Museums

The Pushkin Fine Arts Museum
Opened in 1912, the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum possesses a collection of European art second in Russia to only St. Petersburg's Hermitage. Much of the strength of the collection is in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, a result of the oft-forgotten fact that such works gained an appreciative audience in Russia long before they captured the imagination of collectors further west.
Address: ul Volkhonka 12

Gorky House Museum
The building served as the residence of the great writer Maxim Gorky from 1931 to 1936. Built just after the turn of this century, the mansion is appealing for its remarkable design and decoration, both inside and out. Shekhtel's design is an almost hallucinatory masterpiece of wave forms, floral mosiac and stucco decorations, and vibrant hues--the uncontested highlight is the sinuous main stair. All of this contrasts strongly with the building's significance as the home of one of Russia's greatest "proletarian" writers.
Address: Malaya Nikitskaya ul 6/2

Archaeological Museum
An excavation of the Voskresensky Bridge - which used to cross the Neglinnaya River and commence the road to Tver - uncovered coins, clothing and other artefacts from old Moscow. The museum displaying these treasures is situated in an underground pavilion 7m deep that remains from the excavation itself.
Address: Manezhnaya pl 1

Matrioshka Museum
On a quiet side street, the Matrioshka Museum - formerly the Museum of Folk Art - is a two-room museum showcasing designer matrioshka dolls and different painting techniques. The centrepiece is a one-metre high matrioshka with 50 dolls inside. The exhibit demonstrates the history of this favourite Russian souvenir.
Address: Leontevsky per 7

Moscow Museum Of Modern Art
This museum is housed in a classical 18th-century merchant's home, which was originally designed by Matvei Kazanov (architect of the Arsenal in the Kremlin, among others). It is a perfect, light-filled setting for an impressive collection of 20th-century paintings, sculptures and graphics, including Russian and foreign artists.
Address: ul Petrovka 25

State History Museum
The State History Museum is the stunningly ornate red building at the northern end of the square. It has an enormous collection covering the whole of Russian history from the Stone Age on, and has been continually refurbishing its galleries since the 1990s.
Address: Pl Revolyutsii, Red Square