Tretyakov Gallery publishes unique album of Russian painting

An album in which the best works of Russian painting from the country's provincial museums are represented together for the first ever time was brought out in Moscow. As many as 400 reproductions reflect the development of Russian art from the ancient icons to the famous avant-garde of the beginning of last century. The book familiarizes lovers of art with the treasures of 25 art museums of Russia's regional cities and has no analogues among the Russian editions on art.

The album, entitled "Golden Map of Russia. Masterpieces of Russian Art", was prepared within a project bearing the same name, which started in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow in 1999. The idea of the project is to familiarize the visitors of this largest collection of Russian painting with the most valuable works kept in the museums of Russia's provinces. In the past four years most of them already showed their best exhibits in Moscow.

The Russian press calls the event the best museum project in the country over the past few years. The Tretyakov Gallery - the organizer of the project was put forward this year as a candidate for the State Prize of Russia in the field of literature and art.