Photo by Alex Kalinin on Unsplash (@loaldesign)
Pushkin Museum
Chisinau Region
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, located on Volkhonka Street in Moscow, is the largest museum of European art in Russia. Founded in 1912 by Ivan Tsvetaev, it was originally named to honor Emperor Alexander III before being renamed in 1937 to commemorate the centenary of the poet Alexander Pushkin's death. The museum's building, designed by Roman Klein and Vladimir Shukhov, is a notable architectural landmark completed in 1912. Its extensive collection includes approximately 700,000 works, such as paintings, sculptures, drawings, and archaeological artifacts, featuring Byzantine mosaics, Italian primitives, and Western European sculptures from the 6th to the 21st centuries. The museum has played a significant role in cultural exchanges, hosting exhibitions like the Moscow-Paris exhibition in 1981 and recovering lost Renaissance sculptures. Despite political challenges, it remains a vital center for art and culture in Moscow, also hosting the annual Sviatoslav Richter's December Nights music festival since 1981.
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Tip: Visitors are advised to plan their visit in advance, especially for special exhibitions, as the museum can be busy. Purchasing tickets online ahead of time can help avoid queues. The best time to visit is during weekdays and outside major holidays. The museum offers discounts for students, seniors, and groups. It is recommended to allocate at least two hours to explore the extensive collections thoroughly.
Interesting facts
- •The museum holds around 700,000 artworks including paintings, sculptures, and archaeological objects.
- •It hosts the International musical festival Sviatoslav Richter's December Nights annually since 1981.
- •In 2016, 59 Italian Renaissance sculptures missing since World War II were rediscovered in the museum.
- •The building's structural engineering was led by Ivan Rerberg for 12 years during construction.
- •The museum was originally named after Emperor Alexander III before being renamed for Alexander Pushkin in 1937.
History
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1912 by Ivan Tsvetaev, initially named after Emperor Alexander III.
Its building was constructed between 1898 and 1912 under architects Roman Klein and Vladimir Shukhov.
The museum was renamed in 1937 to honor Alexander Pushkin on the 100th anniversary of his death.
During the Bolshevik Revolution, artworks were confiscated and later returned.
The museum has undergone expansions and restorations, including a major project initiated in 2008.
It has also been a site of cultural resilience, with officials resigning in protest of political events in 2022.
Place Guide
Main Building1898-1912
The historic main building designed by Roman Klein and Vladimir Shukhov showcases early 20th-century architecture and houses the core collections of European art.
Painting CollectionVarious, earliest Byzantine art
Features Byzantine mosaics and icons, early Italian primitives, and a broad spectrum of European paintings representing various periods and styles.
Sculpture Collection6th-21st centuries
Includes over 600 Western European sculptures ranging from the 6th to the 21st century, originating from private collections and nationalized holdings after the revolution.
Department of Prints and Drawings1924
Established in 1924, this department holds extensive graphic art collections including over 20,000 prints donated by Alexander II in 1861.
Decorative Art CollectionMedieval to modern
A diverse assortment of around 2,000 European decorative art pieces dating back to the Middle Ages.
Contact
Phone: 022 294 138
