The best museums Russia

This Art Center is part of the set of alternative places called "Pushkinskaya 10". This giant squat opened its doors in 1989. Invested by the artists of the city while the USSR was counting its days, it was first registered as an NGO, free culture, which still exists. Workshops, photo exhibitions, multimedia... The program is always very busy, but the occupants have managed to find a balance between creative work and opening to the public. Let's be frank: this place is unique. Comparing it to a Parisian artistic squat would only give an approximate picture. It's a veritable hotbed of culture and life. A sharp electro record store has been set up there as well as a bookstore and a café.

Museum of the Beatles of Kolya Vasin. Another good reason to come to Pushkinskaya-10 is in the 1st courtyard, renamed John Lennon Street, Abbey Road and Temple of Love, Peace and Music. All of them were created by the most famous Beatles fan of all Russia, Kolya Vasin. It all began when Kolya sent a letter to John Lennon on his birthday in the 1970s. A few months later he received an unexpected reply in his mailbox: a vinyl signed and sent by John Lennon himself. This was the first stone in the building of the Temple of Love, Peace and Music, which brings together an impressive collection of objects of all kinds related to the Liverpool Quartet, carefully assembled over 60 years. After Nikolai's departure from this world to join his friends John and George, Vasin's heirs decided to open the collection to the general public. A moving story of great passion and love.

This museum suffers from the comparison with the Hermitage in St. Petersburg: like the latter, it is a museum of fine arts whose purpose is mainly academic, but unlike it, it did not inherit the imperial collections. That is why one of its three establishments, its historic building, exhibits mainly copies of works from antiquity and the Middle Ages. If you've already been to the Louvre, go directly to the other two museum buildings.

In 1832-1836, at the end of forced labour, the exiled Decembrists obtained permission to settle in different parts of Siberia. Two noble families, Volkonsky and Troubetskoy, meeting in Irkutsk, influenced the culture and politics of the city. In the charming houses of Volkonsky and Troubetskoy, one can admire the luxurious rooms and authentic objects testifying to this episode of Russian history. The house of Sergei Volkonsky, the Decembrist, was originally built in 1838 in the village of Uriq, but after the purchase of a piece of land in Irkutsk opposite the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, it was moved there. The high society of Irkutsk came to the literary and musical evenings, balls and masquerades that the family organized. The museum telling the story of this great family was opened to the public in 1985 after an 11-year restoration. Not far from the Volkonsky House is the former hotel of the exiled colonel Sergei Troubetskoy, who moved to Irkutsk with his family in 1845, first on a rental basis, then they had a large house built with a façade decorated with carved wood, which also became a high point of public life in the 19th century. The museum was opened in the Troubetskaya House in December 1970 where the exhibition tells the story of the Decembrists' life in the baguettes and exhibits furniture, embroidery made by Princess Troubetskaya and paintings by her daughter.

The museum has been fully restored for the centenary of the poet's birth. Moscow and St. Petersburg are snatching up the legacy of the great Pushkin. Although the present Russian capital was his birthplace, St. Petersburg, to which his work is intimately linked, did not really bring him luck: it was in this mansion on the quay of the Moika Canal that the great Russian writer spent the last four months of his life, from September 1836 onwards. An existence tragically interrupted by a duel with G. d'Anthès, who was assiduously courting his wife. In spite of this short stay, the museum housed in this building is rich in many souvenirs related to Pushkin, but also to the great names of Russian history: the former residence was indeed inhabited by Biron, a favourite of Empress Anne Ioannovna in the 18th century.

Pushkin, a true god living in Russia, where he is both the best writer and a kind of founding father of the nation, still moves the crowds who religiously crowd into this apartment museum. Another sign of the fervour, already evident during his lifetime, is the note from his doctor on the door of the staircase informing his admirers of his state of health. The museum is more interesting with a guide, who passionately narrates the last days of Aleksandr Sergeyevich's life: the insulting letter received from d'Anthes, the fateful duel on a January morning, the agony on the bedroom couch.

The entrance hall, dining room, living room, bedroom, study and children's room have been reconstructed with a remarkable concern for authenticity from the furniture and possessions that belonged to the Pushkin family. A few objects dear to the poet were preserved: portraits of his four children and a few friends, a copy of Charles Perrault's tales, his cane, his pipes, his pen... Riddled with debts, the poet was unaware of the luxury, if not that of a library with 3,000 books. You will stop with emotion in front of the desk where he wrote his last works, as attested by some of his manuscripts exhibited in the room, in front of the sofa where he breathed his last and in front of his death mask, kept in the museum next to a medallion containing a curl of his hair collected by Turgenev. Every year, on January 29, the museum pays tribute to the writer by organizing the "Pushkin Day".

This museum (ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЙ МУЗЕЙ) houses a rich collection of objects and documents from the history of the peoples of Russia from prehistoric times to the 20th century: there are coins, medals, jewellery, pagan idols and Christian crosses, manuscripts, works of art. Among the most interesting objects are the clothes of Ivan the Terrible, a coach of Peter the Great, a portrait of Emelian Pugachev, the leader of the peasant war of the 18th century, a sword and Napoleon's rolling kitchen.

A vibrant testimony to Peter the Great's insatiable curiosity for science, the Kunstkamera is one of the oldest and richest ethnographic museums in the world. Founded in 1714 by special decree of the Tsar, it occupies a large building in Baroque style. It is on these docks that the founding czar chose to store his private collections. In Amsterdam, Peter the Great bought Professor Frederic Ruysch's collection of anatomical preparations, which he enriched with other acquisitions: foetuses preserved in formalin, skeletons of Siamese babies, deformed toads... all embellished with stuffed animals, rare stones and crystals, mechanical toys and medical instruments... You can notably observe the skull of Khadji-Mourat, hero of the Caucasian wars against the Russians, immortalized by Tolstoy, as well as teeth pulled out by Peter the Great himself. In short, a magnificent gallery of horrors that testifies to the sometimes strange tastes of the czar builder, and illustrates his passion for the discoveries of his time! Today, the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) is also one of the main centres of the Russian Academy of Scientific Research. The three-storey building housing this cabinet of curiosities is surmounted by a tower serving as an observatory. Like many other museums in the city, the Kunstakamera unfortunately does not have a translation of the descriptive plates of its pieces.

Soviet nostalgia... After leaving St. Petersburg for nearly 3 years of renovation, the cruiser Aurora returned with great pomp and circumstance on July 19, 2016. Moored at the confluence of the Neva and the Great Neva, this battleship more than a century old (built between 1897 and 1900 on the orders of Nicholas II) of impeccable metallic grey is to Saint Petersburg what the mausoleum of Lenin is to Moscow in terms of revolutionary symbolism. It was indeed from the cruiser Aurora that the signal for the revolution of October 1917 was given, marking the dawn of a new era for the country and the world. It was indeed his cannon shot fired with blanks that announced to the revolutionary soldiers and sailors the moment of the assault on the Winter Palace. Before that, he had fought in the Pacific waters against the Japanese in 1904 and then crossed swords with the German navy in the Baltic. Since 1948, when it was permanently anchored at Petrogradskaya Quay, east of the Peter and Paul Fortress, its long grey hull topped by three chimneys has been an integral part of the urban landscape of Leningrad and is likely to be part of the urban landscape of St Petersburg for a long time to come. There has been talk of moving it, scrapping it, not to mention more or less far-fetched projects such as turning it into a discotheque. The USSR is no more, but its legacy lives on. Although it is not the most interesting museum in the city, the visit is nevertheless very popular with children.

This icebreaker was built for the Czar's navy in Newcastle in 1916. But, after the revolution, England confiscated it, until Krasin, the People's Commissar, recovered it in 1921 for a fee. Krasin was at the forefront of the international mission to save the Italian Nobile expedition in 1928, whose airship was damaged on its return from the Pole. During the Second World War, she was the only Soviet ship to take part in the convoy to Murmansk, which was under fire from Nazi warships, with the aim of distributing war material to the USSR. It also receives Gagarin at the time of its landing. An exhibition with many photos retraces all these anecdotes.
But the highlight of the visit remains the boat itself. Its spacious deck contains both old and recent navigational instruments. We also visit the engine room, and the cabins of the various crew members, from the captain's to the machinists' cabins. A very fun visit, as you immerse yourself in the intimacy of life on board. Beware, the icebreaker Krasin is not open to the public, but only through excursions organized by the conservation team in charge of the administration of the precious ship, now retired. Guided tours depart at fixed times, at the beginning of each hour.

Night of the Museums: The icebreaker is a great fun to visit during the Night of the Museums, on June 15.

Bring sturdy footwear.

This museum devoted to the history and culture of the peoples of Russia occupies the left wing of the Mikhailovsky Palace (Russian Museum). This museum of the ex-Homo sovieticus has more than 500,000 pieces from 150 peoples living on the territory of the former USSR, from the Caucasus to Yakutia, from Moldavia to Sakhalin through Central Asia: an invaluable testimony to the cultural traditions of these peoples, through their ritual objects, their crafts, their weapons, their clothing.

Impossible to miss this magnificent mansion designed on the Quai des Anglais, by Vallin de la Mothe. In the 19th century, it housed the collections of Count Nikolaï Roumiantsev, a diplomat and man of culture. Today it is annexed to the History Museum of Saint Petersburg and hosts the exhibition Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. More than 2,000 objects are on display: photos, weapons, personal belongings of the inhabitants and defenders of the city under blockade.

The museum is located in the apartment where Kirov lived between 1923 and 1934, the year of his assassination, in conditions still unsolved, which gave the signal for the Great Stalinist Purges. Many people today regard Stalin as the person who ordered the assassination of this very popular member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Stalin decrees that Kirov is the victim of a conspiracy by his rival Grigory Zinoviev and his supporters, accused of launching a "campaign of terror" against the Party. The investigation of the trials and the judicial proceedings are accelerated on the very evening of the assassination by exceptional decree. The "law of ¹ December" will be the tool of the purges. But the most important part of the museum is located on the floor above. Entitled "For Our Happy Childhood", the permanent exhibition describes the birth of the scout movement, its transformation into a pioneer movement and the lives of children during the early years of Soviet rule. A large part of the exhibition is devoted to the children's counter-revolution during the Civil War: secret documents on children's protests against the Bolsheviks' ruin are shown, as well as the cruel repression of abandoned children (Bezprizornikis). A classroom from the 1930s is reconstructed, with a map hanging on the wall showing the routes of exile taken by white Russians, the social strata close to the Tsarist power.

Housed in the metropolitan house, it presents a historical collection as well as enamels, the city with a long tradition in this area. Of Byzantine origin, the technique of enamels was introduced in Russia in the th century. The word that designates it, finifte, is of Greek origin and means "the shining stone". The art of the enamel remained essentially religious in a long period of time, with the master masters receiving their orders only from the Church: mitres, medallions, cross. It is only in the th century that Rostov specializes in this art, joining Moscow and St. Petersburg. We will see in the Rostov enamels, in the finesse and variety of drawings, a certain resemblance with the works of limougeauds artists. If the work of enamel has spread in other nearby cities, it is only at Rostov that tradition has persisted to give the city a great reputation. Many craftsmen have thus operated a family-wide workshop, transmitting their knowledge to their offspring from generation to generation. Only in 1960 appeared the first factory, still active and which today produces mainly jewellery: pins, bracelets, buckles.

As with Tolstoy, Moscow has several Pushkin museums. The Arbat Museum is located on the second floor of this modest turquoise blue house, where Pushkin lived for 5 years. It exhibits the objects and manuscripts dear to the writer. It is less interesting than the large Pushkin Literary Museum located on the Prechistenka, but as it is on the Arbat, one can stop there for half an hour to get an idea of the Russian interiors of the time.

Founded in 1930, the museum of the Geological Institute of the local centre of the Academy of Sciences displays nearly 10,000 mineral samples from the region, particularly from the Khibiny Mountains. The collection is of unparalleled richness and is well worth a visit. It is easy to understand why the Kola Peninsula and the city of Apatity are major centres of scientific and extractive activities: the soil is richer there than anywhere else in Russia.

Geology enthusiasts will find a rich collection of minerals from all over Siberia.

In addition to Russian art, the museum presents Western European paintings including a Nicolas Chick, as well as a rich collection of masters from China, India and Japan, ancient eastern porcelain, decorative art objects. An icon of the icons is located in Epiphany Cathedral, 1 oulitsa Ioukhé Botor.

These are the temporary exhibition halls of the museum, located in the building of the church of the Saviour. Icons, national costumes, bells and… panoramic view of the clocher.

Exhibition of regional painters. Children's drawings.

29 oulitsa Leningradskaïa, Ichym.

The Tyumen Museum of History and Architecture is currently closed until further notice due to recent events. The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the museum closes. To make sure you get a full tour of all the exhibition rooms, we recommend that you contact the museum before your visit. Admission is free for the permanent collections, under-18s, schoolchildren and leisure centers. The museum allows visitors to discover 26 centuries of the history of France's oldest city, through exhibitions of archaeology, fine art, everyday objects and architecture.

The room was very clean and very clean. Exhibits «Kouznetsk and Dostoyevsky», «The letters and documents of F. Dostoyevsky».

Those who appreciate the art of photography will be fulfilled in this exhibition room. It's impossible to tell you what you're going to stumble upon, since the different exhibitions change regularly. What is certain is that Russia, with its Slavic aesthetics, its wild nature, its deprived cities and its Soviet monumentalism gives a lot of subjects. Finally, you can see all the art school students and Moscow's avant-gardists strolling around.

The museum's exhibition traces the life and work of the writer in an alternating manner in order to interweave the two and to grasp the author's universe. Thus, a room devoted to the life of the writer follows another room devoted to one of his outstanding works(Eugene Onegin or The Queen of Spades). In the latter, you can see the author's handwritten manuscripts, embellished with drawings. The visit takes about one hour. Admission is free on the third Sunday of every month.

The 17 museum rooms present unique collections (750 000 exposed units) of the world of animals and plants, the evolution of man… Some exhibitions are adapted for Children.

It is the former building of the first English inspired Gentlemen's Club, which met there from 1831 to 1917. After the revolution it housed the Museum of Contemporary History of Russia (Музей современной истории России). The place is embellished with many pieces (letters, cars, statues, etc.). It has undergone a refurbishment of its presentation which should in principle make it accessible in English. B flat: its Putinian propaganda can tire history lovers.

It is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Moscow and is part of the Moscow Museum complex. It was established in 1896 as the Museum of City Economy and moved to its present huge building. Today, the museum uses all this space to organize numerous temporary exhibitions and to constantly renew the one million pieces that make up its permanent collection! The collection is particularly instructive, tracing the history of Moscow's development back to the 17th century.

A unique opportunity to visit a vodka factory (МОСКОВСКИЙ ЗАВОД " КРИСТАЛЛ ") with of course tasting and zakouski. The price is undemocratic, as they say in Russian, but enthusiasts will find the visit worthwhile. Visits are possible from 5 people, reservation is mandatory. Please note that there are no French or English speakers on site. During the visit you will see the factory, the production and the Vodka museum as well as a shop.

This mansion, also called Teremok, is one of the subsidiaries of the Tretyakov Gallery. Built in 1894 according to the plans of its owner, the famous painter Viktor Vasnetsov, it looks as if it has come out of Russian fairy tales (one of its great inspirations). The master's paintings are the main attraction for visitors, but you will also find a considerable collection of Russian costumes and antique objects, which he carefully studied for his works.

Bulgakov is the ultimate symbol of the writer committed against the Soviet power: his masterpiece, The Master and Margarita, was censored for a long time and served as a rallying cry for an underground youth. It is therefore logical that his apartment should become a place of pilgrimage for painters, writers, punks and hippies. After the perestroika, Bulgakov's apartment became a museum before being transformed again today into a cultural centre dedicated to the memory of the writer. The visit is more enjoyable if you know his works, as everything is done to bring to life the atmosphere of some of his most famous writings by multiplying the winks. However, even for the uninitiated the visit has its interest: the reconstruction of a Soviet apartment from the 1920s and 1930s shows you a rare example of a time when life was good in the USSR, despite the totalitarian change of regime. The museum is small, so don't expect an oversized exhibition. It is possible to book a French-speaking guide by contacting the museum, but the price will be higher. During the visit, ask the steward where the cat Behemoth, castrated to live in these places, is. The actor cat is confused with his eponymous character from Bulgakov's famous novel, and there is no doubt, during his free time, that Behemoth really repaired his Primus lamp! The guides and guards of the museum deserve a special mention, so much they are passionate about their work.

The third building belonging to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is that of the private collections (МУЗЕЙ ЛИЧНЫХ КОЛЛЕКЦИЙ). The idea behind this presentation is to restore each collection in its individuality in order to make the public appreciate the collector's world. The result is pleasing but the collections are consequently of very unequal value. In particular, there is a beautiful collection of icons of old believers dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Marina Tsvetaeva is a great Russian poetess of the early 20th century, going through the period of revolution and civil war. Her house, which remained intact during the Soviet period thanks to the efforts of Tsvetaeva's friends, now houses a museum dedicated to her. Rather than accumulating artefacts from her life, the museum aims to recreate the atmosphere of her relationship with her husband, Serge Efron, her children and her friends, poets and artists.

Created in 1999, MMOMA was the first public museum in Russia to specialize in Russian and foreign contemporary art. It owns thirty paintings by Russian avant-gardists including Kazimir Malevich, Marc Chagall, Nathalie Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov and works by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Juan Miró, Giorgio de Chirico and Salvador Dali. Today, it has five locations in Moscow and houses an art school, Svobodnye masterskie (free workshops), a large library and a research center for modern art.

Its main site is in the Gubine Mansion, built in the 18th century by architect Matveï Kazakov in a neo-classical style. If this museum does not offer as complete a panorama of modern art as the MoMa, the Tate Modern or the Centre Pompidou, it is appreciable for its various temporary exhibitions that are frequently renewed and mix big names with lesser known artists.

Its permanent collection is composed of the "official" works of the regimes that have succeeded each other at the head of the country. Those of the Putin regime are, for example, the monumental sculptures of Zurab Tsereteli (President of Fine Arts and founder of the museum) located in the outer courtyard. Guided tours are organized in English. One can easily spend an hour there. Finally, on the first floor, the store is very nice and its priodts make original gifts to offer when you get home. There are for example goodies printed with Soviet cartoon characters.

Borodino, on August 26, 1812, was the last victory of Napoleon's great army that finally cost him the war. The Russians voluntarily set fire to Moscow in the following days, marking this conflict even more in the national imagination. Models and paintings make us relive this great battle. The museum is interesting because of its form, which allows us to feel at the heart of the events thanks to its panoramic installation that represents 3,000 characters.

The East has a special place in the Russian spirit and continues to influence culture and morals. This is not surprising, given that the country also extends into the Caucasus and Central Asia. This charming museum (ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ МУЗЕЙ ВОСТОКА) is therefore worth a visit. There are some very beautiful pieces in an old-fashioned scenography for a visit of about an hour. The collection of paintings by Roerich (also exhibited at the Tretyakov) is well suited to the atmosphere of the place.

Gorky spent the last years of his life here, in this place he considered a gilded cage. The building was under surveillance and visitors were filtered, the furniture was state property, registered and stamped. The building itself is a masterpiece of early modernism with its library and Art Nouveau stained glass windows. It was used as a literary salon and writers' house, but also as a reception hall when Stalin came to visit.

Of the three Tolstoy museums in Moscow, not counting his residence in Yasnaya Polyana outside Moscow, Khamovniki is the most interesting and original. He occupies a wooden house where the author lived from 1895 to 1901 and the place recreates the atmosphere of what was one of the most popular literary salons in Moscow. The museum's collection contains priceless recordings of the great Russian writer's voice and films depicting him, dating from 1910.

This second part of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the best and you can get lost there for an afternoon. There is a beautiful collection of French classical, impressionist and fauvist painters. These valuable paintings were added to the museum in the years following the revolution, and were seized from the great collectors of the imperial period. The exhibition is chronological for each of the 3 floors that make it up.

This is one of the artist Feodor Shalyapin's apartment-museums, the only one in Moscow. It is the only one of its kind in Moscow, and it is a perfect example of a 19th-century interior from the lifetime of the famous opera bass, whose fame at the time was comparable to that of George Clooney today. Inside, you'll find posters, photos and portraits, stage costumes and autographed letters that tell the story of her eventful life. Check the website for programming.

The matryoshka is far from being the most typical of the Russian handicraft specialties. This nice museum will allow you to discover it. Russian handicrafts are very varied: Siberia works with birch bark, the North with Gzhel porcelain (with beautiful and distinctive blue and white colors), etc. A 45-minute visit gives you an idea of this variety, before spending 30 minutes in the souvenir store. It's a good combination of touring and shopping!

If you are a fan of military tourism, go to the heart of the Victory Park where the imposing Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War stands. This museum displays with pomp and circumstance many military materials, archival documents, dioramas and films devoted to this war in which more than 26 million Soviets lost their lives. Don't expect an unbiased historical account; after all, you already know the American version of the events...

Welcome to the sanctuary of Russian Impressionism, often misunderstood, always contested. Inaugurated on May 28, 2016, this new small museum brings together a collection of some 150 works patiently acquired and showcased by businessman Boris Mintz since 2001. Following his wishes, its ambition is to prove the existence of a Russian impressionist school as well as its singularity in Russia, distinct from the French canons and its giants such as Manet and Renoir. To this end, the permanent exhibition presents a panorama stretching from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. We can find great names such as Polenov, Korovine, Serov or even Guerassimov, better known for his socialist realism. Upstairs, two rooms are dedicated to temporary exhibitions, devoted to little-known artists that the museum wants to bring up to date. The building also has a multimedia space, a projection room, a café and a shop to complete the museum's itinerary. There is a real interest in admiring these works, which are undoubtedly masterfully crafted and presented in a very modern way. When you leave this place, you can be sure that Boris Mintz's wager is a success.

Another argument for taking a break is the setting of the museum. He found his home in the former confectionery factory of the "Bolshevik" brand acquired by the tycoon. This old red brick building, renovated in the modern industrial style, also houses the offices of many Russian start-ups.

Burganov is one of the greatest contemporary Russian sculptors whose works can be admired all over Moscow. In particular, the golden sculpture of Princess Turandot on the ancient Arbat. Rather surreal in his approach, he has a recognizable style. His museum-workshop is more of a jumble open to visitors than a proper museum tour. One wanders from rooms to courtyards, from gardens to galleries in a jubilant approach to art, faithful to the style of the owner, soon to be in his nineties.

If you are a paleontology enthusiast, take an hour to visit one of the largest natural history museums in the world, founded in 1716 by Peter the Great. The museum contains real dinosaur skeletons, which will make young and old alike dream! In addition to its amazing permanent collection exhibited in 6 rooms, the museum building is also of great interest: a magnificent example of Soviet architecture that was awarded the USSR State Prize at its creation.

The Jewish Museum and Center of Tolerance is a place that tells a lot and is a good place to visit to understand the history of the Jews in Russia and the countries of the former USSR. To observe their life in small villages that were called misteshka in the 19th century and then see the rampant anti-Semitism that gradually caused these Jews to disappear or die is a very powerful experience. The museum is exciting and its exhibition is varied.

Ekaterinburg Central Park. A historical leisure and relaxation area. In this vast green and wooded area, there are rides (Ferris wheel) and attractions for children. You can rent barbecue stands there. It also houses a billiard room and a brewery. The place is very pleasant, although very lively. In winter, it hosts the Christmas facilities. In the summer, a senior citizens' ball is held there among other popular events.

This museum is entirely dedicated to the sculptor Sergey Konenkov (1874-1971) who lived at Smolensk. In a beautiful house decorated with stucco stucco, you will see 80 of his works carved on stone, metal and wood.

Deliciously creepy, this museum will delight aficionados of old-fashioned dolls, from the time when plastic was not omnipresent in the hands of our toddlers. Here you will certainly see some very beautiful pieces, but the museography also highlights the role of the environment of the young players and restores dresses, furniture, household utensils in a vast mess. The result is a little dizzying and may confuse the inexperienced observer, while those who know about it will be totally at home here.

This small museum is located on the territory of the Collège de la Communication and brings together unique artifacts: collective radio stations, home-made transceivers, amateur radio designs, equipment kits for sports direction finders. The exhibition includes pennants, cups, insignia and medal of amateur radio, QSL card forms issued by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. A must for every amateur...

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful exhibition venues in Moscow, this private contemporary art centre compares itself to the Tate Modern or the Centre Pompidou in its ambition to place Russia in the global contemporary art network. Located in the former bus terminal (Bakhmetevsky), this vast space includes several exhibition rooms, a bookshop, a cinema and a good restaurant. The garage is a masterpiece of architecture by the architect K. Melnikov and the engineer V. Shukhov.

The great Russian baritone Fedor Shalyapin (1873-1938) lived in this building in a residential area north of the Peter and Paul Fortress before the revolution forced him into exile in Paris. In 1922, he took advantage of a tour of Europe and France to disappear and settle in France where he lived until the end of his days. During the latter, he also fell in love with the Basque Country, spending much of his time in a beautiful villa on the hill of Sainte-Barbe, in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (the neighbouring Biarritz welcomed many exiled Russians in the early years of the Revolution). However, he had not taken everything with him to France. As proof, the museum, which was set up in 1975 in the artist's former apartment, to the sound of Boris Godounov's brilliant interpretation, has done so much to promote Russian lyric art. His interpretation of Salieri in Mozart and Rimsky-Korsakov's Salieri will remain forever engraved in opera history. Visitors will evolve in the environment of the great singer before his Parisian exile, accompanied by his sound recordings, among his furniture, his personal belongings, photos, scores and other objects dear to his heart. Fascinating and particularly touching for those interested in lyric art. It is not uncommon to attend performances, readings, and other performances. Consult the website for programming.