Pavel M. Tretyakov made his first art purchase in 1856. In 1892, six years before he died, Tretyakov bequeathed 2,000 paintings he had acquired to the nation. These events set in motion today’s finest collection of Russian paintings. State Tretyakov Gallery contains over 180,000 pieces of artwork from the 11th to the early 20th centuries representing works by most of the country’s masters and various artist styles. The museum’s main building was bought by the Tretyakov family in 1851. The historic structure received a new façade by painter Viktor Vasnetsov in 1904. Three statues have stood in front. The first was Lenin, later replaced with Stalin and, since 1980, this sculpture of Pavel Tretyakov. Notice the relief above the entrance of Saint George slaying the dragon.
