Contact us:
Address:
Minsk, Lenin St., 20
The National Art Museum is an important cultural venue, which has been presenting memorable exhibitions since 1957. Today, the number of works in all collections and funds amounts to 33,000 pieces from more than 132 countries and about 12 centuries of human history.
History
The official history of the museum begins on January 24, 1939, when the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR established the State Art Gallery in Minsk. In the post-war years the gallery received a new status: from now on it was the State Art Museum. And finally, in 1993, the name-brand under which we still know the museum today appeared. The pre-war period of the Gallery's work under the leadership of Nikolai Prokopievich Miholap (1886-1979) was a time of intensive formation of art collections. In a surprisingly short period of time the staff managed to do a lot of collecting exhibits: the most valuable works of cult art in churches and churches were taken out and accounted for, large collections of paintings, graphics and decorative-applied art from the funds of museums in Belarus were collected. The Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Hermitage Museum donated several works from their collections. After the reunification of the Western Belarusian lands with the BSSR in September 1939, the Picture Gallery received works from the nationalized estates and castles of Western Belarus, including a part of the collection of the palace of Princes Radziwill in Nesvizh. In 1993 the construction of a new building of the museum - an extension to the main building - began. This made it possible to significantly expand the exposition areas.
The object today
The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus has long ceased to be just a museum. It is simultaneously a concert venue, a lecture hall, an interactive location, and a temple of art. Minsk citizens (and not only) are looking forward to the annual events that have already become traditional and gather, it seems, half of the city - "Night of Museums" and "Verasnevy Vechar". Numerous concerts for almost any musical taste - from classical to experimental alternative performers - take place here almost every week. Interactive programs have long ago gained fame of the most unusual museum direction, turning the museum into a kind of flagship of this kind of activity. Lectures and master classes are organized for each exhibition, which gives an opportunity to get to know the material more deeply. With such a rich program in the museum with great pleasure you can spend the whole day with the whole family. You can even take a tasty break here by stopping by the only art cafe in the country. You can visit the Art Museum at almost any convenient time, and once a month it is free of charge. A museum is a whole life!
