Top must-visit Museums in Moscow

When you visit the fascinating capital of Russia, you will get to explore many museums and art galleries in this iconic city nestled on the banks of Moskva River. These unique museums in Moscow exclusively feature chocolates, vodka, arts, multimedia and a lot more about the Russian history. The city has a museum congruent to your interests.

The Moscow Kremlin
The Kremlin is more like a mini metropolis with hordes of armories, palaces, churches that connect the modern city to the historical events in Russia. The Kremlin was the residency of the Great Prince. It is one of the largest assemblies of monuments and historical relics of art and culture. The Kremlin is situated on the Borovitskiy hill above the Moskva River. The Kremlin museum complex houses the Armory Chamber, Archangel’s and Annunciation Cathedrals, the Twelve Apostles’ Church, the Assumption, the Church of Laying Our Lady’s Holy Robe and the Ivan the Great Bell-Tower complex with a huge collection of artillery arms and bells. The Kremlin is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The State Tretyakov Gallery
This gallery is a one-man effort of the collector Pavel Tretyakov. It opened in 1856 and since then this gallery has evolved to showcase one the largest collections of Russian art works from the 12th to the 20th century. The famous masterpieces include "Lady on Horseback" by Karl Bryllov, "Trinity" by Andrey Rublev and "Ivan the Terrible and his son" by Ilya Repin.

The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
It is the largest museum in Moscow for European fine arts. Paintings of legendary artists including Botticelli, Guardi, Rembrandt, Canaletto and Tiepolo adorn the walls of this museum. You can also find a huge collection of sculpture and impressionist works. The latter features art works of Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet. The museum also hosts galleries of private collectors which were not accessible to the public in the past.

Moscow House of Photography
"Multimedia Complex of Actual Arts" consists of Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow House of Photography and the School of Photography and Multimedia of Alexander Rodchenko. Moscow House of Photography is the first museum in Russia dedicated to photography development. It was founded in 1996, since then it has hosted over 1,300 exhibitions. The Moscow House of Photography has hosted several international festivals in the last 15 years. "Fashion and Style in Photography” is the biggest photography festival in Russia during which the best photographs contest is conducted with an award ceremony, “Silver Camera”. The museum has published over 100 catalogs and books on photography since its existence.

Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art
The once wine making enterprise from 19th century is now the Winzavod art complex. Spread over 20,000 square meters, the complex is a cluster of seven buildings with several art galleries including Regina, Aidan, Proun, XL and Fotoloft. Cafés, design studios and concept shops are also scattered in this complex. It also hosts concerts, events and festivals. It is the perfect place for contemporary art lovers and collectors.

Garage Center for Contemporary Culture
Garage Center was established in 2008 to explore and develop contemporary culture. The center was relocated from its original location, Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage to a temporary pavilion in Gorky Park. It will move to its permanent location in Gorky Park in 2015. The center conducts cultural events, film shows, exhibitions to reflect the current developments in Russia. The center is also responsible for educational programs, publishing and research related to Russian art and culture. The Museum collection is exclusive with the archives of development of contemporary art from 1950s through present. The center also runs a grant program for young Russian artists.

The Vodka Museum
One can be well-acquainted with the long history of Russian Vodka in this museum. The first distillation unit is installed in the exposition. It was used to produce burning wine in the 1400s. Everything from ingredients used in the national drink of Russia to its production process is at display. It features more than 600 exhibits of vodka recipes, labels, brands, vodka posters and different bottle sizes including kosushka, quarter and shtof. The recipes for vodka produced in 18th century are also available.

Museum of the History of Russian Chocolate
This new Museum of the History of Russian Chocolate is situated in a three floor building. The first floor displays medieval Indian devices for preparing delectable liquid chocolate recipes. European instruments are also displayed here. The exhibits dedicated to the chocolate history in Russia are housed on the second and third floors.

Lomakov Antique Automobiles and Motorcycle Museum in Moscow
As the name suggests, the museum is exclusive for exhibiting over 200 antique automobiles and motorcycles used in Russia and Europe.