State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia; Shutterstock ID 192471953; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

Shutterstock / Popova Valeriya

State Tretyakov Gallery Main Branch

Top choice in Zamoskvorechie


The exotic boyar (high-ranking noble) castle on a little lane in Zamoskvorechie contains the main branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery, housing the world’s best collection of Russian icons and an outstanding collection of other prerevolutionary Russian art. Show up early to beat the queues. The neighbouring Engineer’s Building is reserved for special exhibits.

The building was designed by Viktor Vasnetsov between 1900 and 1905. The gallery started as the private collection of the 19th-century industrialist brothers Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov. Pavel was a patron of the Peredvizhniki, or Wanderers, a group of 19th-century painters who broke away from the conservative Academy of Arts and started depicting common people and social problems. Nowadays, these are among Russia’s most celebrated painters, and the Tretyakov boasts some of the most exquisite examples of their work.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Zamoskvorechie attractions

1. Church of St Nicholas in Tolmachi

0.01 MILES

Within the grounds of the Tretyakov Gallery, the gallery's founder Pavel Tretyakov regularly attended services here. The church was transferred to the…

2. Bolotnaya Ploshchad

0.3 MILES

Named after the swamp it used to be, Bolotnaya has a lot to tell about those who rebelled against the Kremlin, which views it warily from the other side…

3. Lumiere Brothers Photography Centre

0.41 MILES

One of the main pilgrimage destinations for photography fanatics, this modern and competently curated space frequently hosts changing exhibitions of…

4. Red October

0.45 MILES

The original piece of the hipster belt that now stretches far beyond Gorky Park, Red October is a massive compound of red-brick buildings that used to be…

5. Dom na Naberezhnoy Museum

0.46 MILES

The big ‘House on the Embankment’ on Bolotny Island is a historic building, once home to many old Bolsheviks and Civil War heroes, as well as artists,…

6. Art Muzeon & Krymskaya Naberezhnaya

0.54 MILES

Moscow's answer to London's South Bank, Krymskaya Nab (Crimea Embankment) features wave-shaped street architecture with Scandinavian-style wooden elements…

7. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

0.63 MILES

This opulent and grandiose cathedral was completed in 1997 – just in time to celebrate Moscow's 850th birthday. The cathedral’s sheer size and splendour…

8. Borovitskaya Tower

0.64 MILES

Use the Kremlin entrance at Borovitskaya Tower if you intend to skip the churches and visit only the Armoury or Diamond Fund.