Spending time in the beautiful city of Moscow will give you access to some wonderful art in some outstanding museums. Learning abroad is a wonderful way to open up your horizons, and visiting these museums will give you an insight into the incredible range and culture of Russian life, as well as the chance to see work by the great European masters.
The Classics
The State Tretyakov Gallery was founded by Pavel Tretyakov in 1856. There was not much known about Russian art until the 20th century, when artists like Kandinsky and Chagall came to prominence, so this museum gives art students learning abroad the chance to discover the wonderful work that inspired these artists.
The Tretyakov holds an extensive collection of Russian art dating from the 10th to the end of the 19th century. These works include a collection of Icons, and landscapes from the 18th century. Portraits of some of the great figures of Russian history are also featured, including Dostoevskii, Turgenev and Tolstoi. The gallery gives a great insight into the changing political climate, as the views of the great writers from this period are also reflected in the work of the artists.
In another part of Moscow a sister museum, the House of Artists, contains a collection of 20th century art, including examples of Socialist Realism and post-war Avant Garde works.
For European art, a visit to the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts should be on the itinerary of any art student learning abroad in Moscow. The museum’s collection includes the work of post-impressionists, modernists and many others. Many of the greats are exhibited here, including Rembrandt, Botticelli, Cezanne, Monet and Picasso. The museum also has galleries filled with the compendiums of private collectors and many of these were inaccessible to the public for a great number of years. All these masterpieces are housed in a beautiful building, which was copied from the Erechtheion on the Acropolis. It was built between 1898 and 1912 on the site of a prison and the first stone was laid in the presence of Tsar Nikolai II. Among the works exhibited are Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas and The Red Vineyard by Vincent van Gogh.
Contemporary Art
For fans of multimedia art a visit to the Multimedia Complex of Actual Arts is recommended. This museum was founded in 1996 and was Russia’s first museum to be dedicated to photography. The Complex includes the Moscow House of Photography, the Multimedia Art Museum and the School of Photography and Multimedia. It often houses international festivals, including Fashion and Style in Photography. Exhibitions are constantly changing and often include those with a fashion theme.
The Moscow Museum of Modern Art is the only museum in Moscow that specialises in 20th and 21st century art. It was founded in 1999 by the artist and sculptor Zurab Tsereteli and is situated in four separate buildings. The museum tells the story of the development of the Avant Garde and much of the collection consists of Russian artists. However Europe is also represented, with work by Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and others.
Moscow is a culturally rich city to visit for learning abroad and art students will have many opportunities to see great art. Whether their interest is in the classics or the contemporary, Moscow’s museums will provide all that they need.
Angela Bowden
