The State Tretyakov Gallery (Old Art)

The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the world's greatest museums. The National Gallery's collection consists entirely of Russian art and artists who have made a contribution to the history of Russian art or been closely connected with it. The famous gallery of fine arts was founded in 1856 by Pavel Tretyakov, collector and argent lover of painting, rich Moscow merchant and industrialist. Located in a quite pedestrian Lavrushensky Lane, the old Tretyakov Gallery attracts every year thousands and thousand of visitors from all over the World to admire the best works of the great Russian painters and sculptors from 11th to 19th centuries, from sacred icons to stunning portrait and landscape art to the famous Russian Realists' paintings. It is housed in the building that once belonged to Pavel Tretyakov and had been reconstructed several times to fit enormous art collection that gained state status at the end of 19th century.