Museum of Ancient Russian Culture named after Andrei Rublev. Museum of Ancient Russian Culture named after

The Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev was founded in 1947 on the territory of a completely devastated city. It is in this place that the burial of the outstanding icon painter Andrei Rublev is located.

The assembled exhibition opened for visitors only in 1960 in the restored white-stone cathedral. It was an exhibition of icons found in abandoned churches and restored through the efforts of museum workers.

Over time, the exhibition has expanded significantly: currently the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow has a rich collection of religious art from the 11th to the early 20th centuries. The museum contains works whose authors are considered to be students of Andrei Rublev and Dionysius, icons painted by masters, as well as many icons of unknown authorship.

The Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Art occupies the entire refectory chamber and the Church of the Archangel Michael, as well as the former Rector's building. Search and restoration activities remain one of the main activities of the museum. Interaction with children is also considered important: the Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Culture conducts various master classes, on-site creative classes, lectures, interactive programs and implements educational projects.

Prices

Ticket prices for viewing the permanent exhibition museum:

• Children under 16 years old are free.
• Pensioners and students - 150 rubles.
• Adults (citizens of the Russian Federation, CIS countries and members of the EAEU) - 299 rubles.
• Foreign citizens - 400 rubles.

For photography in the Ancient Russian Museum named after. Andrey Rublev will need to pay an additional 150 rubles, for the video - 500 rubles. An audio guide for the main exhibition costs 300 rubles, a deposit is 2,000 rubles. To visit temporary exhibitions, you must purchase a separate ticket; its cost varies depending on the exhibition.

The Museum of Ancient Russian Art of Andrei Rublev also holds for visitors excursions:

• Group: up to 5 people - 1,000 rubles, 6-20 people - 2,800 rubles, for groups of foreign citizens the cost will be higher, it is possible to book a tour in English. When participating in an excursion, each visitor purchases an entrance ticket separately. There are different types of excursions: sightseeing tours of the museum, expanded ones with a deepening into individual topics, dedicated to the subjects and images of ancient Russian painting, telling about the history of the Russian iconostasis, about the complex of the Savior Andronikov Monastery.
• Individual: for visitors who have not made a reservation, groups of up to 20 people, each - 200 rubles, and you also need to purchase an entrance ticket. Excursions are conducted once a day, according to the schedule on the website of the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow. Reviews about the Andrei Rublev Museum often contain positive assessments of the competent and professional work of the guides.
• For schoolchildren: up to 5 people - 1,000 rubles, 6-15 people - 2,800 rubles. One accompanying person goes with the group; each person buys a ticket to the permanent exhibition.
• Thematic excursions are also available by temporary exhibitions. You can find out more about what exhibitions are being held at the Andrei Rublev Museum and about excursion programs for them on the website of the Central Rublev Museum.

Icons in the ancient Russian museum of Andrei Rublev

The museum is famous, first of all, for its unique icon painting exhibits, which can be seen on the first two floors of the permanent exhibition:

• 1st floor: iconography of Ancient Rus' from the XIII-XVI centuries, as well as examples of decorative and applied art.
• 2nd floor introduces the art of icon painting in the 17th century and the modern era. The work of the masters of the Armory Chamber is stored here.

On the following floors of the Andrei Rublev Central Museum you can see not only icons, but also other objects of ancient Russian art:

• 3rd floor exhibits wooden sculpture, which is not as famous as other types of church art in Russia.
• 4th floor presents monumental art: fragments of frescoes from the 12th to 18th centuries, many of which were located in churches that were subject to destruction under Soviet rule.

News on the official website of the Andrei Rublev Museum is regularly updated, from which you can find out what temporary exhibitions are being held in the museum.

How to get to the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow

The address of the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow: Tagansky district, Andronevskaya Square, 10. From the historical center of Moscow to the Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Culture, it is convenient to get by metro - go to the Ilyich Square station on the Kalininskaya line or the Rimskaya station on the Lyublinsko-Dmitrievskaya line.

You can also get here by ground public transport:

• Trolleybus No. 53, stop “Andronevskaya Square”.
• Tram No. 20, 43, 45, stop “Museum named after Andrei Rublev”.
• Bus No. 125, 730, stop “Museum named after Andrei Rublev”; No. 40, stop “Kostomarovsky Most”; No. m8, n4, stop “Andronevskaya Square”.
• Minibus taxi No. 199 m, stop “Museum named after Andrei Rublev”.

You can also get to the Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Art by ordering a trip through taxi services: Yandex. Taxi, Uber, Gett, Maxim, Taxi Lucky.

Panoramic view of the Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture:

Video about the Andrei Rublev Central Museum:

The oldest building in Moscow is not the Kremlin, as many are sure, but the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. The cathedral itself is, and even more. He is very handsome and is known for having saved Moscow more than once. Andrei Rublev also lived here as a monk. The destinies of the monastery and the famous icon painter are inextricably intertwined. The holy monastery provided shelter and spiritual food for Rublev, and the icon painter himself became the unwitting savior of the cathedral centuries after his death.

History of the A. Rublev Museum

The monastery was founded in 1356; many heroes of the Kulikovo Field are buried there. The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Vladimir shone here; it is believed that it was she who saved Moscow from Tamerlane’s raid. The cathedral is well fortified with massive walls, behind which the townspeople more than once took refuge during enemy attacks.

In the 18th century, a bell tower was built in the monastery, the second tallest after the Kremlin’s Ivan the Great, but it was blown up in the 30s, when they decided to fight the churches. Approximately the same fate awaited the monastery itself, but quite unexpectedly, scientists found frescoes by Andrei Rublev on the walls of the cathedral. They suffered greatly; as it turned out later, during Napoleon’s raid, a significant part of them was lost forever. But what was left was enough to save the cathedral from demolition - this is how the icon painter helped the monastery that sheltered him. In 1947, on the rise of patriotism that reigned after the war, it was decided to create the Andrei Rublev Museum. In the Andronikov Monastery, the exhibition began to work only in 1960, on the 600th anniversary of Andrei Rublev.

Museum exhibition

Now the Andrei Rublev Museum is the largest icon painting museum in the world. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands has been considered the main shrine in the Andronikov Monastery for many centuries. This icon is priceless; it has been in the cathedral almost from the very foundation of the church. The next most important exhibit is a masterpiece by Andrei Rublev, the icon of John the Baptist. The figure of the saint is filled with unearthly sadness and calm. The viewer gets the impression that the prophet knows about the fate prepared for him. The icon was painted so talentedly that even time could not reduce its impact on the viewer. The Prophet is eye-catching despite the cracked wood and faded paint.

The Rublev Museum also houses an exact copy of the famous Rublev “Trinity”. A non-specialist will not be able to distinguish a copy from the original. There are many icons on the theme of the Trinity. Rublev wrote a popular story like no one else. This can be confirmed by comparison with other icons; some of them date back to an even earlier period. The museum also houses works by other masters, not only icons, but also frescoes, objects of applied church art, and wooden sculptures.

All church festivals are solemnly celebrated in the museums, lectures on the culture of Ancient Rus' and Byzantium are given, and on Sundays there are concerts of instrumental and sacred music. The Andrei Rublev Museum will be interesting for admirers of the icon painter’s talent, lovers of ancient Russian and Byzantine history, Orthodox Christians and simply curious people.

Museum of Ancient Russian Art named after Andrei Rublev June 25th, 2014

This Moscow museum has a very long name - the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev and is located on the territory of the former Spaso-Andronikov Monastery.
The monastery was founded in 1357 by Metropolitan Alexy and named after the first abbot - Andronik, a student of Sergius of Radonezh. The oldest church in Moscow, the Spassky Cathedral, was preserved on the territory of the monastery; it was built in the 1420s.
The greatest Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev worked here; he died in the monastery and was buried in 1427 or 1430.

Holy Gate of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery.

The oldest church in Moscow is the Spassky Cathedral, it was built at the beginning of the 15th century. True in 1959-1960. The cathedral was reconstructed - the kokoshniks and the dome were completed by restorers. There is reason to believe that they made the drum too narrow; perhaps the original top of the cathedral was more massive.

The architectural ensemble of the monastery - Spassky Cathedral and the Church of the Archangel Michael (1691 - 1739)

The Spassky Cathedral was painted by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, both of them were monks of the Andronikov Monastery, but unfortunately, almost nothing remains of their frescoes. How nothing remains of their graves, although it is known that both painters were buried on the territory of the monastery.

In 1691, the wife of Peter I, Evdokia Lopukhina, founded a new church - the Archangel Michael. The church was attached to the old refectory, erected back in 1504 -1506. The result was an ancient Russian skyscraper in the Naryshkin style, albeit somewhat ascetic, since Lopukhina was never able to finish the temple, having fallen into disgrace with the Tsar in 1698, the church was completed after her death. The structure has several floors, the first tier became the tomb of the Lopukhin family, and the church was located at the top. Now the building houses a permanent museum exhibition.

Refectory chamber of the Andronikov Monastery (1504-1506) View from the outside, from the Yauza River. One of the oldest such structures in Moscow.

The brethren's building of the early 18th century and part of the fortress fence of the monastery.

In the photo below, the remains of the necropolis. The first burials on the territory of the monastery date back to the 14th century; soldiers who died on the Kulikovo Field were buried here.
Once upon a time, the Spaso-Andronikov necropolis was not inferior to the Donskoy Monastery cemetery in terms of the number of tombstones and the richness of their design. Representatives of many Russian aristocratic families found their final refuge here - the Zagryazhskys, Zamyatins, Golovins, Saltykovs, Trubetskoys, Naryshkins, Stroganovs, Volkonskys, Baratynskys, Demidovs, etc.

Since the 17th century, the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery has become the family tomb of the noble family of the Lopukhins. The parents and brothers of Tsarina Evdokia Fedorovna, the first wife of Peter I, are buried here - a total of more than 40 people.

But in the 20th century, under the Bolsheviks, the cemetery was destroyed. Some remains of tombstones and sarcophagi are piled near the monastery wall.

Some of my photographs of museum exhibits.

Our Lady Hodegetria. First third of the 16th century. Moscow

Savior Pantocrator (fragment), the oldest icon in the museum’s collection from the mid-13th century from the village of Gavshinka, Yaroslavl region.

Position in the coffin. Around 1497, from the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.

St. George (fragment), late 15th - early 16th century. From Pyatnitskaya, Dmitrov, Moscow region.

Savior Not Made by Hands, Moscow school, 2nd half. 14th century

Saint Nicholas of Myra with the appearance of the Mother of God Rev. Sergius of Radonezh (top left) and selected saints.

Saints (fragment of the icon of St. Nicholas of Myra).

Worship cross with the crucifixion of Christ. The white stone is, in general, a Russian khachkar. Late 15th - early 16th century. From the village of Tolmachi, Bezhetsky district, Tver region.

Apostle and evangelist John the Theologian from the composition The Crucifixion of Christ. First half of the 19th century. Tree.

Martyr Centurion Longinus and Apostle John the Theologian from the composition The Crucifixion of Christ. First half of the 19th century. Tree.

Nicholas the Wonderworker (Mozhaisky). Late 17th century.

Venerable Neil Stolobensky, 2nd floor. 19th century, Tver province.

Nicholas the Wonderworker. Late 17th - early 18th century, Arkhangelsk region.

Great Martyr Paraskeva Friday. Late 17th - early 18th century.

Anthony the Great, fresco (fragment), Athos (?), 16th (?) century.

Fresco 1654, Trinity Cathedral of the Makaryevsky Monastery, Kalyazin.

Apostle Peter. Miracles Monastery in Moscow 1633-1634.

Unknown saint. Mozhaisk, Luzhetsky Monastery.

Our Lady of the Burning Bush (fragment), 17th century, from the Trinity Macarius Monastery in Kalyazin.

Our Lady of the Burning Bush (fragment).

Meeting (fragment). 2nd half 17th century, Volga region, from the Church of John the Baptist in Vesyegonsk, Tver region.

Circumcision (fragment). 2nd half 17th century, Volga region, from the Church of John the Baptist in Vesyegonsk, Tver region.

First half of the 17th century, Volga region, from the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the village of Dryutskovo, Tver region.

Nativity of Our Lady (fragment).

Nativity of Our Lady (fragment).

Nativity of Our Lady (fragment).

Holy Trinity.1st half. 17th century, workshop of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery in Klimentovskaya Sloboda, from the iconostasis of the Church of the Epiphany in the village of Semenovskoye, Moscow region.

Archangel Gabriel (part of the triptych) Holy Trinity.1st half. 17th century, workshop of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery in Klimentovskaya Sloboda, from the iconostasis of the Church of the Epiphany in the village of Semenovskoye, Moscow region.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary (fragment). Late 16th century, Moscow. From the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Murom.

Conversation between the Venerable Varlaam and (Buddha Gautama) the Indian prince Joasaph. 17th century, Russian North.

Venerable Kirill Belozersky (Alexander Svirsky?) Mid-16th century, Vologda (?)

Icon in frame "Our Lady of Semiezerskaya" (fragment), 17th century.

My other posts dedicated to Russia.

Months in icons from the collection of the Andrei Rublev Museum ST. MITROFAN OF VORONEZH Circa 1837. Saint Petersburg. Wood, tempera, oil; frame: silver, embossing, engraving, gilding; 17 x 13.4 cm KP 4601 Saint Mitrofan of Voronezh (1623-1703) came from a priestly family, in the world he bore the name Mikhail. He took monastic vows in 1663 after the death of his wife in the Zolotnikovskaya Hermitage near Suzdal. He was the abbot of the Yakhromsky Kozmin and Makaryev Unzhensky monasteries, and in 1682 he became the bishop of Voronezh. Under him, a new stone Annunciation Cathedral was built in Voronezh. The saint had a special relationship with Peter I, who, after his death, personally attended the funeral and carried the coffin. In August 1832, the saint’s relics were found, after which his canonization took place. By this time, two main versions of the iconography of the saint had emerged. One represented him with a book in his hands and went back to his lifetime portrait. Another option was distinguished by Mitrofan’s vestments, corresponding to the rank of schema-bishop (in a schematic doll and a bishop’s robe) and the presence of a staff in his hands. The icon from the collection of the Andrei Rublev Museum belongs precisely to this type, in which the saint is presented in an idealized way, without preserving individual characteristics, despite the fact that in many other icons they are exaggerated. The image was executed shortly after the canonization of the saint and was decorated with a silver frame made in St. Petersburg in 1837. Obviously, the icon was painted there.

Comments 2

Classes 98

Months in icons from the collection of the Andrei Rublev Museum TRANSFORMATION OF THE LORD The end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century. Central Russia Wood, tempera; 61.5 x 54.5 cm KP 509 From the Church of Demetrius of Thessalonica in the village of Saburovo, Voskresensky district, Moscow region The Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the great twelve holidays. He commemorates the event described in the Gospel, when Christ with three disciples - Peter, James and John - climbed Mount Tabor, where during prayer he was transformed: his face shone, his clothes became white, and the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared next to him, with whom Christ talked. Frightened, the apostles fell on their faces, and when they got up, they no longer saw only Jesus, who forbade them to talk about what happened until the moment “the Son of Man rises from the dead” (Mark 9:9). The iconography of the Transfiguration, in its main features, took shape already in the 6th century. At the top in the center is Jesus in a blaze of glory and white robes, with the prophets Elijah and Moses standing next to him. Below, on the spurs of the mountains, three frightened apostles, falling or rising. The icon from the collection of the Andrei Rublev Museum additionally depicts Heavenly Jerusalem in the upper right corner behind the figure of the prophet Elijah and a tomb in the mountains behind the figure of the prophet Moses. These details are intended to emphasize that Moses on Tabor represented the world of the dead, and Elijah, ascended to heaven in the flesh, the world of the living. They are often found in works of the second half of the 17th century. Another feature of the monument is the multi-colored round “glory” of Christ, complemented by three red rays emanating from it. The brightness of the colors and the contrast of color combinations make the icon especially elegant, corresponding to popular tastes.

1 comments

Classes 117

On August 11 at 15:00, as part of the cultural and educational program for the exhibition “From New Arrivals. 2004–2018” the “Russian Seasons” CONCERT will take place at the Andrei Rublev Museum. You will hear works by Sergei Rachmaninov, Reinhold Gliere, Dmitry Shostakovich, as well as the work of the modern author Alexander Tsygankov “Slavic Concert” of 2013, dedicated to the events in Ukraine. Performers: laureates of various competitions Anastasia Zakharova (domra), Alexey Nistoatov (double bass), Anastasia Larionova (piano). With a concert ticket you can visit the exhibition for free on the same day.

1 comments

Classes 54

On August 8, Cat Day is celebrated all over the world. 🐾 Are you familiar with the “fluffy” caretakers of the Andrei Rublev Museum?

Comments 3

Classes 113

Museum for children

1 comments

Classes 83

Isaac Birev's Gospel of 1531 is distinguished by calligraphic writing and magnificent miniatures. The ornamentation, executed at the highest level, goes back to the Western European engraved “Large Alphabet” by Israel van Mekenem. The semi-statutory letter of the manuscript was used as the basis for the Moscow Cyrillic fonts of early printed books. Wonderful miniatures, focused on the work of the famous icon painter Dionysius and his son Theodosius, influenced the subsequent art of designing ancient Russian books. The free exhibition “The Gospel of Isaac Birev” at the Andrei Rublev Museum is open until August 25.

1 comments

Classes 76

Months in icons from the collection of the Andrei Rublev Museum ORIGIN OF THE HONEST TREES OF THE LIFE-GIVING CROSS OF THE LORD - THEOPHANY (DOUBLE-SIDED ICON) Mid-17th century. Russian North Wood, tempera. 95.5 × 80, 5 KP 2516 The composition of one side of the double-sided external icon combines images of two holidays celebrated on the same day, August 1 (14): The origin of the even trees of the Cross and the All-Merciful Savior Christ God and the Most Holy Theotokos Mary, His Mother. The Feast of the Origin of the Cross was established in Constantinople in the 9th century, based on the custom of annually transferring part of the tree of the Life-giving Cross, kept in the house church of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, to the Church of St. Sophia. During the ceremony, the water was blessed, then the procession went beyond the city wall to the source of the Savior, and then for two weeks the Cross was carried around the city to consecrate places and ward off diseases. In Russia, the service of the Cross appeared in the 14th – 15th centuries with the introduction of the new Jerusalem Rule to replace the previously existing Studite Rule. In the 17th century, the Feast of the Origin of the Cross was celebrated very widely and in its method of celebration was close to Epiphany: the Jordan was built on the Moscow River, after the blessing of the water, the patriarch and the king were immersed in the water, religious processions and blessings of water were held in rivers, ponds, and springs, which was accompanied by massive swimming. In some areas, horses and cattle were bathed on this day; it was believed that “to bathe at the Savior, unforgivable sins will be forgiven.” The feast of the All-Merciful Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos Mary, which falls on the same day, was established in memory of the victory in 1164 over the Saracens and Volga Bulgars, which was simultaneously granted to the Byzantine emperor and the Russian prince. The holiday was established around 1168 by the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysovergos (1156 - 1169) under Emperor Manuel (1143 - 1180), and in Russia by Metropolitan Constantine of Kiev (inc. 1167, 1169) and Bishop Nestor of Rostov (inc. 1149, 1157) under the prince Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky (1157 – 1174). The inscription on the icon mentions both holidays and lists in detail all the main participants in the events, but there is no Byzantine emperor among the faces of the procession; only Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky is represented in the top row on the left. The composition in the upper part of the icon simultaneously serves as a depiction of the ceremony of carrying out the Cross, in which deacons take part, carrying it and images of Christ and the Mother of God, and the glorification of the All-Merciful Savior, depicted in the center inside the mandorla, blessing with two fingers with both hands. These images recall the main meaning of the holiday, which was originally called “The Almighty Day of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, in honor of the mercy of God we celebrate, and His Most Pure Mother and the origin of the honorable Cross.” At the bottom of the composition there are scenes of the blessing of water and ablution in the source. The icon was a portable image and took part in processions. The combination of the plots of “The Epiphany” and “The Origin of the Cross” reflected their semantic and everyday combination in the church and popular life of the 17th century and was often found in the North. In addition to the archaic nature of the iconography and the use of an ornamental frame, the northern origin of the monument is indicated by the features of the artistic language: flattened figures, imprecise drawing, the use of a rather dark sankir in personal writing, followed by sharp highlighting and the use of long whitewash slides placed along the ridge of the nose, on the forehead and fingers of the characters. A special feature of the icon is the violation of proportions in the direction of elongation of the hands and fingers of the saints, as well as highly elongated narrow faces, with thin long noses, small lips and round eyebrows.

The Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art is the only special museum in Russia dedicated to the Russian artistic culture of the Middle Ages. The museum is located within the walls of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, where the great Russian icon painter Reverend Andrei Rublev lived, worked and was buried.

On the territory of the monastery, the oldest stone temple in Moscow has been preserved - the Spassky Cathedral, erected during the life of Andrei Rublev in the first quarter of the 15th century.

The museum's collection has been collected over the past 50 years and includes about 10 thousand works of ancient Russian art. It gives a comprehensive idea of ​​the artistic life of Ancient Rus'. Its main core consists of works of fine art: monuments of icon painting of the 13th-17th centuries, book miniatures, monumental painting (fragments of paintings removed from the walls, as well as copies of frescoes).

The collection of icon painting includes monuments of all directions and schools from antiquity to the late Middle Ages (Moscow, Rostov, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Volga region). The pride of the museum collection is the works of the circle masters Andrei Rublev and Dionisy, their closest followers, images created by special order of Ivan the Terrible, signed works by isographers of the Armory Chamber.

The museum's collection includes a variety of works of decorative and applied art from the 11th to 19th centuries: embroidery, wooden sculpture, small sculptures, enamels, and items made of precious metals. The collection of manuscripts and early printed books includes liturgical and secular works, song books of the 15th-19th centuries.

The museum offers visitors a variety of sightseeing and thematic excursions, as well as special programs for children and adults.

Highly qualified museum specialists conduct an examination of works of ancient Russian art.

History of the Andrei Rublev Museum

The Andrei Rublev Museum was established by government decree on December 10, 1947. The initiator of the creation of the museum was Pyotr Dmitrievich Baranovsky (1892-1984), a famous restoration architect who did a lot to preserve the ancient Russian artistic heritage. The organization of the museum saved the architectural ensemble of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery from destruction, within whose walls the great icon painter Andrei Rublev worked and was buried. The founding of the museum was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Moscow.

The first director of the museum in 1949 was David Ilyich Arsenishvili (1905-1963), a museum enthusiast, founder of the Theater and Literary Museums in Tbilisi, and the first scientific employee was Natalya Alekseevna Demina (1904-1990), one of the outstanding researchers of ancient Russian art, expert in the works of Andrei Rublev.

In the early 1950s, a young art critic, Irina Aleksandrovna Ivanova, came to the museum. Through the efforts of these people, the first scientific expeditions were organized, and the formation of the museum’s collections began. Its employees often saved works of ancient Russian art from destruction by removing them from churches and some peripheral local history museums, which did not know how and were afraid to store works that were questionable from the point of view of the ideology of that time. The first acquisitions to the museum were several icons from the 16th-17th centuries. from the Vladimir Museum of Local Lore and an iconostasis complex from the Cathedral of the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery in Suzdal, created in the 1660s.

At the same time, research and scientific restoration of the architectural ensemble of the monastery was carried out, primarily the white stone Spassky Cathedral of the early 15th century - the oldest surviving architectural monument in Moscow, as well as other monastery buildings.

The museum was opened to visitors on September 21, 1960. This year was declared by UNESCO to be the year of celebration of the 600th anniversary of Andrei Rublev, and the opening of the museum became one of the most important events of the anniversary days. At that time, the museum collection consisted of only 317 monuments. Today, thanks to numerous expeditions, acquisitions, as well as valuable donations, the museum stores about 10 thousand items of icons, works of decorative and applied art, originals and copies of frescoes, handwritten and early printed books, and archaeological monuments.

The Andrei Rublev Museum has taken a special place among other Russian museums. It has become the country's only museum of fine art of the Russian Middle Ages, covering a huge period of history spanning more than seven centuries. From the moment of its opening, the museum was a real informal cultural center, where the Moscow intelligentsia flocked to discover the previously unknown world of ancient Russian fine art. In the 1960s, a new generation of researchers came to the museum, including G.V. Popov, now its director, as well as K.G. Tikhomirov, V.V. Kirichenko, A.S. Loginova, V.N. Sergeev, L.M. Evseeva, I.A. Kochetkov. At that time, the museum carried out particularly numerous expeditions, thanks to which the museum collection expanded significantly. The collection was also replenished through purchases from private owners, collectors, and antique and second-hand bookstores. Many works detained during an attempt to illegally export abroad were transferred to the museum by government organizations: customs, internal affairs and state security agencies. Friends of the museum and private collectors also made an active contribution to the replenishment of the museum collection with their generous gifts. Among them is G.D. Kostaki and artist V.Ya. Sitnikov

The valuable collection of icon paintings of the 13th-17th centuries brought the Andrei Rublev Museum world fame. In 1991, it was included in the list of especially valuable objects of cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation.

In 2001, the first director of the museum D.I. Arsenishvili and the first researcher N.A. Demina in the museum, on the wall of the Rector’s building, memorial plaques by Zurab Tsereteli and Viktor Surovtsev were installed.

Exhibitions at the Andrei Rublev Museum

The permanent exhibition of the Museum is located in the architectural complex of the Church of the Archangel Michael and the refectory chamber. It includes the most significant works of the museum collection, giving a holistic idea of ​​the history and development of Russian icon painting from the 12th to the beginning of the 18th century.

The exhibition is structured according to a chronological principle and is divided into two large sections dedicated to Russian fine art of antiquity (Painting of the 12th - early 16th centuries) and the late Middle Ages (Painting of the 16th - early 18th centuries). Within the sections of the exhibition, separate artistic centers are highlighted (plans and diagrams of the exhibitions of the first and second floors).

The exhibition section Paintings of the 12th - early 16th centuries is located on the second floor. In the premises of the Church of the Archangel Michael, the oldest icons from the collection and monuments of icon painting of Peter I are presented by boyar Lev Naryshkin on his estate near Moscow and is a striking example of the architecture of the so-called Naryshkin style (or baroque). It is distinguished by the use of a plan and volumetric composition that is unconventional for ancient Russian architecture, and an orientation towards European examples in white stone carving.

The church has altars in the summer and winter churches. The upper, summer one, in the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands, has almost completely preserved the original decorative decoration of the interior. The gilded carvings of the iconostasis, choirs and the royal box were made by the best Moscow carvers. The icons for the iconostasis were painted by outstanding artists from among the royal masters of the Armory, Kirill Ulanov and Karp Zolotarev. The interior of the lower, Intercession, church was repeatedly updated during the 18th-19th centuries.

Address: Moscow, st. Novozavodskaya, 6, metro station: “Fili”