Moscow Museums

With a country with such a long and impressive history, it is not surprising to find a wide choice of museums and galleries here to visit during your City Break Moscow. For families with children, the State Historical Museum and the Kolomenskoje will be interesting. For art-lovers, the Pushkin Museum is highly recommended with its collection of high profile painters. Everybody will be able to enjoy him or herself in the museums of Moscow!

State Historical Museum

The State Historical Museum is located in the red brick building which serves as the entrance to the Red Square. It was built between 1875 and 1881 by architect Sherwood and was officially opened by Tsar Alexander III in 1894. The museum shows the development of Russia from prehistoric tribes until the present-day, through a series of archaeological exhibitions. The building itself is impressive as well, with its fine architecture and beautiful paintings on the ceilings.
Address: Red Square 1, Metro: Okhotny Ryad

Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts can be found opposite to the Christ Saviour Cathedral and is the largest museum for European Arts in Moscow. The museum opened in 1912 and was designed by Roman Klein en Vladimir Sjoechov. Especially the collection of impressionistic and post-impressionistic work is phenomenal. You will be able to admire work from, among others, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, Goya, Renoit, Tintoretto, Monet, Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse. Another must-see is the treasure of Priamus, found by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in Troje.
Address: Volkhonka street 12, Metro: Kropotkinskaya

Kolomenskoje

Kolomenskoje used to be a summer retreat for the Tsars and can be found circa 10 kilometres from the center of Moscow. Nowadays, it is an open-air museum with the Kolomenskoje Voznesensk church as its main attraction. The Kolomenskoje Voznesensk is regarded to be the most beautiful church in Moscow. It has a so-called ‘tent roof’ instead of the usual dome and is the first church that is build from bricks instead of wood. The architecture of this church strongly influenced the architecture of Russian churches in general thereafter. You can also find traditional wooden houses in the Kolomenskoje complex. Kolomenskoje was included at the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1994. If you are looking to spend some time outside the busy center of Moscow, Kolomenskoje is a great place to go to, with its green zones and play grounds.
Address: Prospekt Andropova 39, Metro: Kolomenskaya

Tretjakov gallery

Pavel Tretjakov was an immensely rich fabric producer who donated his private art collection to the city of Moscow. The Tretjakov gallery has the most impressive collection of Russian art in the world. One of the master pieces is the unique collection of icons, with among others the Trinity of Andrei Rublev. Besides old-Russian art, the gallery also contains art from the 18th, 19th and 20st century. You can find work here from, among others, Ivanov, Savrasov, Vroebel and Repin.
Adress: Lavrushinsky Lane 10, Metro: Tretyakovskaya, Novokuznetskaya and Polyanka

The Kremlin Armoury

The Kremlin Armoury is not, as its name suggests, an exhibition of just armoury, but it exhibits treasuries from several generations of tsars. You will see old-fashion coaches and sledges, crowns, table ware, necklaces, helmets and other armoury, Faberge eggs, clothes etcetera. The wealth of the old Russian empire is well exhibited here! And your children will also amuse themselves with all this glitter and glamour.

How to get there?
The Kremlin Armoury is located in the Kremlin, you will find it on the map you will get with your entrance ticket. However, since the Armoury is one of Moscow’s highlights, most of the time it is overbooked, so you probably will not be able to just walk in. Best you can do is to book a tour yourself at a tourist office (or ask at the reception desk of your hotel), because the Armoury is definitely one of the things you do not want to miss out on! The tour office will provide you with a guide who will speak several languages and will tell you some interesting background information on the exhibition.