Moscow has a rich history and culture as evidenced in its numerous historical sites and cultural institutions. Founded in the twelfth century, the city has been growing in size as well as economic and cultural importance ever since. Today it is one of most populous cities in the world, and the biggest city in Europe, attracting millions of visitors every year. And the tourists are not just interested in sightseeing, sampling the delicious food in Moscow's fine restaurants, scouring the city's colorful markets in the search for the most interesting souvenir or hearing the latest of Russian rock music in the city's numerous clubs and bars; many come for the pleasure of seeing a good opera or a ballet, exploring the numerous museums in which the city abounds, tracing the history of Russian architecture through the streets of Moscow or visiting some of the world's richest galleries.
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| Tretyakov Gallery houses the most extensive collection of Russian fine art |
Moscow abounds in galleries that house stunning collections of Russian and foreign art, and in museums that trace the development of Russia's interesting and turbulent history. Among the most well known of these institutions of cultural history is the Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Art: named after Andrey Rublev, a famous monk and painter of Orthodox icons and frescoes, the museum is situated in the former Andronikov Monastery and houses an extensive collection of works by Rublev, as well as many icons produced by painters of the Moscow School, numerous sculptures dating from 12th through the 17th century and various religious frescoes. If you're interested in more modern Russian art head for the Tretyakov Gallery. Named after the famous Moscow philanthropist and patron of arts Pavel Tretyakov, this gallery houses the most extensive collection of Russian fine art in the world, numbering as many as 130,000 exhibits. When it comes to foreign art, the most impressive collection is that of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Although named after the famous Russian poet, the museum has nothing to do with Alexander Pushkin. Instead, it houses the most extensive collection of foreign art in Moscow: its most prized exhibits include a collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and sculpture, but other European styles from Renaissance onward are also well represented.
If you're interested not only in Russian (and foreign) art, but also history, there are two museums in Moscow that should be of particular interest to you: one of them is the State Historical Museum, housed in a magnificent Russian Revival building on the Red Square. The State Historical Museum is not only a beautiful work of architecture, but is also home to a stunning and extensive collection that numbers millions of items and depicts Russia's long history from its earliest beginnings. The Central Armed Forces Museum, also know as the Museum of Soviet Army, is the museum that traces Russia's military history. Its remarkable collection of military relics (consisting of more than 700,000 items) includes propaganda leaflets, photos, banners, weapons and uniforms, as well as an impressive collection of military equipment and technology, including aircrafts and missiles, artillery and an armored train. The museum is instantly recognizable by the T-34 tank and a ballistic missile that stand in front of its entrance.
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| Pushkin Memorial Apartment on the Arbat |
Moscow is home also to numerous museums dedicated to its cultural figures, such as the one dedicated to Moscow's legendary theater director and actor Constantin Stanislavsky, inventor of a technique of acting known as the Stanislavsky system. Muscovites are great theatergoers and their love towards the theater, and the development of performing arts in general, is well documented in the extensive collection of the Bakhrushin Theater Museum, which portrays the development of all kinds of theatrical activities, including ballet and opera, drama, puppetry and children's theater. Moscow also has numerous museums dedicated to major literary figures, one of which is the Dostoevsky House Museum, located in the house where the famous 19th century novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky spent his childhood. Famous Russian romantic poet Alexander Pushkin has two museums dedicated to him: the Pushkin Memorial Apartment on the Arbat, located on the famous Arbat Street at number 53 and the Pushkin State Museum at Prechistenka Street 12/2. Famous 19th author Leo Tolstoy also has two museums dedicated to him: the Tolstoy Musem, located on the Prechistenka street 11 (opposite the building which houses the Pushkin State Museum, and Tolstoy Estate-Museum, located at Lva Tolstovo street 21, situated in the house where the author lived with his family during the winter months in the years between 1882 and 1901. For a more complete list of museums dedicated to Russian literary giants see here.
Moscow is big on all kinds of theatrical activities and the city abounds in theaters, opera houses and similar venues. The most famous of them is The Bolshoi Theater, home of the National Ballet Company. Since it was founded in 1825, over 800 performances of ballet and opera have been staged at this immensely popular venue, and the company has toured outside Russia extensively. Today the theater stages mostly classics of ballet and opera, and remains one of the most popular theaters due to the fact that its company consists of some of the best Russian ballet dancers. Another ballet and opera theater whose performances are considered to be among the best in Moscow is the famous Stanislavsky & Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater. Stanislavsky & Nemirovich-Danchenko ballet and opera company was founded when the legendary theater director and actor Constantin Stanislavsky joined up with another legend of the Moscow theater scene, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, and applied his acting and dramatic methods (known as the Stanislavsky system) to the art of opera and ballet. Today the company stages mostly ballet and opera classics, and is one of most popular venues for such type of entertainment in the city. Other popular theaters include the Moscow New Opera Theater. This theater is among the youngest opera theaters in Moscow: it was founded in 1991 by Evgeny Kolobov when he left the Stanislavsky opera company and is directed by him still. New Opera Theater, which is widely acclaimed for its exceptional orchestra, stages Russian and foreign opera classics as well as some of rarely seen operas and classical music. Moscow Operetta Theater also mainly performs opera classics, but is becoming interested in musicals as well. The troupe recently premiered the first modern Russian musical, called Metro. Many of the leading roles in productions of this theater are occupied by Russia's most popular pop stars. The Chamber Opera Theater stages performances of European classics and favorites along with many old Russian operas that are rarely seen, while The Helikon Opera, one of Moscow's younger opera theaters, has a more unique repertoire and stages innovative and even experimental productions of opera.
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| Nina Ananiashvili performing Swan Lake. This famous Tchaikovsky's ballet is just one of numerous ballet classics that are regularly staged at The Bolshoi Theater. |
If opera and ballet are not to your taste and you prefer drama, you'll find that Moscow's theatrical offer is indeed comprehensive and interesting - providing you speak Russian. Among the city's most notable drama theaters is Moscow Art Theater (also known as the Chekhov Art Theater), which was founded at the end of the 19th century by two legends of the Moscow theatrical circles - Constantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. The Maly Theater is another popular venue. It was founded in 1756 and is as such the oldest theater in Moscow. In the 19th century it gained reputation as the main venue for staging social and political satires, and has seen the premiere productions of numerous Russian classic texts. Today, the theater mostly stages productions of 19th century Russian classics, and occasionally hosts performances of international theater companies. Pushkin Drama Theater is a popular venue that has a diverse repertoire which consists of classics directed by established, well-known directors and shown on the large stage, and of the plays of young authors and directors which are shown on the small stage. The famous Taganka Theater was founded by Yuri Lyubimov in 1964 and rose to the status of Moscow's most popular theater not long after it came into existence. Lyubimov's provocative productions earned him an exile from Russia in 1980s, but he has since returned and again runs the Taganka Theater staging brilliant contemporary productions. The Lenkom Theater is popular among Muscovites mainly because of its brilliant acting troupe, said to be among the best in the country, while the Satirikon, managed by the brilliant producer Konstantin Raikin, is known and loved for its wildly expensive productions such as the production of Bertolt Brecht's Threepenny Opera or Edmond Rostand's Chantecler which featured ducks and chickens dancing on the stage.
