Museum in an hour: Tretyakov Gallery. The main thing about the Byzantine exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery The hall of icon painting in the Tretyakov Gallery

One of the most high achievements Russian and in general European culture of the late Middle Ages is associated, of course, with the name of the great icon painter, who was called the notorious, that is, the most famous. This is undoubtedly Dionysius. He, unlike Andrei Rublev and many other icon painters, was a secular man, but grew up in an extraordinary, very educated, very refined, one might say, aristocratic Moscow environment.

A huge number of ensembles of works of art are associated with the name of Dionysius. Probably his iconic heritage was disproportionately great, but not much has reached us. Why do I say “disproportionately large”? Because he painted temples in huge numbers. And in Joseph-Volokolamsk, and in Ferapontovo, and in Pafnutyevo-Borovsky monasteries. And he made iconostases for everyone. Can you imagine, since the end of the 14th century, since the times of Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev, the iconostasis, as a rule, has already been large, including several rows. And so Dionysius and a team of craftsmen are working on creating icons.

Features of it artistic language very easy to recognize. It is impossible to confuse the icon of Dionysius by how thin and refined the line is, how elongated the proportions are; but all these artistic means are primarily necessary to create a completely specific spiritual, prayerful state, which distinguishes the best creations of Russian culture at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries - icons and those that have survived to this day famous frescoes Nativity Cathedral in the ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery.

Our museum stores a large number of works related in one way or another to the name of Dionysius. And probably the first thing that needs to be mentioned is the icon Mother of God"Hodegetria", which was created on an ancient board from a Byzantine icon. Why is this so important? It would seem that the solemn, restrained, stern appearance of the Mother of God on this icon differs from what Dionysius did. Precisely because it was a specific order. After the fire in Moscow, in the Kremlin, where the famous Byzantine shrine burned down, on the board from the burnt icon, as the chronicle reports, Dionysius “in moderation and likeness,” that is, in full size, repeated ancient image. And you see here the inscription made in Greek: “Hodegetria.”

This famous icon, “Guide Book”, on it, according to tradition, the Mother of God is depicted with the Child on her left hand, who holds a scroll resting on her knee. And above we see the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The surviving icon suggests that it had a frame. And perhaps this should be remembered when getting acquainted with most icons from museum collections. Traces from the fastening of the frame and from the crowns are preserved. Also, we now see many icons as having a white background, although in fact they had a gold or silver background. This icon was located in the very center, as they say, “in the heart of the Fatherland” - in the Moscow Kremlin, in the Ascension Convent.

Dionysius works a lot in the Moscow Kremlin. For the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, he, together with other masters, painted an entire iconostasis. The Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin was built in the 80s of the 15th century by Italian masters. And it was for this cathedral that Dionysius and his comrades made an iconostasis, and in particular painted the icons of Metropolitan Alexy and Metropolitan Peter from the local series that have come down to us. The latter is kept in the Assumption Cathedral. Why is this so important? The fact is that the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin is already the third in a row. The first is from the time of Ivan Kalita, the second is built by Myshkin and Krivtsov, which fell during the earthquake; and this third one was oriented in its grandeur towards the famous Assumption Cathedral of the city of Vladimir, the heart of Ancient Rus'.

If you remember, the ancient pre-Mongol temples were of enormous size. It was for the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir that the Rev. Andrei Rublev and his team wrote his famous iconostasis, part of which is also kept in our collection. So, if the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin repeats in its shape and size the cathedral of the city of Vladimir, then the iconostasis, accordingly, was also created according to the Vladimir example - on the same grandiose scale. This is an unprecedented size in general for our Fatherland at that time.

In the local row of this iconostasis there were icons of the first Russian metropolitans - Peter and Alexy. And I would especially like to say about this icon, which came to us very late, in the 40s, from the Moscow Kremlin (and the second one remained there). It was created, according to most researchers, during the period of painting the cathedral, at the end of the 15th century, in the 1480s - this is one of the datings of the icon. This is a huge hagiographic icon, where in the center is the image of Alexy the Wonderworker, Metropolitan of Moscow. His holiness is a certain thesis, confirmed by the marks that capture the moments of his life. Thanks to scientific research we can say that these marks fully correspond to the version of the life of St. Alexy, including a precisely dated event - the miracle of healing from the relics of Alexy the Elder Naum.

According to tradition, all the marks on Russian icons are read like this: top row from left to right - we see the birth of the youth Eleutherius, further events: bringing him to the temple; the wonderful third mark, where the boy sleeps and dreams of birds, and a voice tells him that he, too, will be, like a bird catcher, a catcher of human souls. Next - tonsure as a monk, installation as a bishop. And finally - you and I must understand what time Saint Alexy lives in - he comes to the Tatar Khan. Next, the marks are read from left to right in sequence. And we see on the sixth mark that the action is already taking place in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

And then we see prayer - and before us is the Assumption Cathedral, only the ancient one, which has not survived to our time, where Peter, the first of the Kyiv metropolitans who had a permanent residence in Moscow, was buried. Here Saint Alexy is praying over the grave of St. Peter, and you see there an image of a white stone cathedral. Next is the story connected with the trip to the Horde, the healing of Khansha Taidula from blindness. But, of course, this also has a symbolic connotation: healing from blindness is like opening the eyes of faith, opening the human soul. And then - the meeting with the monk, the Dormition, the discovery of the relics; we see how they bring the icon of St. Alexis to the temple, and finally the last mark is the miracles from the relics of St. Alexis.

Where the relics of Saints Peter and Alexis were, there were also these wonderful hagiographic icons, which for us are great artistic monuments of the turn of the 15th-16th centuries with all the features inherent in Dionysius that we talked about: elongated, refined proportions, and a whitewashed, light coloring, and from this - a feeling of joy, peace, lack of drama, tension inherent in the icon painters of the previous era. All these artistic qualities fully correspond, in my opinion, to the very special prevailing worldview of the period of the rise of the Russian state at the turn of the century, the time when Ivan III married Sophia Paleolog, when the expansion of Rus', the expansion of the Russian Orthodox world began.

- The famous ancient Russian icon painter Dionysius, who lived inXV- beginningXVI century, came from a noble family. Being a leading Moscow icon painter, he worked a lot not only in Moscow, but also in other places, receiving orders from princes and monasteries. Dionysius, together with his sons, painted the Assumption Cathedral of the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery, and then the Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God in the Ferapontov Monastery and other churches. In addition, he created many icons and book miniatures. The works of Dionysius are distinguished by their special lyricism and sophistication, sublimity and detachment, luminosity and rhythm.

Natalia Nikolaevna Sheredega, head of department ancient Russian art State Tretyakov Gallery:

The beginning of the 16th century is associated in Russian artistic culture with a very intensive promotion of Orthodoxy and monastic culture to the north, the creation of northern monasteries. Probably, Dionysius can be called the artist who accompanied with his talent, his hand and his feelings this decoration of the Russian Thebaid - the northern Russian monasteries. And for the Pavlo-Obnorsky Monastery, one of the luminaries of Russian monasticism, a beautiful “Crucifixion” icon was painted. A short glance at this icon and long-term deep contemplation are enough to see how our icon painter Dionysius understands and conveys his understanding in colors completely differently, compared to previous Russian and Byzantine masters.

A small icon of an elongated format suddenly presents us with the Crucifixion not as a tragic, terrible event, but as a triumph of life over death. The Savior is crucified, the Savior, as it were, already appears in the rays of heavenly glory, that is, He seems to be hovering on the cross, His movements are calm and soft. He is echoed by Mary and her three wives, the centurion Longinus, and John the Theologian, who bow down light movements to the Cross. We see elongated proportions, elegant, very fine cutting of clothes, a soft harmonious compositional solution, that is, everything that creates a feeling of joyful floating in this shining golden background - life conquers death. And this entry into eternal life is conveyed artistic means painter Dionysius.

But there is one remarkable iconographic detail here, which has not only artistic merit, but also a special theological meaning. I ask you to pay attention to the fact that at the top, on the sides of the Cross, angels with covered hands are depicted, and below, under the hands of the Savior, there are four figures: two angels and two more - one of them flies away, turning around, and the second flies towards the Cross. This is nothing more than the personification of the Old and New Testaments, that is, the synagogue and Christian Orthodox Church. In accordance with Christian teaching, the change from the Old Testament to the New occurs precisely at the moment of the crucifixion and death of the Savior on the cross.

If the icon had reached us in its original form, then we could understand that the blood of the New Testament is collected by an angel into the chalice of the New Testament Church. That is, in fact, we see how very important dogmatic points are revealed here, coloristically and compositionally, in an amazing way, the most important of which is Christian teaching about the victory of life over death.

We know that Dionysius, as a master of the highest level, of course, did not work alone. He worked with his assistants, other masters and, of course, students. And probably, his refined, aristocratic art had a huge influence on Russian culture and on Russian painting of the first half of the 16th century. And there are a number of icons in which we feel this influence; sometimes we call their authors masters of the circle of Dionysius. On the icons they painted, we see not only this Dionysian coloring, its proportions, but also, most importantly, a feeling of joy and triumph conveyed by plastic means.

Before us is a wonderful icon, which is called: “He rejoices in You.” This is the beginning of the chant from the Octoechos, which is performed in the Church. But here before us is truly an image of paradise. What creature rejoices? We see angelic ranks, the hymn writer Cosmas of Mayum, righteous husbands and wives, kings, saints - everyone who glorifies the Mother of God, who brought the Infant Christ to the world. “Every creature rejoices in You, O Gracious One,” - this feeling resounds in the icons of the followers of Dionysius, those who transformed the world of Russian culture at the beginning of the 16th century

Recorded by Igor Lunev

Yesterday, the exhibition “Masterpieces of Byzantium” opened at the Tretyakov Gallery, held as part of the year of cross-cultural communications between Russia and Greece. The presented icons, illustrated manuscripts and small plastic objects from museums and private collections in Greece belong to different eras(from the 10th to the 16th centuries), stylistic trends and territorial schools and give an idea of ​​the diversity and richness of the artistic heritage of the great Eastern Christian empire.

The uniqueness and value of the exhibition is difficult to exaggerate. Firstly, Byzantine art is represented in domestic museums poor enough, and attention to this richest and most interesting culture there is undeservedly little in our country. (There is also a prejudice here. Soviet era against the spiritually and churchly oriented heritage, and difficulty for the average, poorly prepared modern viewer this sophisticated, refined and sublime art).

Secondly, each of the presented objects is an absolute masterpiece, each is an eloquent witness to the depth of philosophical understanding of existence, the height of theological thought and the intensity of the spiritual life of contemporary society.

The earliest item shown in the exhibition is a beautiful silver processional cross from the late 10th century, engraved with images of Christ, Our Lady and saints. The severity of lines and perfection of proportions characteristic of the era are complemented by the grace of finely drawn engraved medallions depicting Christ Pantocrator, the Mother of God and saints.

TO XII century refers to the red background icon “The Raising of Lazarus”, a masterpiece of the so-called “Comnenian Renaissance”. Harmony of proportions, sophistication and plasticity of gestures, full-bodied, volumetric figures, expressive sharp glances - character traits era. This is a time of return to the ancient principles, from which, however, Byzantine art, unlike Western European art, never radically parted. Therefore, in relation to Byzantium, such periods of special interest in the aesthetics of antiquity can be called “renaissances” only conditionally.

In this context, the icon of the Holy Great Martyr George is very interesting, representing a rare example of the interpenetration of Western and eastern traditions. The relief image of the saint in the middle belongs to the so-called “crusader art” of the 13th century, when Constantinople was under the rule of Western knights for almost a century, and craftsmen from Europe arrived in the eastern capital. The genre of painted relief itself, characteristic of Gothic imagery, a rounded, slightly profiled volume, somewhat provincial expressiveness of the figure with large hands and head, local, bright colors - are obvious features of “barbaric” art. However, the shining gold background and the more refined painting of the hallmarks betray the hand of a Greek master. In the hagiographic images in the margins, the jeweler’s fractional forms, graceful plasticity of figures, more nuanced coloring, sustained in the colors of the center, and subtle elongated facial features are striking.

The reverse of the icon with the image of the holy martyrs Marina and Irina again returns us to the “crusader” expressiveness with emphasized, large features faces, “talking” hands and expressive glances. However, the radiance of golden “lights” in the robe of Christ reveals the author’s unconditional admiration for the capital’s Constantinople models.

Among all the masterpieces in the exhibition, the magnificent double-sided icon of Our Lady Hodegetria and the Crucifixion from the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, dating from the 14th century, is especially impressive. The monumental half-length image of the Mother of God with the Child in her arms was made in best traditions capital Constantinople school of the Palaiologan era. This is the statuesque figure of Mary, an elegant silhouette standing out against a golden background, and the grace of gestures, and Her exquisitely beautiful features: almond-shaped eyes, a thin nose, a small round pink mouth, a swollen, girlish oval of the face. It would be almost earthly, sensual beauty, if not for the radiance of another world, piercing this perfect face with rays of gaps, illuminating it with spiritual light.

Since the middle of the 14th century, painting has reflected the new theological teaching and spiritual experience of the hesychast monks, followers of St. Gregory Palamas, about uncreated divine energies. It is this light, the harmony of silence that transforms the sharply expressive composition of the crucifixion of Christ on the back of the icon into a supramundane and supra-emotional image, full of silent sorrow and prayerful burning. Against a luminous golden background, the figure of the grieving Virgin Mary in shining blue robes resembles a candle with a flame directed upward. It is important to note that with all the elongation and refinement of the proportions, the antique basis of the whole artistic system The Byzantines breathe in every detail: for example, the pose of the Apostle John bowed in tears echoes the curve of Christ’s body, which gives the static composition movement and vibration.

Dating back to the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries is a large icon of the holy martyr Marina, painted, of course, in the same late Palaeologian tradition as “Our Lady Hodegetria with the Twelve Feasts” of the second half of the 14th century. The finest golden spaces permeate these images, the light vibrates and enlivens, spiritualizes the images.

The exhibition also features several post-Byzantine icons painted after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Crete became a major artistic center at this time, but gradually Greek icon painting lost the monumental expressiveness and spiritual intensity of images that distinguished the works of their predecessors.

In the image of Our Lady Cardiotissa of the first half of the 15th century, one can already feel the tendency towards an ornamentalization of a grid of spaces, towards the complexity of poses, at the same time unnaturally deployed, broken, and frozen.

The icon of St. Nicholas, made around 1500, is distinguished by the obvious influence of Italian Renaissance art in the field of color and interpretation of folds. The iconography of the saint on the throne, which became widespread in post-Byzantine art, is interesting.

Both the manuscripts and the objects of decorative and applied art brought to the exhibition are unique. Together with magnificent icons, they immerse viewers in the sublime and refined world of Byzantine imagery. They seem to reconstruct before our eyes reflections of that splendor that was born from the ancient idea of ​​beauty, oriental expression and Christian spiritual fullness.

The main thing in this art, as in this exhibition, is the state of supermundane soaring and exultation of the spirit, permeating every image, every testimony of that amazing country, where theology was not the lot of a select minority, but the basis of the life of the empire, where the royal court sometimes lived according to monastic rules, where metropolitan refined art could appear both in the remote regions of northern Italy and in the cave temples of Cappadocia. We had the good fortune to touch the unknown facets of this cultural continent, from which the vast tree of Russian art at one time grew.

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about the author

Art critic, specialist in Byzantine painting, curator of exhibition projects, founder of his own gallery contemporary art. Most of all I love talking and listening about art. I am married and have two cats. http://arsslonga.blogspot.ru/

On July 6, the Church honors the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. As you know, one of the greatest shrines of Rus' has long been handed over to the Church, prayers are performed in front of it and candles are lit. An NS correspondent found out how the life of an ancient shrine in a temple can be organized and when one can pray in front of it.

In the Church-Museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, in a special bulletproof icon case, it is stored Vladimir icon Holy Mother of God. The required temperature is maintained inside the icon case

Let us remember that the shrine was moved to the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the State Tretyakov Gallery in 1999, on the feast of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon. At the same time, the temple was officially given the status of a temple-museum, with its own special museum regime. Since then, you can enter the church only through the doors of the Tretyakov Gallery from Maly Tolmachevsky Lane, next to the bell tower. Before going up the stairs to the temple, you are supposed to leave your outerwear in the wardrobe and put on shoe covers.

Equipped as a museum hall with an artificially created climate, temperature control and alarm system, at the same time it remains an independent temple, where on holidays and weekends services are held and even candles are burned (however, only natural wax candles are allowed). On weekdays from 10 to 12 am it is a temple, and from 12 to 16 pm it is a museum.

A constant temperature regime, he is monitored by devices installed around the entire perimeter of the temple. A device that monitors humidity in the temple

Especially for the Vladimir Icon, a special bulletproof icon case was made at the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy plant. Inside the icon case the temperature is maintained at +18 degrees and the relative humidity is about 60 percent. These are the climatic standards recognized as optimal for the preservation of tempera paintings painted on wood. The safety of the icon, the functionality of the climate control system inside the icon case and the security systems are checked daily by engineers - employees of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Mounting the icon. In front it is decorated with decorative cladding

Wooden, carved icon case of Vladimir icon with back side more like a refrigerator - every day engineers and museum staff come to check the temperature conditions inside the capsule where the icon is stored and the activity of the alarm system

Bulletproof glass is also installed on the back side of the icon, where the Instruments of the Passion of the Lord are depicted. The icon case stands in such a way that you can walk around the icon from behind and look at the image from both sides

The second exactly the same icon case is located at the right side of the temple. It is prepared for the Trinity icon created by the Rev. Andrei Rublev. On the holiday of Trinity, for several days, the icon is displayed in this icon case for worship by believers. The rest of the time a copy of it is stored there. But the rector of the church, Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov, hopes that someday this shrine will be available to believers in the gallery’s home church, especially since all the necessary conditions have already been created for this.

To the right of the entrance to the central chapel there is a second bulletproof icon case, with the ability to maintain special climatic conditions - it was prepared for the icon of St. Andrei Rublev - Trinity. Now, while the issue of transferring this icon has not yet been resolved, a copy of it is kept in the icon case. But on the Feast of Trinity, in the summer, an original icon is temporarily installed in this icon case
History of the icon:
The icon came to Rus' from Byzantium to beginning of XII century (c. 1131), as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverkh. Initially, the Vladimir Icon was located in the women's monastery of the Mother of God in Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv. In 1155, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky transported the icon to Vladimir (from which it received its current name), where it was kept in the Assumption Cathedral. During the invasion of Tamerlane under Vasily I in 1395, the revered icon was moved to Moscow to protect the city from the conqueror. At the site of the “meeting” (meeting) of the Vladimir Icon by Muscovites, Sretenka Street is still located and the Sretensky Monastery was founded. The icon stood in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, according to left side royal doors of the iconostasis. A chasuble of Greek workmanship on an icon made of pure gold with precious stones was estimated at about 200,000 gold rubles (now it is in the Armory Chamber). In 1918, the icon was removed from the cathedral for restoration, and in 1926 it was transferred to the State Historical Museum. In 1930 it was transferred to the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Days of remembrance of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
The church celebration of the Vladimir Icon takes place three times a year: August 26 (September 8) in memory of miraculous salvation Moscow in 1395, June 23 (July 6) in memory of the final transfer of the icon to Moscow and the bloodless victory over the Tatars on the Ugra River in 1480 and May 21 (June 3) in memory of the deliverance of Moscow from the raid of the Crimean Khan Makhmet-Girey in 1521.

When can you pray in front of the icon:
Every Friday at 5 p.m. the akathist is sung.
On Wednesdays at 10 a.m. a water prayer service is held.
Every day from 10 to 12.00 you can pray and light a candle in front of the icon. In “museum mode” - from 12.00 to 16.00, when the temple operates as one of the museum halls of the Tretyakov Gallery, entrance to the temple is only through the central entrance of the Tretyakov Gallery. You can also pray in front of the icon and leave a candle, which will be lit by the temple staff during the service.

What can you see in one of the main museums of Moscow, having only an hour at your disposal? A short guide to the halls of the Tretyakov Gallery on Lavrushinsky Lane.

In the Tretyakov Gallery near the painting by Alexander Ivanov “The Appearance of Christ to the People.” Natalya Volkova / photobank “Lori”

Correct location

First, decide exactly on the address: Tretyakov Gallery - major museum, which has many buildings and branches. The main building, which houses a collection of Russian art before the beginning of the 20th century, is located at Lavrushinsky Lane, 10; in the neighboring building - the Engineering Building - temporary exhibitions are held and lectures are given. To see the art of the 20th–21st centuries, you will have to go to a completely different area of ​​Moscow, to Krymsky Val, 10. Don't get confused! Many other branches, including the Vasnetsov House and Golubkina's workshop, are scattered throughout the capital.

First floor

Second floor

Right time

Opening hours and days off, of course, can be checked on the website. But also don’t forget to check if there are school holidays now (autumn or spring, it’s hard to forget about winter). On holidays, the museum halls can be full of noisy people. school trips. What’s good is that in the main building of the Tretyakov Gallery on Lavrushinsky Lane there are extremely rarely hype exhibitions (there is no room for them), so you don’t have to be afraid of queues in the “Serov” style.

Stock up on a card

Since you are limited in time, we cross out the pleasure of aimlessly walking through the suite of halls. It is necessary to clearly outline the goal and lay out a route to it. In addition to paper guides, you can use the map of the halls on the museum website or use virtual museum technology.

In the Tretyakov Gallery. In front of Vasily Surikov’s painting “Boyaryna Morozova”. Natalya Volkova / photobank “Lori”

Stock up on a list of masterpieces

Decide which art of which period interests you most: this Tretyakov building contains almost the entire history, from the Baptism of Rus' to the Revolution. You can spend a whole hour on Serov, or the Peredvizhniki, or the Silver Age.

If you want to quickly look at the main masterpieces, then here sample list mandatory. The list is short, because the masterpieces are scattered across two floors and different halls, which will take an hour to navigate, because you will probably be distracted by all sorts of beauty along the way.

First floor: “Trinity” by Rublev (hall No. 59)

One of the main Russian icons is located at the end of the suite of icon painting halls, in the Andrei Rublev Hall. By the way, another shrine - the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God - is also located in Lavrushinsky Lane, but in a different building, in the current Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, which is adjacent to Corps of Engineers from the end.

First floor: “Girl with Peaches” (hall No. 40)

The famous portrait by Serov is exhibited in the halls dedicated to art Silver Age on the same ground floor where the icon painting is done. Also on this floor are the Levitan, Polenov and Nesterov halls, so it is quite difficult to understand the logic of the exhibition layout. Serov has two entire rooms in the gallery.

Second floor: “The Appearance of Christ to the People” (Hall No. 10)

Alexander Ivanov’s masterpiece hangs in his own room among the numerous sketches dedicated to him. The guides warn: be careful, this is one of those paintings that people in this museum especially often faint in front of.

Second floor: “Morning in a pine forest” (hall No. 25)

A landscape with bear cubs can be found in the hall, dedicated to creativity Shishkina. Don't miss it - the canvas is not that large. By the way, only in a museum can one appreciate the true scale of the works that we are used to seeing on screens and in books.

Second floor: “Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan November 16, 1581” (room No. 31)

Repin's painting is in the hall dedicated to the work of this artist. This is another picture that has a strong impact on the psyche. Therefore, to get yourself, be sure to check out the museum store on the ground floor, next to the ticket office. In the Tretyakov Gallery it is good: reproductions, postcards, notebooks, magnets and, of course, catalogues.

Art

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The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the largest art museums Russian visual arts. Today the Tretyakov collection numbers about one hundred thousand items.

With so many exhibits, you can wander through the exhibition for several days, so Localway has prepared a route through the Tretyakov Gallery, passing through the most important halls of the museum. Don't get lost!

The inspection begins from the main entrance, if you stand facing the ticket office, there is a staircase on the left leading to the second floor. The hall numbers are written at the entrance, above the doorway.

Hall 10 is almost entirely dedicated to the painting “The Appearance of the Messiah” by Alexander Andreevich Ivanov (more famous name- “The Appearance of Christ to the People”). The canvas itself occupies an entire wall, the remaining space is filled with sketches and sketches, of which a great many have accumulated over the twenty years of work on the painting. The artist painted “The Appearance of the Messiah” in Italy, then, not without incident, transported the canvas to Russia, and after criticism and non-recognition of the painting in his homeland, he died suddenly. It is interesting that the canvas depicts Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol and Ivanov himself, among others.

In room 16, on the right in the direction of travel, there is a touching painting by Vasily Vladimirovich Pukirev “ Unequal marriage" There are rumors that this painting is autobiographical: Pukirev’s failed bride was married off to a rich prince. The artist immortalized himself in the painting - in the background, a young man with his arms crossed on his chest. True, these versions do not have factual confirmation.

Hall No. 16

On the left in the same room is the canvas “Princess Tarakanova” by Konstantin Dmitrievich Flavitsky. The painting depicts the legendary impostor who tried to pass herself off as the daughter of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. There are many versions of the death of Princess Tarakanova (real name unknown), the official one is death from consumption. However, another one went “to the people” (including thanks to Flavitsky’s work): the adventurer died during a flood in St. Petersburg, in a prison cell in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Hall No. 16

In the 17th room there is a painting by Vasily Grigorievich Perov “Hunters at a Rest”. The canvas presents a whole plot composition: An older character (left) tells some kind of made-up story, which the young hunter (right) sincerely believes. The middle-aged man (center) is skeptical about the story and just chuckles.

Experts often draw a parallel between Perov’s painting and Turgenev’s “Notes of a Hunter.”

Hall No. 17

Hall 18 houses the most famous painting Alexey Kondratievich Savrasov “The Rooks have Arrived”, written in the Kostroma region. The Church of the Resurrection, depicted in the picture, exists to this day - now the Savrasov Museum is located there.

Unfortunately, despite many wonderful works, the artist remained in the memory of the people as “the author of one picture” and died in poverty. However, it was “Rooks” that became the starting point for a new genre of landscape school in Russia - lyrical landscape. Subsequently, Savrasov painted several replicas of the painting.

Hall No. 18

In the 19th room there is a painting by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky “Rainbow”. Surprisingly, the artist, who painted about six thousand canvases during his life, always remained faithful to his chosen genre - marinism. The presented picture is no different in plot from most of Aivazovsky’s works: the canvas depicts a shipwreck in a storm. The difference lies in the colors. Typically using bright colors, the artist chose softer tones for “Rainbow.”

Hall No. 19

In room 20 there is the famous painting by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy “Unknown” (it is often mistakenly called “Stranger”). The painting depicts a regal, chic lady traveling in a carriage. It is interesting that the woman’s identity remained a mystery both to the artist’s contemporaries and art critics.

Kramskoy was one of the founders of the “Itinerants” society, an association of artists who opposed themselves to representatives of academic art in painting and organized traveling exhibitions of their works.

Hall No. 20

On the right, in the direction of travel, in room 25 there is a painting by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin “Morning in pine forest"(sometimes the painting is mistakenly called "Morning in pine forest"). Despite the fact that now the authorship belongs to one artist, two people worked on the painting: landscape painter Shishkin and genre painter Savitsky. Konstantin Apollonovich Savitsky painted the bear cubs, in addition, the very idea of ​​​​creating the painting is sometimes attributed to him. There are several versions of how Savitsky’s signature disappeared from the canvas. According to one of them, your last name with finished work Konstantin Apollonovich removed it himself, thereby renouncing authorship; according to another, the artist’s signature was erased by collector Pavel Tretyakov after purchasing the painting.

Hall No. 25

In room 26 there are three hanging at once fabulous paintings Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov: “Alyonushka”, “Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf” and “Bogatyrs”. Three heroes - Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich (from left to right in the picture) - are perhaps the most famous heroes of Russian epics. In Vasnetsov’s canvas, brave fellows, ready to take on battle at any moment, look out for an enemy on the horizon.

It is interesting that Vasnetsov was not only an artist, but also an architect. For example, the extension to the main entrance hall of the Tretyakov Ball Gallery was designed by him.

Hall No. 26

In the 27th room there is a painting by Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin “The Apotheosis of War”, which belongs to the series of paintings “Barbarians”, written by the artist under the impression of military operations in Turkestan. There are many versions as to why such pyramids of skulls were laid out. According to one legend, Tamerlane heard from the women of Baghdad a story about their unfaithful husbands and ordered each of his soldiers to bring the severed head of the traitors. As a result, several mountains of skulls were formed.

Hall No. 27

In room 28 there is one of the most famous and important paintings of the Tretyakov Gallery - “Boyaryna Morozova” by Vasily Ivanovich Surikov. Feodosia Morozova is an associate of Archpriest Avvakum, an adherent of the Old Believers, for which she paid with her life. In the canvas, the noblewoman, as a result of a conflict with the tsar—Morozova refused to accept the new faith—is being taken through one of the Moscow squares to her place of imprisonment. Theodora raised two fingers as a sign that her faith was not broken.

A year and a half later, Morozova died of starvation in the earthen prison of the monastery.

Hall No. 28

Here, in the 28th hall, there is another epic painting by Surikov - “Morning Streltsy execution" Streltsy regiments were sentenced to execution as a result of a failed rebellion caused by hardships military service. The painting deliberately does not depict the execution itself, but only people awaiting it. However, there is a legend that initially the sketches of the canvas were also written of archers who had already been executed by hanging, but one day, going into the artist’s studio and seeing the sketch, the maid fainted. Surikov, who did not want to shock the audience, but to convey state of mind sentenced in last minutes their lives, the images of the hanged were removed from the painting.