Tretyakov Gallery Moscow is the national museum of Russian art, with a collection that runs from medieval icons to the 20th-century avant-garde. Tretyakov Gallery Moscow tickets are sold per building, because the museum is split between the historic house in Lavrushinsky Lane and the New Tretyakov on Krymsky Val.
First-time visitors often expect a single entrance. In fact the two buildings are a short walk apart, cover different periods and have separate tickets, so it helps to decide which one you want. This guide explains what each building holds and how to plan the visit.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Государственная Третьяковская галерея |
|---|---|
| Built / opened | 1893 (as a public gallery); collection founded 1856 |
| Architect(s) | Viktor Vasnetsov (facade design, early 1900s) |
| Address | Lavrushinsky Lane 10, Moscow, Russia OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Yakimanka |
| Metro | Tretyakovskaya (Line 6 (Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya, orange) and Line 8 (Kalininsko-Solntsevskaya, yellow), about 5–7 min walk to the main building) Novokuznetskaya (Line 2 (Zamoskvoretskaya, green), about 8 min walk) Polyanka (Line 9 (Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya, gray), about 7–8 min walk) Oktyabrskaya (Line 6 (orange) and Line 5 (Koltsevaya, brown), about 5–7 min walk to the New Tretyakov on Krymsky Val) |
| Opening hours | Main building, Lavrushinsky Lane: Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday 10:00–18:00; Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10:00–21:00. Closed Monday.
New Tretyakov, Krymsky Val: reported open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–21:00, with last entry at 20:00; sources differ, so confirm. Closed Monday. Branch museums keep their own hours (as of October 2026 – check the official site, tretyakovgallery.ru). |
| Admission | A standard adult ticket to the main building is moderately priced (₽₽); concession tickets are about half the standard price. Several groups, including young children, enter free. The New Tretyakov, Engineering Building and temporary exhibitions have their own tickets, and combined tickets exist for some combinations. |
| Best time to visit | Weekday mornings are calmer, and the late opening on some days gives a quieter evening visit in the main building. Monday is not an option, as the gallery is closed.
The museum is indoors, so it works in any season, and it makes a good choice for cold or wet days. Combine it with Muzeon Park in good weather. |
| Recommended duration | 2–3 hours per building |
| Website | tretyakovgallery.ru/en |
| Last updated | October 6, 2026 |
What Is (and Isn't) Part of a Visit to Tretyakov Gallery Moscow?
| Part | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main building, Lavrushinsky Lane | Included in the standard ticket | The standard ticket covers the permanent collection of art up to the early 20th century. |
| New Tretyakov, Krymsky Val | Separate ticket or institution | A different building about 15 to 20 minutes away on foot, with its own ticket and hours. |
| Engineering Building | Separate ticket or institution | Sells its own tickets and is used for exhibitions. |
| Temporary exhibitions | Separate ticket or institution | Priced separately from the permanent collection. |
| Museum of Pavel and Sergey Tretyakov | Not open to visitors | Reported closed for restoration; check the official site. |
| Vasnetsov Museum and other branches | Separate ticket or institution | Branch museums with their own tickets and hours. |
| Muzeon Park of Arts | Outside / not part of it | A free park beside the New Tretyakov, not part of the ticket. |
| Moscow Kremlin | Outside / not part of it | A separate museum across the river with its own tickets. |
Why Visit Tretyakov Gallery Moscow?
The Tretyakov is where you can follow Russian art in order, from the icons of the Middle Ages through the 19th-century realists to Kandinsky and Malevich.
The main building has a fairytale facade designed by the painter Viktor Vasnetsov and a collection that began in 1856 with the purchases of a Moscow merchant, Pavel Tretyakov, who gave it to the city in 1892.
The New Tretyakov is the place for Soviet art and the avant-garde. The two buildings are close enough to combine in a day, and late opening hours on some days make an evening visit possible.
How Tretyakov Gallery Moscow Is Laid Out
The Tretyakov Gallery is two main buildings, each with its own entrance and focus.
The main building, on Lavrushinsky Lane in the Zamoskvorechye district, holds Russian art from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, from icons to the realists and the symbolists. The Alexander Ivanov Hall is part of it.
The New Tretyakov is on Krymsky Val, across the river and about 15 to 20 minutes away on foot, beside Muzeon Park. It holds 20th-century art, including the avant-garde and Soviet painting, and temporary exhibitions.
The Engineering Building, near the main building, sells its own tickets and is used for exhibitions. If you have only a few hours, pick one building: the main building for classic Russian painting, the New Tretyakov for the 20th century.
Highlights of Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
The Vasnetsov facade
The main building began as a merchant mansion that the Tretyakov family bought in 1851. In the early 1900s the painter Viktor Vasnetsov designed its fairytale-style facade, with its decorative frieze and ornamental surfaces.
It is one of the most recognizable fronts in Zamoskvorechye and is free to see from the lane. It also sets the tone for a museum that grew from a private home.
Tip: Look at the facade from the opposite side of the lane before going in; it is hard to take in from close up.
Old Russian art and icons
The main building begins with medieval Russian art, including icons from the 11th and 12th centuries onward. The icons are among the oldest works in the collection and show how Russian painting developed before the 18th century.
Rublev's Trinity icon is reported to be no longer on display in the gallery, so confirm what is in the hall before you plan around it.
Tip: Take time with the icons first; they set the context for later rooms.
The Itinerants and the realists
The 19th-century halls hold work by Repin, Surikov, Shishkin and Vasnetsov, among others, painters known for scenes from Russian history, landscape and everyday life. These halls are usually the busiest rooms.
Look for large historical canvases and forest landscapes, which are the best-known works. The collection began with Pavel Tretyakov's purchases in 1856.
Tip: Visit these rooms in the last evening hours on days with late opening, when they are quieter.
Vrubel and the early 20th century
The later rooms of the main building cover the turn of the century, with painters such as Vrubel, Serov and Kandinsky. The mood changes from realism to symbolism and early modernism.
It is a good place to see the transition toward the avant-garde before you cross to the New Tretyakov.
Tip: Use these rooms as the end of the visit to the main building before heading to Krymsky Val.
Alexander Ivanov Hall
The hall was completed in 1956 for the gallery's 100th anniversary and holds the large works of Alexander Ivanov, in a space built for very big canvases.
It is a calm, high room and a landmark inside the main building.
Tip: Sit on a bench in the hall and look at the biggest painting from a distance.
The New Tretyakov and the avant-garde
The New Tretyakov, on Krymsky Val, covers 20th-century Russian art, including Kandinsky, Malevich and Soviet painters. During the long restoration of the main building that began in 1986, the main collection was shown here.
It has its own ticket and hours, and it also hosts temporary exhibitions.
Tip: Allow 60 to 90 minutes here, and stroll through Muzeon Park next door afterward.
The Engineering Building
The Engineering Building near the main building sells its own tickets and is used for exhibitions, separate from the permanent collection.
Check the official site to see whether there is an exhibition you want, because it is easy to miss on a first visit.
Tip: Check the exhibition list before you buy tickets so you do not pay for the wrong building.
Atmosphere
The main building is calm and a little formal. Wooden floors, high ceilings and long enfilades of rooms give the galleries a measured pace, and visitors tend to speak quietly in front of the icons and the big canvases.
The nineteenth-century halls are the busiest, with school groups and guides in the middle of the day. On days with late opening, the evenings are quieter and the lamps give the paintings a warm look.
The New Tretyakov feels different: larger rooms, white walls, and a mix of avant-garde and Soviet work. Outside, Muzeon Park gives a place to walk afterward.
History of Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
The gallery’s founding year is traditionally given as 1856, when the Moscow merchant Pavel Tretyakov bought two paintings by Russian artists and began to collect. His family had bought a mansion in Zamoskvorechye in 1851, and the house became the home of the growing collection.
In August 1892 Tretyakov presented his collection to the city of Moscow, and the Moscow City Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov officially opened on 15 August 1893. In the early 1900s the painter Viktor Vasnetsov designed the fairytale-style facade that gives the main building its look.
On 3 June 1918, the gallery was nationalized and renamed the State Tretyakov Gallery. In 1919 it acquired the neighboring house, and in 1932 the former Church of St Nicholas in Tolmachi was given to the gallery and used as a store for paintings and sculpture.
In 1956, for the gallery’s 100th anniversary, the Alexander Ivanov Hall was completed. In 1986 a major renovation of the main building began, and during the long closure the main collection was shown in a second building on Krymsky Val, which became the New Tretyakov.
Today the gallery runs the main building, the New Tretyakov and other sites. The collection is described as one of the largest of Russian art in the world, from icons to the 20th century.
Tickets and Booking for Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
| Ticket | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Main building, standard adult | ₽₽₽ | The permanent collection in the main building on Lavrushinsky Lane. |
| New Tretyakov | Own ticket | The 20th-century collection and exhibitions on Krymsky Val; check the current price on the official site. |
| Combined ticket | Varies | Offered for some combinations of buildings or exhibitions; check the official site. |
| Young children | Free | Several groups, including young children, enter free; confirm the age limit on the official site. |
₽ budget · ₽₽ moderate · ₽₽₽ upscale · ₽₽₽₽ splurge. Price levels are estimates compared with typical prices for visitors.
Tickets are sold on the official site, tretyakovgallery.ru, and at the museum’s box offices. The online booking window and ID rules were not confirmed, so check the ticket page for your date; if a date does not show, sales for it may not have opened yet.
- Separate buildings: the main building, the New Tretyakov and the Engineering Building sell separate tickets, so check which one you are buying.
- Payment: some guides report that foreign bank cards are not accepted online; the box office is the simplest backup.
- Last entry: usually an hour before closing; check on the day.
Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ. All categories and the current rates are on the official ticket page, tretyakovgallery.ru.
Plan and Book
Suggested Itineraries for Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
2 hours
Visit only the main building on Lavrushinsky Lane. Start with the icons, then the 19th-century halls and the Alexander Ivanov Hall, and finish with the early 20th-century rooms.
3–4 hours
Spend about two hours in the main building, then walk to the New Tretyakov on Krymsky Val for 60 to 90 minutes in the 20th-century collection. End with a stroll in Muzeon Park.
Half day
Do both buildings with a coffee break between them, choosing a day with late opening. Check for an exhibition in the Engineering Building and add it if you have time.
How to Get to Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
The main building is in Zamoskvorechye, south of the river, a short walk from several metro stations.
- Tretyakovskaya (Line 6, Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya, orange, and Line 8, Kalininsko-Solntsevskaya, yellow): about 5–7 minutes on foot to Lavrushinsky Lane.
- Novokuznetskaya (Line 2, Zamoskvoretskaya, green): about 8 minutes.
- Polyanka (Line 9, Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya, gray): about 7–8 minutes.
For the New Tretyakov on Krymsky Val, use Oktyabrskaya (Line 6, orange, or Line 5, Koltsevaya, brown), about 5–7 minutes on foot. Walking between the two buildings takes roughly 15–20 minutes.
Accessibility
No official accessibility details were confirmed. The main building is a historic house with multiple halls, so check the official site or contact the gallery in advance if you need step-free access or assistance. A reduced-mobility ticket category has been listed in the past.
Food Nearby
There are cafes inside the museum buildings, though their hours and menus were not confirmed. Around Lavrushinsky Lane and Pyatnitskaya Street in Zamoskvorechye there are many cafes and restaurants at different price levels. Near the New Tretyakov, Muzeon Park and Gorky Park have kiosks and cafes. Check opening hours before you go.
What to Bring
Bring comfortable shoes for long halls and a light layer, as galleries can be cool. Large bags may need to be left in a cloakroom.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Lavrushinsky Lane facade
The Vasnetsov facade with its decorative frieze fills the frame from across the lane.
Best time: Morning light, when the front is evenly lit
Courtyard near the main building
A quieter view of the building's side with the garden and the church of St Nicholas nearby.
Best time: Spring or autumn, when the trees frame the building
Muzeon Park near the New Tretyakov
Sculpture in the park with the New Tretyakov building behind, a good mix of art and open space.
Best time: Afternoon in summer
Krymsky Val embankment
A view along the river toward the city center, with the park in the foreground.
Best time: Sunset
Photography Rules
Photography rules were not confirmed and can differ between permanent halls and temporary exhibitions. Look for signs at each hall, avoid flash, and follow staff instructions. The facade of the main building can be photographed from the lane.
Family Suitability
The Tretyakov suits older children who can follow a quiet visit, and young children enter free. The halls are long, so plan breaks. The New Tretyakov, with its large modern rooms and avant-garde work, often holds the attention of younger visitors better than the long rows of 19th-century paintings. Stroller access was not confirmed, so check with the museum.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- If you only have time for one building, choose by period: Lavrushinsky Lane for art up to the early 20th century, Krymsky Val for the 20th century.
- Visit the main building on a day with late opening and go in the last two hours, when the nineteenth-century halls are quieter.
- Check whether a work you want to see, such as a particular icon, is currently on display; some pieces move between rooms or leave the gallery.
- Walk between the two buildings rather than taking transport; the route crosses the river and gives a view of the Kremlin side.
- After the New Tretyakov, walk through Muzeon Park, which has Soviet-era monuments and open space.
- Look for the Engineering Building on the official site before your visit; exhibitions there change and are easy to miss.
Explore Nearby Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Sights near Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Muzeon Art Park Moscowabout 1.4 km away (~23 min walk) · typical visit: 1–2 hours
Gorky Park Moscowabout 1.8 km away (~29 min walk) · typical visit: 2–4 hours
Moscow Kremlin – about 1.2 km away (~19 min walk) · typical visit: 3–5 hours for Cathedral Square plus the Armoury Chamber
Marfo-Mariinsky Convent Moscowabout 450 m away (~8 min walk) · typical visit: About 1 to 1.5 hours
Cathedral of the Archangel Moscowabout 950 m away (~16 min walk) · typical visit: 30–45 minutes
Cathedral of the Annunciation Moscowabout 1000 m away (~16 min walk) · typical visit: 30–45 minutes
Metro stations near Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Tretyakovskaya Metro Stationabout 450 m away (~7 min walk)
Polyanka Metro Stationabout 450 m away (~7 min walk)
Novokuznetskaya Metro Stationabout 550 m away (~9 min walk)
Restaurants and cafes near Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Mushroomsabout 500 m away (~8 min walk)
Bjornabout 600 m away (~10 min walk)
Oblomovabout 1.1 km away (~18 min walk)
Ainaabout 1.4 km away (~22 min walk)
Nightlife near Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Esse Jazz Clubabout 500 m away (~8 min walk)
Rhythm & Blues Cafeabout 1.4 km away (~23 min walk)
Hotels near Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscowabout 800 m away (~13 min walk)
Ibis Moscow Centre Bakhrushinaabout 1.1 km away (~18 min walk)
Russo-Balt Hotel Moscowabout 1.7 km away (~27 min walk)
Train stations and river piers near Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Paveletsky Railway Terminalabout 1.8 km away (~29 min walk)
Events and traditions near Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Moscow Summer Fairabout 750 m away (~12 min walk)
Orthodox Easter in Moscowabout 1.0 km away (~17 min walk)
Orthodox Christmas in Moscowabout 1.0 km away (~17 min walk)
Related guides
Zamoskvorechye: Pyatnitskaya Street, Ordynka and Old Churches
How to visit the Tretyakov Gallery: Tickets, Hours and Which Building
Dobryninskaya Metro Station: Mosaics, White Vaults and Transfers
Paveletskaya Metro Station: Circle Line Mosaics, Marble and Transfers
Neskuchny Garden Moscow: Free Entry, Orlov Summer House and Ponds
Browse more: More in Yakimanka · All Museums · All Sightseeing
FAQ: Tretyakov Gallery Moscow
Is the Tretyakov Gallery one building?
No. The main building on Lavrushinsky Lane holds Russian art up to the early 20th century, and the New Tretyakov on Krymsky Val holds 20th-century art. They have separate tickets.
Which building has the avant-garde?
The New Tretyakov on Krymsky Val, which also shows Soviet painting. The main building has some early 20th-century work, including Kandinsky, but the main avant-garde focus is on Krymsky Val.
Is Rublev's Trinity icon on display?
Some guides report that it is no longer displayed in the gallery. Check the official site or ask at the box office before planning a visit around it.
Is a combined ticket available?
A combined ticket is offered for some combinations of buildings or exhibitions. Prices vary, so check the official site or the box office.
How much time do I need?
About two to three hours for each building. A visit to both fits into half a day with a break between them.
Do I need a guide?
Not necessarily. Labels help with the main works, but a guide or audio guide adds context for icons and historical paintings. Check the official site for what is offered in English.
Is Muzeon Park part of the New Tretyakov?
No. It is a separate free park next to the New Tretyakov, with its own hours.
Is the Tretyakov close to the Kremlin?
It is across the river and roughly 20 to 25 minutes on foot from Red Square, so the two can be combined in a day with a little planning.
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Last updated: October 6, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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