STATE MUSEUM OF ORIENTAL ART
 |
Address:
Nikitsky Blvrd, 12a |
The impressive collection of Oriental art is housed
in the State Museum of Oriental Art. The Museum is located in the very
center of Moscow. The pale yellow Corinthian-pillared building it occupies
is the architectural monument of the early Russian classicism. The building
was erected in 1821 by Italian architect D. Zhilyardi as a private mansion
of Lunin family.
Almost a century after the expropriated house of Lunin
welcomed the expositions of the Museum of Oriental Art that was established
in 1918. The Museum funds were formed on the basis of the expropriated
private collections of Russian celebrated collectors and scientists
including Brokar, Ostroukhov, Faberge, Kastalsky, Konchalovsky, Mosolov,
Shchukin and others. 
Nowadays the Museum treasures the truly impressive
collection of painting, drawing, sculpture, decorative and applied art,
as well as architectural finds made during scientific expedition to
North Caucasus, Middle Asia, Chukot Peninsula and other regions of Russia.
The art of Asia and Caucasus is represented quite comprehensively from
the 1st century AD through to the beginning of the 20th century. Among
the most interesting Museum's exhibits there are splendid Persian carpets,
Iranian ceramics, Indian jewelry, Japanese prints, miniature sculptures
(netsuke) and many more. The Museum houses several permanent exhibitions
"The Art of Korea", "The Art of China", "The
Art of Japan", "The Art of South-East Asia" (Vietnam,
Burma, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand) and others. Among the Museum's
most popular are expositions dedicated to the art of Caucasus and Transcaucasia
(Georgia, Armenia, Armenia), Kazakhstan and Middle Asia (Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan).
Several museum halls boast the paintings of Nikolai
and Svyatoslav Roerich. Outstanding artists, philosophers and scientists
of the 20th century, they made a number of expeditions to Central Asia
and masterfully depicted its plains and mountains.
