Description of the attraction
The State Museum of Oriental Art, located in the center of Moscow, has the largest collection (more than 147 thousand exhibits) of works of art from the Far and Near East, Buryatia, Chukotka, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Central Asia and Kazakhstan. It also contains a large collection of paintings by N. Roerich and S. N. Roerich.
The Oriental Museum occupies the "House of the Lunins" on Nikitsky Boulevard. This is the former estate of Lieutenant General P. M. Lunin, an architectural monument built in the early 19th century. The architect D. Gilardi is considered to be the author of the building project. The main facade of the building is decorated with a loggia with Corinthian columns and stucco. The ensemble of the estate is an excellent example of the development of Moscow at that time.
The museum was created on October 30, 1918. The museum is engaged not only in exhibition, but also in cultural, educational, scientific activities. In 1991, by the decree of the President of Russia, the museum was ranked among the "Especially valuable objects of the cultural heritage of Russia."
The funds of the museum contain works of various fields of art, trends and genres. Here are the works of sculptors, painters, graphic artists, decorative and applied arts. The museum's collection includes works of art from Japan, China, Mongolia, Iran, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, India, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. Samples of ancient and medieval sculpture, painting on scrolls, textile and jewelry are unique. A special place in the museum's exposition is occupied by a collection of works by outstanding artists, thinkers, educators and scientists - Nicholas and Svyatoslav Roerichs.
The museum houses permanent exhibitions: "Art of China", "Art of Japan", "Art of Southeast Asia", "Art of Korea", "Art of Iran", "Art of Central Asia and Kazakhstan", "Art of India", "Art of Buryatia, Mongolia and Tibet”,“Painting of Transcaucasia and Central Asia”,“Art of the Peoples of the North”and“Works of N. K. and S. N. Roerichs”. Along with the permanent exposition, exhibitions of Russian and foreign cultural figures are regularly held in the premises of the Museum of the East.
