Tretyakov Gallery, Art museum in Yakimanka District, Moscow, Russia
The Tretyakov Gallery is an art museum in Moscow whose main building on Lavrushinsky Lane was constructed in 1902–04 to a facade designed by painter Viktor Vasnetsov. The red-and-white facade has three gabled rooflines, the central one crowned by a relief of a rider on a horse, and a band of carved Cyrillic text; a dark stone statue of a standing man with crossed arms stands in front. The collection numbers more than 130,000 exhibits, from the Theotokos of Vladimir to Kandinsky and Malevich.
Merchant Pavel Tretyakov founded the gallery in 1856 with two paintings and expanded it to about 2,000 works before donating it to the city of Moscow in 1892. After the Revolution it was nationalized and became the main collection of Russian art.
The gallery's name comes from Pavel Tretyakov, the merchant who began the collection; the building on Lavrushinsky Lane adjoins the 17th-century Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, which was closed in 1929 and given to the gallery in 1932 as a store for paintings and sculptures. Andrei Rublev's Trinity was transferred to Moscow's main cathedral in June 2023 despite the museum's protests.
The museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday, with visiting hours extended on some days. The halls are spread over multiple floors, so comfortable shoes help.
The facade of the main building was designed by artist Viktor Vasnetsov, who used elements from old Russian architecture. His work gave the museum a face that recalls fairy tales and wooden churches.
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