Tretyakov Gallery
The State Tretyakov Gallery’s collection has been enriched by the international project — the exhibition “Moscow – Yerevan – Moscow” by Aram Abramyan, a distinguished doctor and collector of Russian art from the late 19th to the 20th century.
Aram Abramyan was a world-renowned urologist, Doctor of Science, professor, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR, and author of more than 100 scientific works. His active art collection began in the mid-1950s and continued into the 1980s.
In celebration of the 125th anniversary of Aram Abramyan, the exhibition featured works by renowned artists and talented masters previously unknown to Moscow audiences. These include names rarely seen in museum exhibitions, as well as works by Armenian painters who studied and worked in Russia.
The display in the Tretyakov Gallery highlighted Abramyan’s passion for the artworks of the Silver Age. His collection includes works by K.A. Korovin, A.Ya. Golovin, A.N. Benois, B.M. Kustodiev, P.V. Kuznetsov, K.S. Petrov-Vodkin, N.S. Goncharova, and other notable masters of the turn of the century. Additionally, the exhibition featured paintings by early to mid-20th-century artists such as B.D. Grigoriev, P.P. Konchalovsky, N.A. Udaltsova, and R.R. Falk. Abramyan also acquired works by artists of the 1960s, including V.E. Popkov and N.I. Andronov.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Abramyan’s collection was among the largest collections of Russian paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Moscow. Around 1980, he decided to donate a significant portion of his collection to Armenia. On November 19, 1984, the Museum of Russian Art (collection of Professor A.Ya. Abramyan) was opened in Yerevan, becoming the first private collection museum in the USSR to be donated to the state.
Abramyan never exhibited his entire collection in Moscow, and today it remains relatively unknown to Russian audiences. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to appreciate this exceptional collection and learn about the collector, who was affectionately called the “Armenian Tretyakov.”
The “Moscow – Yerevan – Moscow” exhibition has been made possible through the financial support of the “Keron” Foundation and ran from June 4 till August 12, 2024.
Within two months this significant exhibition attracted the attention of about 13,200 visitors, who had the opportunity to get acquainted with the life and work of professor Abrahamyan, as well as appreciate the priceless value of his collection.
Objectives
- To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Aram Abramyan by bringing his exceptional art collection to a wider audience and highlighting his significant contributions to Russian and Armenian art.
