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01.06.2009 Hannah Chapman is majoring in Russian Studies, International Business, and Political Science at Stetson University. She spent spring semester, 2009 studying abroad with The School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS) in Moscow on the Translation Work-Study Program. This article is the first part of a two-part series published as part of SRAS's free monthly newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter and find out when part two is published, just send an email with "subscribe" in the subject field to jwilson@sras.org. Unless otherwise noted, all photos were submitted by Hannah Chapman or provided by SRAS. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Off-The-Beaten-Path" in Moscow Four places that art lovers shouldn't overlook  By Hannah Chapman    Study Art at the Hermitage! Summer Program 6 Credits  One could live in Moscow for a lifetime and not see everything there is to see. Founded nearly 900 years ago and now Europe's largest city, Moscow is constantly changing and growing. While every visitor must walk through Red Square, see the Kremlin, and stop by the Bolshoi Theater, there is much more to Moscow than St. Basil's Cathedral. Many of the best places to visit are ones unknown to the average visitor. Some are in the city center but overlooked for their more famous neighbors. Others are surprising treats on the outskirts of the city or historic gems wedged between modern apartment buildings. Nearly all can be enjoyed for only a few dollars admission. Even after a semester of exploring, by no means did I manage to find every gem that's "off-the-beaten-path." However, I did discover several great finds and this two-part series will detail eight of my favorites. The first part of the series, below, looks at four places of special interest to art lovers. Part two looks at four places that history buffs won't want to miss.     The entrance to the Roerich Museum, Moscow.  Roerich Museum Dedicated to the works and ideas of the Nicholas Roerich and his family, the International Centre of the Roerichs stands out from its famous neighbors (it's next to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts) in both style and philosophy. Roerich was a widely-travelled painter and free thinker in the artistically and politically turbulent first half of the twentieth century. The museum strives to document the key stages in Roerich's life and journeys through his paintings as well as manuscripts, books, maps, and models. Roerich is best remembered for his paintings, which play with light, color, and subtly simplified shapes. His acclaimed Architectural Studies was one of the first comprehensive works documenting the architecture of Russia. He was also heavily interested in Eastern religions and mysticism and even established his own school of occult thinking known as "Agni Yoga." His legacy also spans politics. It is rumored that he was one of the first picks of Bolsheviks to lead a new Ministry of Culture in 1917 (a position which he apparently declined). He also authored and championed an international treaty known as the Roerich Pact, which was signed by the US, the USSR, and dozens of other countries who all pledged to protect cultural property wherever it may be in times of peace and war. Each room of the museum documents a different philosophical ideal, stage of travel, or accomplishment of Roerich and his family. Consequently, every room is unique while still blending together into a harmonious display.  "Remember" by Nicholas Roerich. Roerich is known for his landscapes and religious paintings.   While the pricing is more expensive than one would expect (it costs more than either the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts or the Tretyakov), its uniqueness makes it worth the still-affordable cost. Great labeling in both English and Russian makes navigating the museum easy. Incense and music lend to a soothing atmosphere, so that you often forget you are in a museum. The old ladies hired to keep an eye on the exhibits, however, are particularly annoying and may follow you from room to room. Because of its wide-range of exhibits, the museum will appeal to art-lovers, adventurers, and tourists alike. Details: Tickets range from 110 rubles (around three dollars) for a student ticket to 800 rubles for an advanced-ordered English-language excursion. Photography is not permitted.  The shop downstairs sells a wide variety of crafts and philosophical tracts. Find out more from the museum website. Directions: Click here for a Google Map. The museum is located at Malyi Znamenskiy Lane, 3/5 (Малый Знаменский пер., д. 3/5). Exit metro Кропоткинская (Kropotkinskaya) by the Church of Christ the Savior. Cross the street and head right. Take a left into the alley before the Pushkin Museum and directly after the Museum of Private Collections. Go to the end of the alley and take a left (there is a large sign pointing to the entrance of the Roerich Museum). Enter the main yellow building which houses the museum and ticket office.     The entrance to the unusual Burganov Museum.  Burganov Museum Once the workshop of one of Moscow's most famous modern sculptors, the Burganov Museum is one of the few Moscow museums dedicated to the work of a living artist. First and foremost a workshop, the museum is constantly changing and holds the works of Burganov, his wife, son, and friends. Alexander Burganov is perhaps best known for two fairy-tale-like sculptures on Moscow's famous Old Arbat Street. One is an intricate fountain dedicated to Princess Tourandout, one of the Vakhtangov Theatre's most famous productions. The fountain is outside the theatre. Burganov also sculpted the romantic statue to Pushkin and his wife that sits outside an Arbat apartment they shared briefly. Another of his statues to Pushkin was recently unveiled in Washington DC.  Situated less than ten minutes from one of the most prolific art areas in Moscow, the museum attempts to re-imagine the traditional image of how art should be viewed by encouraging visitors to view it from different angles and perspectives. The main part of the museum is located outdoors and holds everything from a bust of Pushkin to a monstrous, tangled sculpture "Horses" to the "Big Angel" Arcade where visitors can climb to the top to see the yard from up high. Beside Burganov's workshop is the "Small Louvre," a small exhibit crowned by a glass pyramid ceiling where one can view "Horses" from below. By going past the "Big Angel" and through the "Golden Doors," visitors enter into the main enclosed part of the museum – "Pegasus' House." This old building, partly restored with only the bare brick walls standing, has mulch for floors and displays more of Burganov's works. Exiting out of Pegasus's House, visitors end their stay in the "Yard of Pegasus." The sculpture to Pushkin and his wife on Arbat. Someone has slipped fresh roses between thier hands.   Some of Burganov's more unusual sculptures may alarm traditional art lovers, but they are interesting enough to keep even the art-impaired engaged. The museum's lay-out is so unique that calling it a museum is an injustice. Details: Students are admitted for just twenty rubles (about sixty cents), and even foreigners can pay full price and still get in for only fifty rubles as of May, 2009. The museum also currently keeps logical and convenient hours (11am to 7pm, everyday) and has a fairly extensive website. The actual workshop is blocked off to visitors (artists still work there), but the rest of the grounds are open. Photography is permitted. Directions: Click here for Google Map. The museum is located at 15/9 Bolshoi Afanasevskiy Lane (Б. Афанасьевский пер., д.15, стр. 9). Exit metro Кропоткинская (Kropotkinskaya), using the exit heading away from the Church of Christ the Savior. Head behind the station so that you are going north on Гоголевская улица (Gogolovskaya Street). Walk approximately 100 meters and take a left onto Гагаринский пер (Gagarinskiy Lane). Go two streets down and take a right onto Большой Афанасьевский переулок (Bolshoi Afanasevkiy Lane). Walk 200 meters and the museum will be on your left.     An aerial view of the cosy Vasnetsov House-Museum. Photo from TretyakovGallery.ru  Vasnetsov House-Museum Situated between rows of high-rises and block apartment buildings stands a charming wooden house that was the home of one of Russia's most famous artists. Victor M. Vasnetsov (1848-1926) created genre, historical, and religious art. His house reflects this and most items are either inspired by or made by the artist. The small, green-and-white house is whimsical on both the interior and exterior. The rooms are scattered with bulky, beautifully carved furniture, most of which was designed by Vasnetsov. While the house is worth the trip, the real draw to this museum is the studio. Secreted up a set of stairs at the entrance of the museum is a large room filled with massive paintings and unfinished works. While most of Vasnetsov's more famous works, such as "The Flying Carpet" and "Peter Riding A Grey Wolf," are on display in the Tretyakov Gallery (in fact, the house-museum is a subsidiary of the Tretyakov), this room holds lots more paintings that are just as impressive. Vasnetsov is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Russia's "epic heroes," such as this painting which is still used as an illustration in school textbooks.   While there is no labeling in English and little in Russian, the architecture and furniture in this house is worth the minimal admission price. The studio is truly spectacular for such an unknown museum and is the true draw of the museum. Some of the rooms may be blocked off on occasion. Details: As of May, 2008, student tickets (show your ID card) cost twenty-five rubles (about seventy-five cents) regular tickets cost fifty rubles. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm and is additionally closed for a "sanitary day" on the last Thursday of each month. Photography is generally not allowed. Directions: Click here for a Google Map. The museum is located at 129090, Moscow, 13, Vasnetsova Lane. Exit metro Проспект Мира (Prospect Mira) and head south. Take a right on Улица Дурова (Durova Street) and go 200 meters. Take a left at the third side road (which is unnamed, but there will be a coral colored building across the street). It's the last building on the unnamed side road, which adjoins with Vasnetsova Lane.      The entrance to Winzavod, a restored winery-turned-art-center. Photo from Winzavod.ru  Winzavod Once a winery and now an art center, Winzavod spans seven buildings that total 20,000 sq. m. (215,000 sq. ft.). Here you will find artists' studios, a photography studio, an outdoor film theatre, an avant-garde clothing store, a café, and one of Moscow's largest art supply stores. Opened in 2007, Winzavod (whose name actually means "Wine Factory" in Russian) can still be considered "off-the-beaten-path" for now, but it likely won't be for long. It's striving hard to be a global center for the arts, hosting awards, holding events, inviting international artists, and more. They have marketing deals with Red Bull and other trendy brands to make sure that their events are well-attended and well-stocked with beverages, funding, and things to do and see. In addition to being able to see big names from the global modern art world and up-and-comers of the Russian art scene, one of the main draws to Winzavod is simply its architecture. Built over 100 years ago, the winery went out of business when the USSR fell, and now has been adopted by a major urban renewal project. The center prides itself on using everything as a "found space." Restoration has largely been limited to cleaning and sealing the brick work and the facility feels very industrial but also clean and cozy. Exhibitions change frequently and often vary in composition and quality. Check out their website for current exhibits and plan accordingly. Also, the facility now host several awards ceremonies (such as the annual Best of Russia competition and the Kandinsky Prize). These are generally the best times to go and see the facility in full swing. The annual "museum night" event, held in mid-May, is also a great time to go and mill with Moscow's hoards of young, aspiring artists enjoying an all-night, free art fest. A Red Bull-sponsored rock concert held inside Winzavod.   The shops and cafes are overpriced, but fun to go in. Try to come during the week, as many of the places close during the weekend. Make sure to take a look at the graffiti scattered around the premise, updated each year at their annual graffiti festival. Details: Prices vary according to exhibit. Hours of operation can also vary fairly widely, but the site is easy to navigate and plan your trip by. Photography is permitted in many parts of the facilities, but prohibited in some of the exhibits. Check their website for more info. Directions: Click here for a Google Map. Winzavord is located at 4-th Syromyatnicheskiy lane, 1, bld. 6. Exit metro Чкаловская ‎(Chkalovskaya) and head south down Садовое кольцо (Sadovoe Ring). Take a left at Сыромятнический пер (Siromyatnichneskiy Lane). Continue until you come to a fork in the road and take a left (follow the sign at the fork). Take a right down 4-й Сыромятнический переулок (4th Syromyatniskiy Lane) and Winzavod is on the left. Forward to Part II (history buffs)>>> Study Abroad in Russia SRAS Travel Services  Student's Guide to Moscow Find Out More! History of Russian Holidays History of the Russian Dacha Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Library: All About Russia  Eurasian Regions and Cities Journal for Students More Free Resources!   Questions or comments? Contact the author. « back to Articles and Information archive print this page email this page