists were acquired by Tretyakov as early as 1856 (this date is considered to be the year the gallery was founded). Since then, the collection has been constantly updated. It was located in a family-owned house in Zamoskvorechye, in Lavrushinsky Lane. This building is the main building of the museum. It was constantly expanded and rebuilt for the needs of the exposition, and at the beginning of the 20th century it acquired a familiar look. Its facade was made in the Russian style according to the project of the artist Viktor Vasnetsov.
From the moment the gallery was founded, Pavel Tretyakov decided to transfer it to the city and already in his will of 1861 he stipulated the conditions for this transfer, allocating large sums for its maintenance. On August 31, 1892, in his statement to the Moscow City Duma on the transfer of his gallery and the gallery of his late brother to Moscow, he wrote that he was doing this, “wishing to contribute to the establishment of useful institutions in my dear city, to promote the flourishing of art in Russia and at the same time to preserve for eternity the time of my collection." The City Duma gratefully accepted this gift, deciding to allocate five thousand rubles annually for the purchase of new items in the collection. In 1893 the gallery was officially opened to the public.
Pavel Tretyakov was a very modest person who did not like the hype around his name. He wanted a quiet opening, and when the festivities were organised, he went abroad. He refused the nobility, which was granted to him by the emperor. “I was born a merchant and will die a merchant,” Tretyakov explained his refusal. However, he gratefully accepted the title of honorary citizen of Moscow. This title was awarded to him by the City Duma as a sign of high distinction and gratitude for his high merits in the preservation of Russian artistic culture.
History of the museum
An important milestone in the history of the Tretyakov Gallery was the appointment in 1913 of Igor Grabar, an artist, art critic, architect and art historian, as its trustee. Under his leadership, the Tretyakov Gallery became a museum of the European level. In the first years of Soviet power, Grabar remained the director of the museum, which was given the status of a national treasure by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars in 1918.
Aleksey Shchusev, who became director of the gallery in 1926, continued to expand the museum. The Tretyakov Gallery received a neighboring building, which housed the administration, manuscript and other departments. After the closure of the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, it was reequipped for the storerooms of the museum, and in 1936 a new building called “Shchusevsky” appeared, which was first used as an exhibition building, but then it also housed the main exposition.
In the late 1970s, a new museum building was opened on Krymsky Val. Large-scale art exhibitions are constantly held here, as well as a collection of domestic art of the 20th century.
Branches of the Tretyakov Gallery are also the House-Museum of V. M. Vasnetsov, the Museum-Apartment of his brother A. M. Vasnetsov, the Museum-Apartment of the sculptor A. S. Golubkina, the House-Museum of P. D. Korin, as well as the Temple-Museum St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, where divine services have been resumed since 1993.
Museum collection
The most complete is the collection of art of the second half of the nineteenth century, it has no equal. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov was, perhaps, the main buyer of the work of the Wanderers from their very first exhibition. Paintings by Perov, Kramskoy, Polenov, Ge, Savrasov, Kuindzhi, Vasiliev, Vasnetsov, Surikov, Repin, acquired by the founder of the Tretyakov Gallery himself, are the pride of the museum. Here are collected truly the best examples of the golden age of Russian painting.
The art of artists who do not belong to the Wanderers is also well represented. The works of Nesterov, Serov, Levitan, Malyavin, Korovin, as well as Alexander Benois, Vrubel, Somov, Roerich took pride of place in the exhibition. After October 1917, the museum's collection was replenished both at the expense of nationalized collections and thanks to the works of contemporary artists. Their canvases give an idea of the development of Soviet art, its official movements and the underground avant-garde.
The Tretyakov Gallery continues to replenish its funds. Since the beginning of the 21st century, a department of the latest trends has been operating, which collects works of contemporary art. In addition to painting, the gallery has a large collection of Russian graphics, sculpture, and a valuable archive of manuscripts. A rich collection of ancient Russian art and icons is one of the best in the world. Its beginning was laid by Tretyakov. After his death, it consisted of about 60 items, and at the moment it has about 4,000 items.
In the list of famous art museums in the world State Tretyakov Gallery occupies one of the highest places. Today, its collection includes more than 180 thousand exhibits, including paintings, sculpture and jewelry. The exhibited masterpieces were created during the historical period dating back to the 11th-20th centuries. The building, which houses the main collection, was built in 1906, and today is included in the register of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation.
More than one and a half million people visit the museum every year.
History of the gallery
May 22, 1856 philanthropist and successful industrialist Pavel Tretyakov bought a painting by Vasily Khudyakov "Clash with Finnish smugglers". This day is considered the founding date of the museum, which Tretyakov and his brother had planned to create a long time ago. He dreamed of presenting the work of Russian artists to people. Soon the collection was replenished with the canvases “The Procession at Easter” by V. Perov, “Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof” by N. Ge and many others. The collection grew and multiplied, and Tretyakov decided to show the paintings to the audience. In 1867 he opened the first gallery in his own estate in Lavrushinsky Lane. At that time, the collection included 1276 paintings, almost five hundred drawings, a small collection of sculptures and several dozen works by foreign artists.
Tretyakov supported many little-known masters and, thanks to his patronage, Vasnetsov and Makovsky became famous. By purchasing paintings objectionable to the authorities, the founder of the gallery inspired painters to freedom of thought and courage in relation to censors.
The Tretyakov Gallery became a national museum at the end of the 19th century, and from that moment on, anyone could visit it and absolutely free of charge. In 1892, after the death of his brother, Pavel Tretyakov donated the collection to the city. This is how an art gallery appears in Moscow, which eventually becomes one of the largest collections of works of art on the planet.
When the Tretyakovs just started collecting paintings, their collection was housed in the rooms of the mansion where the brothers lived. But in 1860 they decided to build a separate building to store the collection, which by that time had grown into a solid art collection. The two-story extension to the Tretyakov mansion received a separate entrance for visitors, and the paintings - two spacious halls.
New paintings continued to arrive, and the gallery expanded and completed. After the death of the owners, the mansion was reconstructed, and at the beginning of the 20th century it was combined with the halls of the gallery. The facade in the form of an old tower was designed by the artist Vasnetsov.
Golden Fund of the Tretyakov Gallery
You will see the oldest exhibits of the museum in the collection of iconography of the XII-XVII centuries. For example, image of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, brought at the beginning of the XII century from Constantinople. After the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church during the formation of Soviet power, the icon ended up in a museum.
Rublevskaya "Trinity"- another world-famous masterpiece of Russian icon painting. The author created it in memory of Sergei Radonezhsky in the first third of the 15th century.
Master Dionysius- no less famous icon painter, and his work "Metropolitan Alexei", written at the end of the 15th century, is also on the list of the most valuable exhibits of the Tretyakov collection.
The now unknown masters of the Mikhailovsky Golden-Domed Monastery at the beginning of the 12th century made mosaic depicting St. Demetrius of Thessalonica. In their work, they used matte colored stones and gold smalt. The work is exhibited in the department of Russian icon painting.
Among the many paintings of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the most famous paintings usually receive special attention from visitors.
XVIII century is represented by works Dmitry Levitsky, Vladimir Borovikovsky and Fedor Rokotov. The most famous works of this era are portraits of Gavriil Golovkin, a former associate of Peter I, and Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The first was written by Ivan Nikitin, and the queen was painted by Georg Groot.
The 19th century that replaced the world gave the world new artists represented in the museum especially widely:
Outstanding Masterpiece I. Kramskoy "Stranger" depicts a young woman riding in an open carriage along Nevsky Prospekt. Neither in the artist's letters nor in his diaries is there even a hint of the model's personality, and her name remains a mystery at all times.
- "Princess Tarakanova" by Konstantin Flavitsky depicts the death of an adventurer who posed as the daughter of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and sister of Pugachev. After being exposed, the woman was thrown into the casemates of the Peter and Paul Fortress, where, as legend has it, she died from a flood. The painting was painted by Flavitsky in 1864. Critic Stasov called it "the most brilliant creation of Russian painting."
Another amazingly beautiful female portrait exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery - "Peach Girl". The painting depicts the daughter of Savva Mamontov, but attracts viewers to the canvas V. Serov completely different. The work is permeated with amazing light and filled with freshness that does not disappear over time.
The textbook landscape is called the work A. Savrasova "The Rooks Have Arrived". Critics consider the painting an important stage in the development of landscape painting in Russia. Despite the unpretentiousness of the plot, the picture seems especially close to the heart of any Russian person.
- "Moonlit night on Capri" depicts the seascape of the Gulf of Naples. Its author is a famous Russian marine painter I. Aivazovsky, painter of the Main Naval Staff and author of amazing works dedicated to the sea.
There is an opinion that "Hunters in Retreat" were written V. Perov based on the stories of I. Turgenev. The plot composition, presented by the author to the viewer, depicts three landowners who stopped to rest after a successful hunt. Perov managed to depict the characters and their environment so vividly that the viewer becomes an unwitting participant in the hunters' conversation.
- "Unequal marriage" by V. Pukirev, as his contemporaries claimed, was written by the artist at the time of his own torment: Pukirev's beloved girl was married by calculation. The picture is made with great love, and the moods of the characters are masterfully conveyed. You can also see the artist's self-portrait on the canvas - he stands behind the bride, arms crossed over his chest.
Three more famous paintings of the XIX century. in the Tretyakov Gallery invariably gather enthusiastic spectators near them:
Painting "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan on November 16, 1581" by Ilya Repin better known to the public under the title "Ivan the Terrible kills his son." The artist depicts the moment that came a couple of seconds after the fatal blow that the tsar inflicted on Tsarevich Ivan. The tyrant mad with grief and the failed heir accepting his fate with meekness are written out so skillfully that the picture still evokes the brightest feelings and emotions in the audience.
- "The Appearance of Christ to the People" A. Ivanov wrote for about 20 years. While working, he created several hundred sketches and called the plot of his canvas "worldwide". Ivanov believed that he portrayed a moment in time that played a decisive role in the fate of all mankind. The huge canvas is exhibited in a separate room built for it in the 30s of the last century.
- "Bogatyrs" Vasnetsov depict three heroes of Russian epics on mighty horses in military armor. They inspect the surroundings and with all their appearance demonstrate their readiness to defend the Russian land from enemies. According to the author, he sought "to mark the continuity of the heroic past of the Russian people with its great future."
The twentieth century is represented by the works of Petrov-Vodkin, Benois, Krymov, Chagall, Konchalovsky, Korovin, as well as sculptures by Vera Mukhina. The authors of the Soviet period, whose paintings were honored to take their place on the walls of the Tretyakov Gallery - Isaak Brodsky, the Kukryniksy team, Tatyana Yablonskaya, Evgeny Vuchetich and many others.
Branches of the Tretyakov Gallery
The main building of the gallery is located at: Lavrushinsky lane, 10. It presents the permanent exhibition of the museum and periodically acquaints visitors with temporary exhibitions. Recently, the Engineering Building was added to the main building, where collections of regional museums are presented to residents and guests of the capital. In addition, the Tretyakov Gallery has several branches:
- New Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val was built near the place where P. Tretyakov, who founded the museum, was born. The branch demonstrates works in a modern style, written in the XX-XI centuries.
In our fast-paced 21st century, people are increasingly traveling the world. And they go not only to relax in nature, on the sea, but also to get acquainted with cultural attractions.
In Moscow, one of these centers of "cultural pilgrimage" was the All-Russian Museum Association "State Tretyakov Gallery" (TG or Tretyakov Gallery).
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A bit of history
It is generally accepted that the history of the creation of the gallery began when the merchant Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov bought two paintings by compatriot artists. It happened in 1856. Later, in the year 67 of the nineteenth century, the Moscow City Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov was opened for everyone in Zamoskvorechye.
Later, in August 1892, the collection was donated by Tretyakov to the city of Moscow. Formally, the museum was opened on August 15, 1893.
At first, the gallery was located in the Tretyakov mansion, but gradually additions were made to it to store an expanding collection. The Tretyakov Gallery received its final known form in 1902-1904. The plan of the project was developed by the architect V. N. Bashkirov according to the sketches of the artist V. M. Vasnetsov.
Subsequently, other buildings were attached to the Tretyakov Gallery: a temple, museums, houses and apartments of famous Russian artists.
To date, GTG- This is a huge museum complex, which includes eight buildings and structures.
Address of the Tretyakov Gallery and its departments
Main buildings
The Tretyakov Gallery is located in the same place where the Tretyakovskaya and Novokuznetskaya metro stations are located. The easiest way to get to the Tretyakov Gallery is from the Tretyakovskaya station. Exit the subway. Climb up the street from the subway and go to the street called Bolshaya Ordynka. Cross it, and you will find yourself at the building of a bar-restaurant. To the left of the building of the bar-restaurant will be the Horde dead end. Next, go to the end of the Horde dead end, past Shmelev Square, to Lavrushinsky Lane. On the other side of the alley there will be the building of the Engineering Corps, and to the right of it the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Station "Novokuznetskaya" is located near the station "Tretyakovskaya". Cross the metro station "Novokuznetskaya" - "Tretyakovskaya" and exit the metro. Next, go the same route as from the Tretyakovskaya station. On the reverse side of the Engineering Corps is the Church of St. Nicholas on Tolmachi. Its address: Maly Tolmachevsky Lane, house number 9. Church art treasures are exhibited here.
- The New Tretyakov Gallery is located on Krymsky Val Street, 10. The Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val introduces the works of Soviet and Russian artists of the period of modern history, that is, the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.
Near it are such subway stations as Oktyabrskaya and Park Kultury. To get from the station "Oktyabrskaya", you need to exit the metro, go through the underpass across Bolshaya Yakimanka Street, then go along Krymsky Val to the Central House of Artists (CHA). The Tretyakov Gallery is located in this house. To get to it from the Park Kultury station, you need to go along Novokrymsky passage, then along the Krymsky bridge until you turn left onto Krymsky Val street.
Free visit days at the museum
Every Wednesday, admission to the permanent exhibition "The Art of the 20th Century" and temporary exhibitions in (Krymsky Val, 10) is free for visitors without a guided tour (except for the exhibition "Ilya Repin" and the project "Avant-garde in three dimensions: Goncharova and Malevich").
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:
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
Dear visitors!
Please pay attention to the opening hours of the Tretyakov Gallery on holidays. The visit is paid.
Please note that entry with electronic tickets is carried out on a first-come, first-served basis. You can familiarize yourself with the rules for the return of electronic tickets at.
Congratulations on the upcoming holiday and we are waiting in the halls of the Tretyakov Gallery!
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;
- museum volunteers - entrance to the exposition "Art of the XX century" (Krymsky Val, 10) and to 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.
