Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia
The Tretyakov Gallery houses one of the most celebrated and extensive collections of Russian art and artifacts in the world. The gallery was named after the financier and entrepreneur Pavel Tretyakov (1832-98), who donated approximately 2000 works of Russian art from his own private collection to the city of Moscow at the end of the 19th century. These works formed the basis from which today's impressive collection grew.
Without Tretyakov's extensive and generous patronage of the arts many Russian artists would not have been able to achieve the artistic success that they did and the world of Russian art would be considerably diminished. Along with his paintings, Tretyakov also generously donated his own house and surrounding buildings, which became the original premises of the gallery. These buildings were united under one neo-Russian facade, designed by the famous Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov, and the gallery was opened to the public.
The gallery is still housed on the same site, but in an extended and recently renovated complex of buildings, and its collection now comprises the entire spectrum of Russian art. Exhibition halls feature icons (most notably an impressive collection of icons by the artist Andrei Rublyov), 18th century portraits, 19th century Realist works, 20th century Romantic, Symbolist and avant-garde canvases and displays of graphic and applied arts. You can find works of the following great artists in the Treyakov Gallery: Dionysius, Ivanov, Bryullov, Fedotov, Venetsianov, Perov, Aivazovsky, Kramskoi, Vasnetsov, Vereshchagin, Vrubel, Savrasov, Levitan and Yaroshenko. The Tretyakov's magnificent collection of Soviet art is now housed independently in the enormous Central House of Artists, opposite Gorky Park, and is well worth a visit for those admirers of 20th century art.
A visit to the Tretyakov Gallery is a definite must for anyone interested in Russian art and culture.