State Museum of Oriental Art

The State Museum of Oriental Art is a museum in Moscow housing artworks and objects from East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Caucasus organized across multiple exhibition spaces. The halls are arranged so visitors can move from one region's artistic traditions to another, seeing how different peoples created and used their objects.

This institution was founded in 1918 during the early Soviet period and assembled its initial collection from items taken from confiscated private estates and antique shops. That founding approach shaped what the museum became and established the foundation for the extensive holdings seen today.

The collections here reflect how different Asian cultures expressed their beliefs and daily life through art, crafts, and objects displayed across the galleries. You can see how textiles, ceramics, and sculptures reveal what mattered to the people who made them.

The museum is located on Nikitsky Boulevard and is open Tuesday through Sunday with extended hours on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Plan enough time to explore the different exhibition areas without rushing through them.

A section of the collection features Korean garments and Buddhist objects that many visitors overlook, yet they reveal craftsmanship and spiritual practices quite different from other displays. This area provides a deeper look at how specific traditions shaped the way objects were made and valued.