This museum is not related to the famous Russian author, but named in his honor. It is Moscow’s center for fine art, showing famous works by Western artists like Picasso, Renoit, Van Gogh, and many others. But there are also some classic works by Russian artists, as well as sculpture, and collected historical objects.
The museum has three buildings, which are known by their street addresses: 10, 12, and 14. They are side by side on Volkhonka, housing different collections, and you pay 150 rubles (with student ID) to get in at each building. Each has its own interesting aspects. I’ll list each below – with several pictures for each!
At Building 14 you will see the classical works associated with European Fine Arts. If you want to see original Matisse, Cezanne, and Monet, this is where to start. And if you can only make it to one gallery, I recommend this one. It has beautiful art and sculptures, framed and displayed in the classical gallery setting.
Building 10 is a very modern and spacious building with interesting architecture. The entrance faces the main gallery building, not the street. There are three levels of artwork, and this is an interesting, but more abstract series of Private Collections. There are pieces that border on “modern art.” And many of the collections are of Russian artists. My favorite part of this gallery was the collection of imaginative work by Alexander Tyshler Grigorevich.
The main building, Building 12, is most notable for the building itself, a beautiful, palatial building with classical columns and spacious interiors. This building houses the vast collection of plaster cast copies of famous sculptures, the temporary exhibits that the museum offers, and the archaeological collection, with its many amazing Egyptian artworks. The sculptures are beautiful and interesting, but I was disappointed to realize that 99% were plaster copies of the originals. So while this building has a lot of beautiful pieces to see, the main attractions are the Egyptian collection, and the architecture of the building itself.
This museum series is near Christ the Savior Cathedral, in a touristy part of town. It seems like it is a collection to satisfy the tastes of foreigners. While it is a large and interesting collection, I would recommend visiting other museums such as the Tretyakov if you want to see original Russian art.
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts/
Государственный Музей Изобразительных Искусств Имени А.С. Пушкин
Москва, Волхонка, 10, 12, 14
Hours of Operation Vary, see website for details
All are closed on Mondays, Bldg 10 also closed Tuesdays
150 rubles (with student ID) at each location
Arts-museum.ru
