The management of the construction was entrusted to the architect R.I. Klein, who developed the final design of the building. The Board of Moscow State University arranged for Klein a long business trip to European museums, Egypt and Greece. Klein was assisted in the construction by engineers Ivan Rerberg, the first deputy head of the project, and Vladimir Shukhov, the author of the unique translucent ceilings of the museum. Dozens of young architects, engineers and artists passed through the Klein school during the construction of the museum.
The building was completed in rough draft in 1904. Exhibits (gypsum casts and other copies) were ordered from foreign workshops from the 1890s on the basis of forms taken directly from the originals; in some cases copies were made for the first time. On May 31 (June 13), 1912, the museum was opened to the public as the Museum fine arts the emperor's name Alexander III at the Imperial Moscow University.
In 1923 the Museum was withdrawn from the subordination of the university. In 1932 it was renamed State Museum fine arts. In 1937 the Museum was named after Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. In 1991, the Museum was included in the State Code of Particularly Valuable Objects. cultural heritage peoples of the Russian Federation.
The founder and first director of the Museum in 1911-1913 was Ivan Vladimirovich Tsvetaev (1847-1913), professor at Moscow University. Irina Aleksandrovna Antonova, Academician Russian Academy Arts, Academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation was the director of the museum from 1961 to July 2013, when she was appointed President of the museum. At present, the director of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin is Marina Devovna Loshak.
Collections of the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin are presented in museum complex buildings.
The Center for Aesthetic Education of Children and Youth "Museion" operates at the Museum (Kolymazhny lane, 6).
Composition of the Museum's collections
Currently, the total number of monuments stored in the Pushkin Museum is about 670,000 items. These are paintings, graphic works, sculptures, works applied arts, archaeological sites, monuments of numismatics, photographs, memorial objects, objects of the scientific auxiliary fund.
In 2011, the Museum's collection was replenished with a number of significant works of painting, graphics, numismatics, arts and crafts. The total number of entries is 3471 items. Of these, 787 items were bought, 550 items were accepted as donations, and 2134 items were accepted by decision of the Expert Fund Procurement Commission.
The picturesque collection of the Museum was replenished with 8 works; sculptural - one; collection of arts and crafts - 28 works; graphic collection - 118 works; collection of the Museum of Private Collections - 433 works, including paintings, drawings and photographs; the numismatic collection included 1790 items; Also, the collection of the Museum was replenished with a complex of archeological objects with a total of 1093 items.
Fund of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin in 2011, the Museum was donated a rare monument of early Netherlandish painting (XVI century): a two-sided altar door with scenes of The Last Supper and the Mass of St. Gregory"; the work stylistically gravitates towards the production of the workshop of the Brussels painter Colaine de Cauter.
Valentina Andrianovna Tsirnyuk donated to the Museum a complex of works, among which the sculptural group "The Artist and the Model" should be singled out. Italian master Emilio Fiaschi (1858-1941). This work is typical of the salon art of the second half of XIX century.
The collection of decorative arts was also supplemented by a decorative Etruscan-shaped porcelain vase with an archery scene in the Green Dog park near Brussels, created in France in the 1830s. In terms of workmanship, form and painting, it is very rare for Russian museum and private collections. The vase was purchased by the Museum at the expense of the RF Ministry of Culture.
Another piece of arts and crafts included in the Museum's collection in 2011 is a bone relief with portrait of a woman- the work of the Austrian sculptor and bone carver Norbert Michael Schroedl (1816-1890). He is known mainly as the author of portrait images of members of the imperial family and prominent contemporaries, created using the technique of carving on ivory. According to a number of signs, it can be assumed that the image on this item is a portrait of the Empress of Austria and Queen Elizabeth of Hungary (1837-1898). The art of carved bone of the 19th century in the museum collection is represented only by individual samples, and therefore this item occupies an important place in it.
The graphic collection of the Museum includes 25 works of German graphics, including works by Lucas Cranach, Urs Graf, Hans Beham, Hans Burgkmair and other masters of the era of Albrecht Dürer, which are of undoubted value for the collection of the Pushkin Museum.
Of great value is the collection acquired by the Museum, consisting of 721 oriental coins, of which 33 are silver and 688 are bronze. The collection was collected in Turkmenistan and includes coins that circulated in the oasis of Merv from the 3rd century BC. until the end of the 19th century. It is unique because it includes rare coins of antiquity and early medieval, as well as samples of little-known issues of Merv coinage. The collection was accepted for temporary storage in December 2000 and, after a long careful work of Russian specialists, finally entered the Museum's collection.
The State Pushkin Museum on Prechistenka presents works by serf artist Vasily Sadovnikov
PHOTO: Anna Ivantsova, Evening MoscowTITLE
The Pushkin Museum is often confused with literary museum, which is located a few steps away. And this is not surprising, because both cultural spaces bear the name of the famous Russian poet. The only difference is that one presents copies to the general public famous sculptures and paintings by famous artists, and the other tells about the work of the poet himself and his life. Almost everyone who comes here has a question: “Where was Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin here, and why is the museum named after him?”
The museum did not always bear the name of the famous Russian poet. The current name was given to him only in 1937 - in memory of the death of Pushkin in 1837. The museum could be named after Ivan Tsvetaev, the initiator of its creation and the first director, or the Russian philanthropist Yuri Nechaev-Maltsov, who donated at least 80 percent of the necessary funds for the construction. But the authorities decided to pay tribute to the Russian poet and give the name to the 100th anniversary of his death.
By the way, initially, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts was called the Alexander III Museum of Fine Arts. Ivan Tsvetaev sincerely hoped that members of the imperial family would help finance the museum. But, alas, Nicholas II did not allocate as much funds as required.
IDEA
Historian and Muscovite Pavel Gnilorybov said that Moscow lacked an art museum that would collect works of art not only of domestic origin, but also of foreign origin, dating back to antiquity.
– At the end of the 19th century, a brilliant connoisseur of painting, Ivan Tsvetaev, set about creating “his own” antiquity in Moscow. People grew interested in foreign art. And then Troy, Pompeii were just being excavated, archaeological excavations were being carried out in the Middle East, and the dawn of Egyptology had also begun. And Moscow did not stand aside from these processes, - Gnilorybov noted.
According to him, Ivan Tsvetaev realized that buying original exhibits is an expensive pleasure, so he decided to acquire copies of famous works of art. He sent his "agents" almost all over Europe, who visited foreign museums and figured out how to get this or that exhibit in order to understand how to implement the idea and how much money it would take.
The area that Ivan Tsvetaev chose for the construction of the museum was not the most prestigious and, accordingly, not very expensive, the Muscovite notes. On the one hand, there was Lazy Vrazhek Street (or Lazy Torzhok), the current Lenivka. This place in Russia was profitable for trade - the goods were offered directly from the carts. On the other hand, there was the royal Stables Yard.
ASSISTANTS
He had a hand in the design of the building famous architect Roman Klein, who designed the Central Department Store, Nekrasov's mansion, profitable prince Prince Gagarin and other buildings in the capital. Also an important role was played by engineer Vladimir Shukhov, thanks to whom the museum is famous for its translucent ceilings in the form of steel arches with ties and frame structures.
Russian philanthropist Yuri Nechaev-Maltsov once received an inheritance from his uncle, becoming the owner of several factories and plants in different provinces of Russia, the largest of which was the Gusev Crystal Factory in the Vladimir province. Nechaev-Maltsov donated millions of rubles so that Ivan Tsvetaev could fully realize his dream.
I.V. Tsvetaev and Yu.S. Nechaev-Maltsov on the steps of the Museum. 1912
PHOTO: Official website of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin http://www.arts-museum.ru/
- There were times when Nechaev-Maltsev said to Tsvetaev: “Listen, you sucked everything out of me. There is no money left, but I will still increase production at my factories so that your idea will triumph,” says Pavel Gnilorybov.
The closest assistant in the case of Ivan Tsvetaev was also his wife Maria. According to the recollections of their daughter, the famous poetess Marina Tsvetaeva, she conducted all his extensive foreign correspondence, supporting her husband in everything.
“Speaking of her help to her father, I first of all speak of the unflagging of her spiritual participation, the miracle of the female involvement in entering everything and leaving everything as a winner. Helping the museum was, first of all, spiritually helping my father: to believe in him, to believe in him, and when necessary, for him, too,” wrote the poetess.
- Tsvetaev was an enthusiast on a completely pure non-monetary basis, and many compatriots perceived him as an urban holy fool, - says the Muscovite.
At the opening of the Museum on May 31 (June 13), 1912. In the center royal family, I.V. Tsvetaev and Yu.S. Nechaev-Maltsov. Newsreel frame
PHOTO: Official website of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin http://www.arts-museum.ru/
WORK
Pushkin Museum suffered hardship more than once. In 1904, a fire broke out at the construction site, and many of the exhibits that were in the boxes burned down. And then the Great Patriotic War, and most of the museum collections were evacuated to Novosibirsk and Solikamsk. Since 1944, the building of the Pushkin Museum, which suffered from bombing during the war, began to be restored and prepared for the deployment of the exposition. The bombing broke part of the glass of the metal-glass ceilings, and for three years the museum stood under open sky. In the upper part of the western facade, even the Museum was left with potholes from fragments of German bombs.
Of course, Ivan Tsvetaev did not live to see the war. But he could see how, after the fire in 1904, a large public campaign soon began, and many Russian travelers began to bring various exhibits from all over the world.
"Sistine Madonna" by Raphael at the exhibition "Masterpieces of the Dresden art gallery» in the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin. 1955
PHOTO: Official website of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin http://www.arts-museum.ru/
- And he literally perked up, like a withering flower in the desert. For many years, it suffered setbacks, and then it was poured with water - and it blossomed again and things went smoothly, - Pavel Gnilorybov noted. - So that you understand how passionately and wholeheartedly he devoted himself to his work: he died forty days after the opening of the museum. This is even more than the project of his whole life. It is very correct and true that on the first floor of the museum there is a bust (albeit a modest one) of Ivan Tsvetaev.
MODERN DAYS
Museum originally intended for students art academies, gradually acquired a very important cultural significance - the keeper of the exhibits of the past. Today it is one of the most visited museums in Moscow, where completely different events take place: from musical evenings to extraordinary promotions. The Pushkin Museum does not stand still and is developing rapidly: new spaces are being developed, a museum town is being planned, the construction of which is actively underway at the moment.
In 2013, Irina Antonova, who held the post of director, became the president of the museum, giving way to Marina Loshak as director. One of the most important vectors for the development of the museum's activities was the proclamation of its openness and interactivity, the inclusion of the new without sacrificing traditions and scientific approach.
Rector of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts Semyon Mikhailovsky at the exhibition “Piranesi. Before and after. Italy - Russia. 18-21 centuries" in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts near cork models from the collection of Catherine II
Now the Pushkin Museum is forming unique collection media art, which will become a new tool for dialogue between the future and the present. The collection will include works by classics and contemporary artists the latest generation in the field of media art and performance art. Specific projects and works will be presented, reflecting classical art using the latest technologies.
BY THE WAY
In 2017, the exhibition of the contemporary Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang "October", held at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts from September 13 to November 12, became the winner of the VI Prize of the domestic newspaper "The Art Newspaper Russia". main theme his works became the centenary of the Great October revolution. Cai Guoqiang created several works and an installation in front of the main building of the museum, the purpose of which was to show the role of one person in history, his connection with the fate of the country. The award was given for "the most explosive image of the revolution".
There are many paradoxes in our world, and one of them is that the Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow bears the name of the great poet A.S. Pushkin. This situation raises many questions. Why exactly in honor of the poet, and not one of the artists, because the Russian land is also not deprived of them at all? Did it happen by chance, or was it intentional? Are they going to change the name of this institution in the future?
State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin to bear just such a name. It has appeared since the end of the 19th century, and has been renamed several times during its existence.
History of the Pushkin Museum
Scientist - historian I. V. Tsvetaev The idea of creating this museum belongs to Ivan Vladimirovich Tsvetaev, the father of Marina Tsvetaeva. And the idea was implemented, Russia received a new educational museum accessible to the people, the basis for which was the Cabinet of Fine Arts and Antiquities, which was previously present at Moscow University. A separate building was built, its first collections were collected for the museum - this was carried out with funds from private donations and with the personal money of the founders.
Many people willingly donated funds for the creation of this museum - 150 thousand rubles were received from the executors of Varvara Alekseeva, the widow of one of the merchants. In return, she asked only to name the museum in honor of Alexander III, so that the institution would necessarily bear his name. This request was not a condition; it came from the donor orally. The museum was opened in 1912, in honor of which a celebration was held. The institution received its original name in honor of Alexander III, and the imperial family headed by Nicholas II came to the opening.
How did the modern name of the museum come about?
During the revolution and after it, the museum could not keep its former name. It was renamed in 1923 for ideological reasons. This year, the museum loses its affiliation with the university and becomes the State Museum of Fine Arts. He became Pushkin in 1937, then it was the anniversary of the death of the poet. The cultural and social policy of that time, as well as the opinion of individual officials, contributed to the fact that the institution received just such a name.
The name of the museum has survived to this day, most Russians, and even foreign tourists know that the institution is called the Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin. It’s not even necessary to specify - if they say that an exhibition has opened in Pushkinsky, then we are talking about this institution. Despite all the paradoxicality, and even the inappropriateness of this name, it took root tightly and became this moment already generally accepted. And even if there is a renaming, the people will probably remain original name, the new risks not taking root.
Why not the Tsvetaev Museum?
Many people believe that it would be wise to call the museum Tsvetaevsky, after its founder. This is a completely natural statement, but for the sake of truth it is worth noting that this person was not forgotten here. In addition to the idea of founding the museum itself, he was thinking about the possibility of creating a whole “museum town”, and the conceived project has now begun to be implemented on Volkhonka.
Interesting fact: the name of Tsvetaeva is the building of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin called Educational Art Museum. You can visit it by heading to 15 Chayanov Street. The museum also gives out the Tsvetaev Prize. There is also a bust of the founder on the territory of the museum, and every excursion starts from it. The founder of the institution is by no means forgotten.
Will the museum change its name?
Of course, in the early Soviet era, the museum could not bear the names of tsars, but it could not bear the name of Tsvetaev either. It was necessary to emphasize that it became a national treasure, so it was renamed. Today, more and more disputes arise about whether it is worth leaving the institution to its former name, or it would be more reasonable to restore historical justice, to name the museum Tsvetaevsky in honor of the founder. But also, many people insist on the need to preserve the established name that everyone has become accustomed to over the decades. After all, the museum spent most of its history under the name of Pushkin. The question is still under discussion, and what the result will be is unknown.
Thus, the museum did not originally bear the name of the great poet, the modern name came to him with the renaming of the early Soviet period due to the politics and worldviews that then dominated. Today, everyone is accustomed to calling this museum Pushkin's, and few people notice the paradoxical nature of this name out of habit. Perhaps in the future the museum will indeed be renamed. Or maybe it won't. After all, it is already pointless to rename it, people in Russia and abroad are accustomed to the name that has been established over decades.
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Let's start with the fact that the Museum was renamed several times.
AT late XIX century, the Museum of Fine Arts was conceived by Ivan Vladimirovich Tsvetaev as an educational and public museum, created on the basis of the Cabinet of Fine Arts and Antiquities of Moscow University.
The construction of the building and the collection of the collection were mainly financed by the founders of the Museum and private donors. So, 150 thousand rubles were allocated from the capital of the merchant widow Varvara Alekseeva by her executors, who sympathized with Tsvetaev and his undertaking. The only condition for the donation was that the future museum be named after Emperor Alexander III - in this they referred to the oral request of their trustee.
In 1912 took place Grand opening Museum of Fine Arts named after Alexander III in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II and members of the royal family.
Since November 1923, the Museum was withdrawn from the subordination of the university and became the State Museum of Fine Arts. The name of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was given to the Museum in 1937, on the anniversary of the tragic death of the poet. The reasons for the renaming were historical events, features of the cultural and social policy pursued at that time, as well as the opinions of individual officials.
Today the name of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin is fully enshrined in the memory of museum visitors, both in Russia and abroad. If you hear or read the phrases “I was in Pushkinsky”, “An exhibition opened in Pushkinsky ...”, you immediately understand what kind of museum we are talking about.
The name of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin has long been established, was accepted by society and today is perceived by it as a whole. The Pushkin Museum is a brand, a historical reality that would be very difficult to destroy with violent interference.
However, the founder of the museum is by no means forgotten. It was Ivan Vladimirovich Tsvetaev who came up with the idea of creating a "museum town". Now in the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin is implementing a project to create a Museum town in the Volkhonka area.
In addition, one of the buildings of the Pushkin Museum im. A.S. Pushkin - Educational Art Museum (Chayanova Street, 15) - bears the name of Ivan Vladimirovich Tsvetaev. Also in our museum, the Tsvetaev Prize has also been established. And, perhaps, it is worth mentioning that each sightseeing tour along the Main Building starts near the bust of Tsvetaev and short story about the origin of the museum.
Probably, those who believe that in fairness the Museum should have been named after I.V. Tsvetaev, its founder. At the same time, there are also opposite opinions. Perhaps in the future, when conducting a survey public opinion, with the collective decision of the cultural community to rename the Museum, it may be given the name of Ivan Vladimirovich.