What is the Tretyakov Gallery. History of the State Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the largest art museums in Russia and the world, named after the founder, merchant and philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov. P. Tretyakov began collecting paintings in 1850, and 17 years later he opened a gallery, the collection of which consisted of about two thousand works of fine art and several sculptures. In 1893, the collection, previously donated to Moscow, became known as the Moscow City Tretyakov Gallery and was maintained with money bequeathed by the founders.

In 1918, the Tretyakov Gallery was nationalized and became the "state property of the RSFRS", its first directors were the art critic and artist I. Grabar, and then the architect A. Shchusev. Under them, the funds of the Museum grew, several new buildings were added, and new expositions were actively developed.

During the Great Patriotic War, all canvases and sculptures were taken to Novosibirsk and Molotov. The evacuation lasted more than a year, but already on May 17, 1945, the exhibitions were again open to residents and guests of Moscow.

In the following decades, the Museum continuously grew, and today it includes the Gallery on Krymsky Val, the Gallery in Lavrushinsky Lane, the house-museum of V. M. Vasnetsov, the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi and other branches.

The museum's collections include works of art XI-XXI, among which are Russian painting, sculpture, graphics. The most famous works stored in the Museum are icons of the 11th-17th centuries, and among them the face of the Mother of God of Vladimir, Rublev’s “Trinity” and icons painted by Dionysius, Theophan the Greek, Simon Ushakov are especially valuable.

The basis of the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery is Russian painting, most of which belongs to the second half of the 19th century. The collection includes works by Kramskoy, Perov, Vasnetsov, Savrasov, Shishkin, Aivazovsky, Repin, Vereshchagin and other famous Russian artists. In the 20th century, the Gallery was replenished with works by Vrubel, Levitan, Serov, Malevich, Roerich, Benois. During the Soviet period, Deineka, Brodsky, Kukryniksy, Nesterov and others appeared in the expositions. In addition to painting, the Museum stores and exhibits works by Antokolkolsky, Mukhina, Shadr, Konenkov and other famous sculptors.

Currently, the Tretyakov Gallery is developing new expositions and exhibitions, is actively cooperating with many museums around the world and Russia, providing them with collections for temporary exhibitions, also carries out restoration and research work, replenishes funds, develops cultural and educational programs, participates in major museum, film and and music festivals.

The Tretyakov Gallery in 1995 was recognized as one of the most valuable cultural objects for its activities in the field of preserving art objects and promoting museum values.

Tretyakov Gallery Address: 119017, Moscow, Lavrushinsky lane, 10
Directions: Metro "Tretyakovskaya" or "Polyanka"

Tretyakov Gallery brief information.

The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in the Russian capital, and throughout the country. It was founded in 1856 by the merchant and philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov. It is here that one of the world's largest collections of Russian fine art is kept.

History of the gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery actually began to take shape in the mid-1850s. The official year of its opening is considered to be 1856. It was then that Tretyakov acquired two paintings by Russian artists - "Clash with Finnish smugglers" by Khudyakov and "Temptation" by Schilder. They became the basis for the formation of the collection.

Although his interest in art began to appear even earlier. So, two years before, Tretyakov had already taken possession of 9 paintings by old Dutch masters and 11 graphic sheets.

The first prototype of the State Tretyakov Gallery was the Moscow City Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov. It first opened its doors in 1867, with more than a thousand paintings, as well as sculptures and drawings by Russian artists. 84 works were presented by foreign masters.

Moscow as a gift

An important event for the State Tretyakov Gallery took place in 1892, when it was actually donated to Moscow. The collection of works of art by that time had grown considerably. A year later, the gallery officially opened.

At the same time, Pavel Tretyakov remained its official manager until his death. In 1898, a board of trustees was created to manage the gallery, headed by Ostroukhov. They began to support it on a percentage of the capital of 125,000 rubles, which its founder himself bequeathed to the Tretyakov Gallery. Additionally, a certain amount was allocated annually by the City Council.

Location

The building that housed the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow was purchased by the merchant's family in 1851. With the increase in the collection, new premises were constantly attached to the mansion, in which works of art were demonstrated and stored. The first such building was erected back in 1873, and from 1902 to 1904 a facade famous throughout the capital appeared, which was developed by the architect Bashkirov according to the drawings of Vasnetsov. The architect Kalmykov directly supervised the construction.

Tragedy with a painting by Repin

Many works of the State Tretyakov Gallery were of great value for Russian and world culture. Therefore, the whole world was struck by an incident that occurred in 1913. The vandal attacked the painting by Ilya Repin "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan." She was seriously injured by the knife. Because of this, the artist had to actually recreate the faces in the image. Khruslov, who at that time was the curator of the Tretyakov Gallery, upon learning of this incident, threw himself under the train. Shortly thereafter, the City Council elected Igor Grabar as the new trustee of the gallery.

Soon after the victory of the October Revolution, the gallery was declared the property of the Soviet Republic, and it was then that it received the name 1st State Tretyakov Gallery. Grabar was appointed its director. With his direct participation, the museum fund was created, which until 1927 remained one of the key sources of full-fledged replenishment of the collection.

In 1926 the director changed in the gallery. He becomes the academician of architecture Shchusev. The next year, a certain part of the collection moves to a house on Maly Tolmachiy Lane, located next door. A large-scale restructuring was carried out here, after which the administration was located here, as well as the library, scientific departments, funds, departments of manuscripts.

Already by 1985-1994, the administrative building was built on according to the project of the architect Bernstein, after which it was equal in height to the exposition halls. In 1929, electricity was brought to the gallery.

During the Great Patriotic War

When the Great Patriotic War began, the gallery began to urgently dismantle the exposition, as in most other museums in Moscow. She was being prepared for evacuation. The canvases were transferred to special wooden shafts, lined with tissue paper, and stored in waterproof boxes. Already in the middle of the summer of 1941, 17 wagons left Moscow for Novosibirsk. Works of art were evacuated until the autumn of 1942. When the turning point in the war became apparent, the collection began to be returned. In May 1945, the exposition reopened to Muscovites and guests of the capital.

Expansion of the exposition area

In the post-war period, Korolev played an important role in expanding the exposition area, who headed the Tretyakov Gallery in 1980. Already in 1983, he began active construction, and two years later the depository was put into operation. This is a specialized storage for works of art, and restoration workshops were also located at its base.

Since 1986, a full-scale reconstruction of the main building has been carried out. And in 1989, a new building was even built, which opened an information and computing center, a conference room, a children's studio, as well as additional exhibition halls. The building began to be called the Engineering Corps, because the main engineering services and systems were concentrated in it.

But the buildings located in Lavrushinsky Lane were closed from 1986 to 1995 due to major reconstruction. For a whole decade at that time, the building located on Krymsky Val remained the only exhibition site. In 1985, it was officially merged with the Tretyakov Gallery.

Tretyakov collection

The collection of exhibits of this museum is considered the most extensive in our country and one of the most significant in the world in general. The State Tretyakov Gallery, whose collection by 1917 numbered about four thousand works, was perhaps the richest in Russia. That is why it aroused such interest among numerous visitors.

In the future, it only replenished. By 1975, the State Tretyakov Gallery, whose collection already numbered about 55,000 works, was one of the largest in Europe. It was regularly replenished through government purchases. Today, in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery, one can find a collection of Russian paintings, sculptures, graphics, works of foreign authors, as well as works of arts and crafts of the 11th-21st centuries.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the collection of icons. Here are icons of the XI-XVII centuries, including the works of Simon Ushakov, Dionysius, the famous "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev.

Many famous paintings of the second half of the 19th century can be found in the Tretyakov Gallery. Here is the richest collection of the Wanderers. Among them are works by Kramskoy, Perov, Savitsky, Makovsky, Savrasov, Polenov, Shishkin, Vasnetsov.

There are many paintings by Ilya Repin, among the ones already mentioned in this article are "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan", "They did not wait." Many are familiar with Surikov's creations "Menshikov in Berezov", "Boyar Morozova", "Morning of the Archery Execution", as well as the works of Antokolsky and Vereshchagin.

Soviet art is widely represented. Here, Grabar, Kukryniksy, Konenkov, Serov, Mukhina, Brodsky, familiar to everyone and everyone.

The State Tretyakov Gallery, with a collection of more than 60 thousand works today, remains the most attractive place for numerous art lovers from all over the world.

Tretyakov gallery in philately

Stamps from the State Tretyakov Gallery have long become a value for philatelists. For example, a 1949 stamp is considered especially valuable, on which a monument to Joseph Stalin is depicted in front of the Tretyakov Gallery, which was later demolished. In 1956, a postage stamp dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the State Tretyakov Gallery was issued. And in 2006, a whole postal block appeared in circulation, which was released for the 150th anniversary of the gallery.

How to get there?

The main building of the Tretyakov Gallery, which is worth a visit if you expect to get acquainted with the richest collection gathered here, is located in Moscow at Lavrushinsky lane, 10.

The gallery's working hours are as follows: on Monday - a day off, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday it is open from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 21:00. Please note that the box office closes one hour before the gallery closes.

The Tretyakov Gallery is located almost in the very center of Moscow, so getting to it is not a big deal. The easiest way to do this is by using the metropolitan metro. To do this, you need to get to the stations "Polyanka" or "Tretyakovskaya", which are located on the Kalinin line, or to the stations "Oktyabrskaya" or "Novokuznetskaya" of the Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line. Another option is to get off the car at the Oktyabrskaya station of the Circle Line.

Ticket price

For adult visitors, a ticket to the Tretyakov Gallery will cost exactly 500 rubles. Such prices are determined in the gallery for 2018. Russian students and pensioners will have to pay 200 rubles each. Entry for minors under 18 is free.

Please note that the gallery offers free admission for Russian students on the first and second Sundays of the month.

After visiting the Tretyakov Gallery, take some time to see the sights nearby. These are the Church of St. Nicholas, Shmelev Square, the Tretyakov pier, the Kadashevskaya Sloboda Museum, Yakimansky Square, the Ore-Petrographic Museum.

If you are going to visit the Tretyakov Gallery, then do not try to embrace the immensity. Do not set yourself the task of seeing all the collections in one day. It is better to decide in advance on two or three masters or directions on which you will concentrate your attention this time. Leave the rest for the next visit.

A free guide will also help you get oriented, which you can install on your phone and use it to see the most interesting things without spending too much time.

In the museum itself, you can be offered an official audio guide, the use of which will cost you 350 rubles. Such audio guides exist in Russian, Italian, English, French, German, Chinese and Spanish. Remember, in order to use it, you will have to leave a deposit of two thousand rubles. An alternative to money as collateral can be any document proving your identity. The only exception is that you cannot leave your passport.

With the acquisition of a large Turkestan series of paintings and studies by V.V. Vereshchagin, the question of building a special building for the art gallery was resolved by itself. Construction began in 1872, and in the spring of 1874 the paintings were relocated to the two-story, consisting of two large halls (now halls No. 8, 46, 47, 48), the first room of the Tretyakov Gallery. It was erected according to the project of Tretyakov's son-in-law (sister's husband), architect A.S. Kaminsky in the garden of the Zamoskvoretsky Tretyakov estate and connected to their residential building, but had a separate entrance for visitors. However, the rapid growth of the collection soon led to the fact that by the end of the 1880s the number of halls of the gallery had increased to 14. The two-story building of the gallery surrounded the residential building on three sides from the side of the garden up to Maly Tolmachevsky Lane. With the construction of a special gallery building, the Tretyakov collection was given the status of a real museum, private in affiliation, public in nature, a museum free of charge and open for almost all days of the week for any visitor, regardless of gender or rank. In 1892, Tretyakov donated his museum to the city of Moscow.

By decision of the Moscow City Duma, which now legally owned the gallery, P.M. Tretyakov was appointed its life trustee. As before, Tretyakov enjoyed almost the sole right to select works, making purchases both with capital allocated by the Duma and with his own funds, transferring such acquisitions already as a gift to the “Moscow City Art Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov” (such was then the full name of the Tretyakov Gallery). Tretyakov continued to take care of expanding the premises, adding 8 more spacious halls to the existing 14 in the 1890s. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov died on December 16, 1898. After the death of P. M. Tretyakov, the Board of Trustees, elected by the Duma, became in charge of the gallery's affairs. In different years, it included prominent Moscow artists and collectors - V.A. Serov, I.S. Ostroukhov, I.E. Tsvetkov, I. N. Grabar. For almost 15 years (1899 - early 1913), Pavel Mikhailovich's daughter, Alexandra Pavlovna Botkina (1867-1959), was a permanent member of the Council.

In 1899-1900, the empty residential building of the Tretyakovs was rebuilt and adapted for the needs of the gallery (now halls No. 1, 3-7 and vestibules of the 1st floor). In 1902-1904, the entire complex of buildings was united along Lavrushinsky Lane with a common facade built according to the project of V.M. Vasnetsov and gave the building of the Tretyakov Gallery a great architectural originality, which still distinguishes it from other Moscow sights

TRANSFER OF THE P.M.TRETYAKOV GALLERY AS A GIFT TO MOSCOW. 1892-1898

In the summer of 1892, the youngest of the Tretyakov brothers, Sergei Mikhailovich, died unexpectedly. He left a will in which he asked to attach his paintings to the art collection of his older brother; there were also the following lines in the will: “Since my brother Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov expressed to me his intention to donate an art collection to the city of Moscow and, in view of this, to give ownership to the Moscow City Duma of his part of the house ... where his art collection is located ... then I am part of this house, belonging to me, I give it to the property of the Moscow City Duma, but in order for the Duma to accept the conditions under which my brother will provide her with his donation ... ”The testament could not be fulfilled while the gallery belonged to P.M. Tretyakov.

On August 31, 1892, Pavel Mikhailovich wrote an application to the Moscow City Duma to donate his collection to the city, as well as the collection of Sergei Mikhailovich (along with the house). In September, at its meeting, the Duma officially accepted the gift, decided to thank Pavel Mikhailovich and Nikolai Sergeevich (Sergei Mikhailovich’s son) for the gift, and also decided to petition for the donated collection to be named the City Art Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov. P. M. Tretyakov was approved as a trustee of the Gallery. Not wanting to participate in the celebrations and listen to thanks, Pavel Mikhailovich went abroad. Soon thank-you addresses, letters, telegrams really rained down. Russian society did not remain indifferent to Tretyakov's noble deed. In January 1893, the Moscow City Duma decided to allocate 5,000 rubles annually for the acquisition of works of art for the Gallery, in addition to the amounts bequeathed by Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov. In August 1893 the Gallery was officially opened to the public (Pavel

Mihailović was forced to close it in 1891 due to the theft of works).

In December 1896, P.M. Tretyakov became an honorary citizen of the city of Moscow, as stated in the verdict of the Moscow City Duma "... For the great service to Moscow, which he made the center of artistic education in Russia, bringing his precious collection of works of Russian art as a gift to the ancient capital" .

After the transfer of the collection to the city, Pavel Mikhailovich did not stop taking care of his Gallery, remaining its trustee until the end of his life. The paintings were bought not only with the money of the city, but also with the funds of Tretyakov, who donated them to the Gallery. In the 1890s, the collection was replenished with works by N.N.Ge, I.E.Repin, A.K.Savrasov, V.A.Serov, N.A.Kasatkin, M.V.Nesterov and other masters. Beginning in 1893, P.M. Tretyakov annually published catalogs of the collection, constantly supplementing and updating them. To do this, he corresponded with artists, their relatives, collectors, extracting valuable information bit by bit, sometimes offering to change the name of the picture. So N. N. Roerich agreed with Pavel Mikhailovich when compiling the catalog of 1898: “... For the language, indeed, a short name is better, at least such a “Slavic town. Messenger". It was the last catalog prepared by Tretyakov, the most complete and accurate. In 1897-1898, the Gallery building was again expanded, this time with an internal garden, in which Pavel Mikhailovich liked to walk, sacrificing everything for the sake of his beloved brainchild. The organization of the collection of Sergei Mikhailovich, the new re-hangling of paintings took away a lot of strength from Tretyakov. Trade and industrial affairs, participation in many societies, and charity required time and energy. Pavel Mikhailovich took an active part in the activities of the Moscow

Society of Art Lovers, Moscow Art Society, Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He did a lot for the Arnold School for the Deaf and Dumb, helping not only financially, but also entering into all the subtleties of the educational process, construction and repair of buildings. At the request of I.V. Tsvetaev, Tretyakov also contributed to the creation of the Museum of Fine Arts (now the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts). All the donations of P.M. Tretyakov cannot be listed, it is enough to mention the help of the expedition of N.N. Miklukha-Maclay, numerous scholarships, donations for the needs of the poor. In recent years, Pavel Mikhailovich was often unwell. He was also very worried about the illness of his wife, who was stricken with paralysis. In November 1898, Tretyakov went on business to St. Petersburg, returning to Moscow, he felt ill. On December 4, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov died.

Gallery history. State Tretyakov Gallery

MONUMENT TO P.M.TRETYAKOV

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov (1832-1898) was buried at the Danilovsky cemetery next to his parents and brother Sergei, who died in 1892; in 1948 his remains were transferred to the Serafimovskoye cemetery (Novodevichy Convent). Tombstone by sculptor I. Orlov, designed by artist I. Ostroukhov (granite, bronze).

After 1917, a monument-bust to V.I. Lenin was placed on a rectangular pedestal in front of the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery. Some time later, in 1939, a monument was erected on this site, a sculptural image of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Sculpture S.D. Merkulova 3.5 meters high, depicting Stalin in full growth, made in red granite. After dismantling, it is preserved in the State Tretyakov Gallery, has a high degree of preservation and is located in the courtyard of the main building of the Tretyakov Gallery (leaned against the wall). On April 29, 1980, on the site of the removed monument to Stalin, a monument was finally erected to the founder of the Tretyakov Gallery, Pavel Tretyakov, a sculpture that still exists today. This is a four-meter granite statue designed by sculptor A.P. Kibalnikov and architect I.E. Rozhin.

THE POST-DEATH JOURNEY OF THE TRETYAKOVS

The Danilovskoye cemetery used to be famous for its special “third estate” flavor, however, it has not been completely lost to this day. The Moscow historian A.T. Saladin stated in 1916: “The Danilovskoye cemetery can be safely called a merchant cemetery, and it could not be otherwise, being close to the merchant Zamoskvorechye. Perhaps, no other Moscow cemetery has such an abundance of merchant monuments as this one.” A lot has changed since then. You can’t find here now the graves of the famous Moscow merchants Solodovnikovs, Golofteevs, Lepeshkins ...

Perhaps the most famous merchant burial of the Danilovsky cemetery, and perhaps the whole of Moscow, was the site of Tretyakov Pavel Mikhailovich, Sergei Mikhailovich and their parents. A. T. Saladin left the following description: “On the grave of Sergei Mikhailovich there is a black marble, rather high, but completely simple monument with the inscription: “Sergei Mikhailovich TRETYAKOV was born on January 19, 1834. He died on July 25, 1892.” The monument to Pavel Mikhailovich is a few steps away, under a protective wire grill, it is almost the same, but in a slightly more refined treatment. Caption: “Pavel Mikhailovich TRETYAKOV 15 Dec. 1832 d. Dec 4 1898". However, today all this is not at the Danilovsky cemetery. On January 10, 1948, the remains of both brothers, as well as the wife of P. M. Tretyakov, Vera Nikolaevna, were transferred to the Novodevichy cemetery.

Formally, the reburial was carried out on the initiative of the Committee for Arts under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Chairman of the Committee M. B. Khrapchenko, in a letter to the manager of the funeral home trust under the Moscow City Council, motivated his initiative as follows: are falling into disrepair. (...) Taking into account the petition of the Directorate of the State Tretyakov Gallery, as well as the request of the next of kin of the founders of the Gallery, the Committee for Arts under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, for its part, petitions for the transfer of the remains of Pavel Mikhailovich, Vera Nikolaevna and Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov, as well as their artistic gravestones from the cemetery Danilovsky Monastery at the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent, where the most prominent figures of Russian culture and art are buried.

That the chairman of the commissariat confused the cemeteries of the Danilovsky Monastery and Danilovsky is not so strange - they are still confused, although the first has not existed for more than seventy years. The justification for the need to move the graves sounds strange: in the old place, de they "fall into extreme decline." However, graves that are taken care of will never “fall into decay”, but if they are abandoned, the decline is guaranteed, even if they are at the very Kremlin wall. The urn with the ashes of Mayakovsky stood in the then best columbarium in the country of the Donskoy cemetery and could not “fall into decay” in any way - nevertheless, it was transferred to Novodevichy anyway.

The underlying reason for all these reburials was, of course, completely different, and, judging by Khrapchenko’s letter, the authorities did not really want to reveal it: a campaign was unfolding in Moscow to collect and concentrate the remains of famous personalities in the Novodevichy pantheon. Moreover, reburials were made not only from cemeteries subject to liquidation, but in general from everywhere, except, perhaps, the Vagankovsky cemetery - traditionally the second largest after Novodevichy.

Some sources (for example, the encyclopedia "Moscow") indicate that Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov still rests at the Danilovsky cemetery. This is wrong. In the archive of the Tretyakov Gallery there is an “Act on the reburial of the remains of P. M. Tretyakov, V. N. Tretyakov and S. M. Tretyakov from the Danilovsky cemetery at the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent dated January 11, 1948.” In addition to the act and other papers, there are several photographs in the archive: some show the moment of exhumation, others were already taken at the Novodevichy cemetery at the edge of a freshly dug grave. The photographs leave no room for doubt.

But here's what is curious: in the archives of the neighboring Danilovsky Monastery, among the cards for those buried here, there is also a card of Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov. It turns out that the Danilovsky monastery churchyard also claims to be the place of his burial? Of course not. Having the evidence of A. T. Saladin and the above-mentioned Act, this version can be safely discarded, but making the most interesting conclusion: since Sergei Mikhailovich was not buried in the monastery, but the documents were nevertheless “brought to him” there, obviously, the Danilovskoye cemetery was a kind of a branch of the monastery - maybe not always, but for some time.

At the Danilovsky cemetery, the grave of the parents of famous patrons has been preserved. Rather, their monument. To the left of the main path, almost immediately behind the memorial to those who died in the Great Patriotic War, surrounded by extremely rusted fragments of a forged fence, there is a strong, slightly rickety obelisk, reminiscent of a Russian stove, with the inscription:

Mikhail Zakharovich Tretyakov
Moscow merchant
died 1850 December 2 days.
His life was 49 years, 1 m. and 6 days.
Alexandra Daniilovna Tretyakova
was born in 1812.
died February 7, 1899."

Whether someone's remains lie under the obelisk today - we do not know for sure. It would seem, who could have thought of disturbing the bones of the older Tretyakovs? Ah, apparently it could. The transfer of the founders of the largest art gallery to the elite cemetery is somehow still understandable, but here’s what else their admirers came up with: according to the “guarantee letter” stored in the Tretyakov Gallery archive, Mytishchi Sculpture Factory No. 3 was obliged to produce at the Danilovsky cemetery: “a) Removal of ashes Tretyakov P. M. and his burial at the Novo-Devichy cemetery, b) The removal of the ashes of Tretyakov M. Z. and burial in the grave instead of the ashes of Tretyakov P. M., c) The movement of the monument to Tretyakov M. Z. to the place of the monument to Tretyakov P. M."

The Tretyakovs got it! Both older and younger. By the way, for some reason, not a word is said about Alexandra Daniilovna in the “guarantee letter”. The father, it turns out, was reburied in the place of the son (if they were reburied), but the mother was not? Mystery. So it turns out that it is impossible to say for sure whether the old Tretyakovs are now buried under their “nominal” tombstone.

In the depths of the Danilovsky cemetery, at the very apse of the St. Nicholas Church-chapel, there is a barely noticeable monument - a low column of pink granite. There are buried brothers and sisters of Pavel Mikhailovich and Sergei Mikhailovich, who died almost simultaneously in infancy in 1848 during an epidemic of scarlet fever - Daniil, Nikolai, Mikhail and Alexandra. This is the only grave of the Tretyakov family, which no one has ever encroached on.

The Tretyakov Gallery is one of the most famous museums in Russia and throughout the world. The extensive exposition covers the period from the eleventh century to the present day. It is hard to imagine that the Tretyakov Gallery, whose halls have become a reflection of Russian art from antiquity to the present, began with a private collection.

home collection

The Tretyakovs bought the house in Lavrushinsky Lane in 1851. The head of the family, Pavel Mikhailovich, was a successful businessman, but at the same time he was a well-known philanthropist, investing in many charitable programs. He was an avid collector, collecting paintings, sculptures, icons and other works of art.

He had a global goal - to create a national gallery, and not just a museum. The beginning of the collection was ten paintings by Dutch masters. Initially, the Tretyakov Gallery, whose halls were open only to family members and guests, was in the house where the Tretyakovs lived. But the collection grew very quickly, and there was not enough space for demonstration. During the life of the owner, numerous reconstructions were carried out. And even under Pavel Mikhailovich, the townspeople had the opportunity to visit such a cultural institution as the Tretyakov Gallery. The halls expanded, and the exposition grew constantly. The popularity of the museum is evidenced by the fact that in the first four years its visitors were over 30 thousand people.

40 years after the collection was started, he donated it to Moscow. The collection was supplemented by works of art kept by the second brother, Sergei. This is how the "Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov" appeared in Moscow. Another well-known philanthropist Morozov gave the masterpieces of Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet. Despite the transfer to the city, both patrons continued to replenish the collection. After the death of the Tretyakovs, the entire house in Lavrushinsky Lane came under the jurisdiction of the city.

New life of the collection

In 1913, IE Grabar was appointed trustee and director of the gallery. He was not only a talented artist, architect and art historian, but also an organizer. It was he who did a tremendous job of systematizing the collection. He distributed the canvases according to historical periods, so that visitors could follow the path of development of Russian art. Under him, a restoration workshop was also founded. At the end of the year, the works hanging in the hall of the Tretyakov Gallery were available for viewing by the general public.

After the revolution, the entire assembly was nationalized and transferred to the young republic. The "State Tretyakov Gallery" was created, the halls of which became available to all segments of the population. The collection has expanded significantly through mergers with other museums and the transfer of private collections that were nationalized during the Soviet era.

During the war, museum funds were taken to Novosibirsk. The Nazis bombed the capital mercilessly. Two high-explosive bombs in 1941 landed directly on the Tretyakov Gallery, causing significant damage. But the very next year, the restoration of the museum began, and by 1944 the doors of the gallery, beloved by the inhabitants of the capital, were again opened to the public.

Halls of the Tretyakov Gallery

Since the foundation of the gallery, the building has been rebuilt many times. There were new passages and additional rooms to present the collection in all its glory. To date, the exposition is located in 106 halls. Most are located in a building in Lavrushinsky Lane, there are 62 of them. The complex also includes the Museum-Temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Golubkina Workshop-Museum, the Vasnetsov House-Museum and the Korin House-Museum. Each room in the Tretyakov Gallery is an opportunity to touch art, to see brilliant masterpieces. The collection contains over 150 thousand exhibits, most of which are familiar to everyone since childhood. Reproductions of many paintings were included in school textbooks throughout the country. From these pictures you can learn about Russia. After all, we have the sea, like forests - like Shishkin, nature, like Levitan. Even the best portrait of Pushkin, known to every schoolchild, is exhibited here.

Hall of Icons

In every corner of the Tretyakov Gallery there are canvases that take your breath away. But, perhaps, one of the most mysterious halls is the hall of icon painting. When transferring the collection, Pavel Mikhailovich, along with the paintings, also handed over 62 icons from his collection. Now there are several hundred of them in the museum. Each of them reflects the path of Orthodoxy on Russian soil. Among them are the works of Rublev, Theophan the Greek and other famous icon painters. And in the home church of the Tretyakov Gallery, one of the most revered and ancient images is exhibited - the Vladimir Mother of God. She is over 900 years old.

Exposition in Lavrushinsky Lane

The main part of the collection is concentrated in the building in Lavrushinsky Lane, with the famous Vasnetsovsky facade. In 62 halls, divided into 7 zones, the works of the best masters of Russia and beyond are exhibited in chronological order. How great and diverse is the Tretyakov Gallery. The description of the halls would take several volumes of a printed publication. Going on a tour, it is better to choose a specific artist or painting to devote most of your time to. Otherwise, acquaintance with the galleries will be very superficial and incomplete. The names of the halls of the Tretyakov Gallery correspond to the collections exhibited in them.

Thus, ancient Russian art is represented by icon painting.

And in the halls of the XVIII-XIX centuries, paintings by the great masters Levitsky, Rokotov, Ivanov, Bryullov are exhibited. A special room was built to demonstrate Ivanov's painting "The Appearance of Christ to the People". And Rokotov became famous for the largest number of portraits of unknown people. It was important for him to capture and convey on canvas the features and character of a person, but at the same time he did not have to be famous at all. Among the works of Bryullov, one can note the masterfully executed work “The Horsewoman”, where a young girl with amazing grace sits astride a magnificent stallion.

The hall also captures attention, where the works of artists of the second half of the 19th century are presented. Here you can immerse yourself in the magical world of realistic art, where every detail is made with amazing care. In Repin's paintings, one can physically feel how the sun is baking on the lawn, how each leaf is swaying from the wind. And Vasnetsov's "Three Heroes" seems to be protecting the country's borders from uninvited invaders even today. By the way, here you can also see the work of Vasnetsov Jr.

Surikov's paintings "Boyar Morozova" or "Morning of the Streltsy Execution" convey the emotional intensity of each participant in those events. There is not a single indifferent person or random character here. Everything is spelled out with authenticity that boggles the imagination.

The section reflecting the painting of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries presents the works of such geniuses as Serov, Vrubel, as well as representatives of the Union of Russian Artists.

Treasures of Russian Art

The Tretyakov Gallery is great and diverse. Halls, paintings, sculptures, graphics will not leave anyone indifferent. A separate part of the exposition is the "Treasury", where objects made of precious metals and gems are exhibited. Fine work of jewelers is fascinating.

Graphic arts

A separate room is dedicated to graphic art. All works presented in this technique are very afraid of light, they are fragile creations. Therefore, for their demonstration, special lighting, slightly dimmed, was mounted. The largest collection of Russian graphics is exhibited here. And a small but no less valuable collection of porter miniatures.

Modern Art

In the building belonging to the Tretyakov Gallery, art is presented from the Soviet period to the present day. Visitors watch with interest how ideology affects the artist.

Halls of Masters

The collection contains individual works, and there are entire collections of paintings by one master. The hall dedicated to the artist in the Tretyakov Gallery contains only his works from different periods. Such is the exposition of Shishkin's works. But other masters of the brush were awarded a similar honor.

Since its opening, the Tretyakov Gallery has become the richest collection of paintings and art objects. Even the Russian Museum, created at the state level, lost in popularity to this private collection.

In St. Petersburg, Tretyakov saw a collection of paintings by Fyodor Pryanishnikov. He was struck by the works of Tropinin, Venetsianov, and especially the "Major's Matchmaking" and "The Fresh Cavalier" by Fedotov. The owner of the collection offered it for 70,000 rubles. Tretyakov did not have that kind of money, and then Pryanishnikov recommended buying paintings from the artists themselves: it was cheaper that way.

Pavel Mikhailovich went to the workshops of the capital's painters, and Nikolai Schilder saw the work "Temptation": a seriously ill woman is on the bed, and next to her is a matchmaker with an offer of a profitable marriage for her daughter. The heroine of the picture refused, but her determination was fading, because her mother urgently needed money for medicines. This story stirred up Tretyakov himself, whose lover in the same situation could not reject the offer of a rich boyfriend. Pavel Mikhailovich did not reveal this secret to anyone in order to preserve the good name of the girl, but he bought the painting by Schilder. This is how the principle of the collection was determined: no ceremonial portraits - only realism and lively subjects.

Pavel Tretyakov replenished the collection throughout his life. It was located in his house in Lavrushensky Lane. The Tretyakovs bought it from the merchants Shestovs back in 1851. And in 1860, Pavel Mikhailovich wrote the first will, where he allocated 150,000 rubles for the creation of a gallery of paintings by Russian artists. For this good cause, he bequeathed his collection and offered to buy several more collections. His brother, Sergei Tretyakov, was also a collector, but collected Western art.

Pavel Mikhailovich gave preference exclusively to Russian artists.

For example, he did not buy paintings by Semiramidsky, as he presented his best work to Krakow. When choosing paintings, Tretyakov relied on his own taste. Once, at an exhibition of the Wanderers, art critics rushed to criticize Nesterov's Bartholomew. They convinced Tretyakov that the painting should be removed. After listening to the arguments, Pavel Mikhailovich replied that he had bought this work long before the exhibition, and would have bought it again even after the angry tirade of his opponents.

Soon Tretyakov began to have a huge impact on the development of art. He could demand that the artists make changes. He ordered portraits of those persons whom he considered worthy for the gallery. So Herzen, Nekrasov, Saltykov-Shchedrin appeared there. And Konstantin Ton or Apollo Maykov seemed to not exist for him.

It was a cherished dream of every young artist (and even an old one) to get into his gallery, and even more so for mine: after all, my father announced to me semi-seriously a long time ago that all my medals and titles would not convince him that I was a “ready artist”, until my painting is in the gallery.

True, Tretyakov had a rival in the field of collecting. And what - Alexander III himself! The tsar was furious when at the exhibitions of the Wanderers he saw on the best works the mark “Property of P.M. Tretyakov. But often he managed to interrupt the price offered by Pavel Mikhailovich. So already Nicholas II, in memory of his father, bought from Surikov for fabulous money "The Conquest of Siberia by Ermak." The artist promised this picture to Tretyakov, but could not resist a good deal. And he gave the sketch of the work to the philanthropist free of charge. He is still exhibited in the gallery.

All this did not prevent the Tretyakov collection from growing, and the architect Kaminsky rebuilt the gallery building several times.

In the winter of 1887, Pavel Tretyakov's beloved son died of scarlet fever. His last words were a request to go to church. And then Pavel Mikhailovich began to collect icons.

In 1892, after the death of Sergei Tretyakov, the brothers' collections were merged. Pavel Mikhailovich donated them and the building in Lavrushensky Lane to Moscow. This is how the Tretyakov Gallery Museum appeared.

At the time of foundation, the collection included 1,369 paintings, 454 drawings, 19 sculptures, 62 icons. Pavel Tretyakov received the title of honorary citizen of Moscow and remained a trustee of the Tretyakov Gallery until his death. He continued to replenish the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery at his own expense. And this required the expansion of the exposition area, so new premises were added to the mansion. At the same time, the gallery bore the name of both brothers, although, in fact, it was the collection of Pavel Mikhailovich.

After the death of the patron, the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery was rebuilt according to the sketches of V.M. Vasnetsov in the form of a fabulous tower. Above the entrance to the museum appeared a bas-relief of the saint and the name written in Old Russian script.

In 1913, the Moscow City Duma appointed Igor Grabar as a trustee of the Tretyakov Gallery. He turned the Tretyakov Gallery into a European-style museum with chronological exposition.

The principles of choosing paintings for the collection have also changed. Already in 1900, the gallery bought Vasnetsov's Alyonushka from von Meck. Previously rejected by Tretyakov.

And in 1925, contrary to the will of the founders of the Tretyakov Gallery, its collection was divided. Part of the collection was transferred to the Museum of Western Painting (now the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts), and some paintings were taken to the Hermitage.

But in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery there were real treasures. The most complete is the collection of art of the second half of the XIX century - it has no equal. Here are just some of the masterpieces of the Tretyakov Gallery: "They did not expect", "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan" I.E. Repin, “Morning of the Streltsy Execution”, “Menshikov in Berezovo”, “Boyar Morozova” by V.I. Surikov, "Trinity" by A. Rublev, "Apotheosis of War" by V. Vereshchagin, "The Tempest" by I. Aivazovsky, "The Last Day of Pompeii" by K. Bryullov, "Bogatyrs" by V. Vasnetsov, Portrait of A.S. Pushkin by O. Kiprensky, “Unknown” by I. Kramskoy, “Golden Autumn” by I. Levitan, “Troika” by V. Perov, “Unequal Marriage” by V. Pukirev, “The Rooks Have Arrived” by A. Savrasov, “Princess Tarakanova” by K. Flavitsky. There is a separate room where the “Appearance of Christ to the People” by A.A. Ivanova. In the Vrubel Hall you can see the "Princess of the Dream", "The Swan Princess", majolica. And the paintings of P.A. Fedotov was usually accompanied by poetry.

I'm a fresh cavalier
And now it's clear to everyone
I will be an example to everyone
And everything will count.
I'm a fresh cavalier
I'm an imposing guy
This satin fleur
It suits me very well.
Open the door wider
For some reason I'm hot
I deserve a cross
And glory to me
I'm a fresh cavalier
Come close to me, cook
And show kindness
You are my night time.
Now I'm like an actor
I am Hamlet, I am Othello
splendid dignity,
I shine like a portrait
And my satin fleur
Thrown so skillfully
And even my trestle bed
Everyone radiates light.
I have a cross
But that's not enough for me
I'm a fresh cavalier
I am the conqueror of ladies
I'll wait for a day like this
How do I become a general?
And I will be an example to everyone
For daughters and mothers...

Among the treasures of the Tretyakov Gallery there are real secrets.

For example, in the painting “Morning in a Pine Forest”, only Shishkin is indicated by the author, although Savitsky painted the bears. But Pavel Tretyakov, who was not told about the second author, personally erased Savitsky's signature with turpentine.

Rokotov's painting "Unknown in a cocked hat" depicts a woman. Initially, it was a portrait of the artist's friend's first wife. When, having become a widow, he married a second time, he asked Rokotov to spare the feelings of his second wife, and the painter applied a second layer, turning the woman into a man, but did not touch his face.

And when in 1885 Pavel Mikhailovich bought Repin's painting "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan", he was forbidden to exhibit it. At first he showed the canvas in a narrow circle, and then hung it in a special room. In 1913, the Old Believer Abram Balashev came to the gallery with a knife in his boot and slashed the canvas. Fortunately, the painting has been restored.

On May 25, 2018, Repin's canvas suffered again: a resident of Voronezh, Igor Podporin, broke the glass and tore the canvas. He explained his actions by the fact that the picture depicts unreliable events. And on January 27, 2019, Arkhip Kuindzhi’s painting “Ai-Petri. Crimea". The perpetrator was quickly found, and the painting was returned.

Now the Tretyakov Gallery welcomes guests with a fabulous facade. And in the courtyard there is a monument to the founder - P.M. Tretyakov. He replaced the monument to I.V. Stalin of the work of S.D. Merkulov 1939.

They say that......the building of the Tretyakov Gallery was damaged during the Great Patriotic War: two high-explosive bombs broke the glass roof in several places, destroyed the interfloor ceilings of some halls and the main entrance. The restoration of the building began already in 1942, and in 1944 40 of the 52 halls were in operation, where the evacuated exhibits returned.
...single girls can make a wish near V.M. Vasnetsov "Alyonushka", and love is not long in coming.
...girls are not allowed to look at the portrait of Maria Lopukhina in the Tretyakov Gallery for a long time. She died shortly after painting, and her father, a mystic and master of the Masonic Lodge, lured the spirit of his daughter into this portrait.
... the doormen of the Tretyakov Gallery did not let Ilya Repin near the paintings if he had brushes in his hands. The artist was so self-critical that he strove to correct already completed paintings.
...the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery almost perished in the flood of 1908. When Lavrushinsky began to flood with water, the building was surrounded by a brick wall, which was constantly built on to hold back the water. And the gallery workers at the time of the flood moved all the paintings to the second floor.
... in the Tretyakov Gallery there is a portrait of Ivan Abramovich Morozov against the backdrop of a still life by Henri Matisse. The curators joke that Serov copied the French artist so accurately that there was one more Matisse painting in Russia.

The Tretyakov Gallery in photographs of different years: