Located opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the largest European Art museum in Moscow . Established in the year 1912, by noted Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva's father Ivan Tsvetaeva, the museum houses some of the finest paintings of European Impressionist painters.

During its initial days of opening, the museum displayed mainly antiques, medieval and Roman Sculptures and statues. Two of the important documents The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus as well as the Story of Wenamun were also housed at the Pushkin Museum.

The first floor of the museum today holds European sculptures, and antiques from Egyptian, Assyrian, ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. The collection called "Treasures of Troy" is invaluable, and is said to have belonged to the people of Troy , as glorified in Homer's Illiad. These artifacts were stolen by the Red Army during the World War II raid of Berlin , and today can be seen in Room No.7 at the Pushkin.

On the second floor, above the artifacts floor, is Russia 's most impressive display of European art. The illustrious European impressionist's paintings are all kept here. Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse and Vlamink are all artists whose works find a place in this magnificent collection.

Also on display are Gothic and Renaissance paintings from Italy, Holland and Germany ; apart from the large collections of Ruben and Rembrandt works. The Museum also plays host to the annual International Music Festival, Svyatoslav's Richter December Nights.

If you want to discover Russian art in all its magnificence, you have no reason to look further. The Tretyakov Gallery is the largest collection of Russian fine arts & artifacts in the entire world.

The Gallery is said to have been started by the Muscovite Merchant Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov in mid 19 th Century, when he purchased a number of paintings created by Russian painters and artists. Originally bought to build a private collection, Tretyakov later showed his collection publicly in Moscow . The Merchant was a great art patron, and artists flourished under his patronage.

He is said to have donated large sums of money, to the cause of a national art gallery; and even donated his house and surrounding buildings to the museum, so that the Tretyakov Gallery could have a premise of its own. The façade of the building was redesigned in the year 1902-04 by famous Russian painter Viktor Vasnetsov, to resemble a Russian fairytale.

Though in modern times the Gallery premises have extended beyond its original size; it still remains the one-stop site to enjoy Russian Art. The Tretyakov Gallery is home to largest collection of Russian art, and has close to 130,000 exhibits, including icons made by Andrei Rubylov, 1 th century portraits, Realist art from the 19 th Century, and The Romantic Symbolism of the 20 th Century.

The gallery also has graphic art and applied arts in its repertoire, apart from the avant-garde paintings including Theotokos of Vladimir , Composition VII by Wassily Kandilsky , and Andrei Rubilev's Trinity.