From private collection to public legacy
The collection story begins in 1856, when Pavel Tretyakov started acquiring Russian art. In 1892, Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov donated the collection to Moscow, creating the foundation for what visitors experience today.
Why Krymsky Val became central
The project for the new building on Krymsky Val was approved in 1964, and construction was completed in 1983. In 1985, institutional restructuring made this building the key exhibition venue for modern-era works.
The modern-art display since 1998
In 1998, the first permanent display focused on 20th-century art opened in the new building. That shift established New Tretyakov as the place where visitors trace Russian modernism and Soviet-period visual culture in one continuous narrative.
What to focus on in the galleries
Start with landmark avant-garde names such as Kazimir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky, then continue to later Soviet-era rooms and works linked to Marc Chagall. This progression makes stylistic contrasts easier to read and gives your visit a stronger story arc.