metropolitan museum of art tour guide

Metropolitan Museum of Art Visitors Guide

This Iconic New York City Art Museum Has Something for Everyone

TripSavvy / Kelsea Watkins 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

One of New York City's most popular tourist attractions , the Metropolitan Museum of Art welcomes 7.35 million visitors a year. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and special exhibits offer something for everyone -- from Ancient Egyptian vases and Roman Statues to Tiffany stained glass and Rembrandt paintings there is something for nearly everyone. If you're overwhelmed by the sheer size and breadth of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, take a Highlights Tour .

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The contents of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's permanent collection represent a diversity of age, medium and geographic origin. The Egyptian Art collection includes pieces from 300,000 B.C. – 4th century A.D. Other elements of the permanent collection include Musical Instruments, Modern Art, and The Cloisters . To get a better idea of the variety and breadth of the over 2 million pieces of art that are part of the Met's collection, consult their website's Collection information, which includes a searchable database as well as online galleries of highlights from the various departments.

The collections of the Metropolitan Museum attract more visitors than any other attraction in New York City, 7.35 million per year. It is impossible to see the entire collection in one day, or even in a few days, so I recommend you choose an area or two of interest, or take the Museum Highlights Tour, which occurs throughout the day, starting around 10:15 a.m.

Notable Works: With such an extensive and comprehensive collection of art, it is difficult to pick out the highlights, however, the Met's website offers several suggested itineraries that highlight ways to take in a selection of the Museum's offerings.

Tips For Visiting

• The museum hosts frequent special exhibits, and they can draw very large crowds, especially near the end of their run if they are popular and have gotten a lot of press. If you're trying to see an exhibit before it closes, consider arriving early in the day and visiting on a weekday if possible to reduce the likelihood you'll be stuck in line waiting and/or battling crowds for a decent view.
• If you're visiting the museum with kids, consider one of their programs for children and families.
• When the weather is nice, don't miss the chance to take a break on the roof to see the latest installation and even have a cocktail if you'd like.
• There's no way to see the whole place in a single visit, so I recommend having each member of your party pick out an exhibit to explore and/or take a tour.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Tours:

• Museum Highlights Tours : Offered throughout the day, these volunteer led one hour tours are a great introduction to the Museum's collections (free with admission)
• Gallery Talks : These one hour talks focus on the contents of a single gallery (free with admission)
• Audio Guides : Get detailed information at your own pace and on pieces of your choice (not all pieces are included), including the Museum's permanent collection and special exhibitions ($7, $6 for members, $5 for children under 12)

Getting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

• Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue ( Upper East Side Map )
• Cross Streets: 5th Avenue and 82th Street
• Nearest Subways: Take the 4/5/6 to 86th Street. Walk west to 5th Avenue and then south to 82th Street.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Basics:

• Official Website: http://www.metmuseum.org

The 10 Best New York City Museums

A One-Day Itinerary for Visiting New York City

The 10 Best Art Museums in the USA

13 Top New York City Attractions

The Top 10 Museums in Vienna, Austria

18 Best Things to Do as a Solo Traveler in NYC

The Complete Guide to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City

Brooklyn: A Visitors Guide

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Guide

20 Fun Places to Take the Kids in NYC

The Louvre Museum in Paris: A Complete Guide for Visitors

All About the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris

The 11 Best Museums to Visit in Boston

The 6 Best New Museums in Paris: Innovative Spaces

The Best Art Museums to Visit in Washington, D.C.

Best 14 Washington, D.C. Museums

How Our Tours Work

All of our tours are private, not public. So the tour is arranged just for you and yours.

• We recommend using our online booking tool for up-to-date availability.
• Select your tour experience and set your preferred date and time.
• Our booking system will help you select the right guide from our team of art historians based on the guides' availability.
• Tell us a bit about your interests and private group. We'll customize your tour from there.
• Your confirmation will show where the guide will meet you at the museum.
• Private tours for 1 - 4 people in your group booked online* are $225 per hour (a $5 discount over tours booked via email or phone).
• All tours have a two-hour minimum.
• Additional people and/or additional time have an additional fee.
• Museum admission needs to be added for each person. This will be added during your booking.
• We'll get your tickets ahead of time for you. So you can skip the lines!

Prefer a personalized booking experience?

* For those who need a bit more service via email and phone, our pricing is $225 per hour for 1 – 4 people. Larger groups are $50 per adult, $25 per child.

Real Art Historians, not scripted actors

ART SMART's art guides are primarily graduate-level professional art historians from top universities who have their fingers on the pulse of the art world.

Instagram STREAM

Tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art

ART SMART helps navigate through the countless epochs and geographic areas by crafting a tour that incorporates only the art objects that most interest you

Private Guided Tours of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Looking for a Met tour? The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is one of the largest and most impressive art museums in the world. With dozens of galleries filled with American, European, Egyptian, Asian, Modern and Contemporary, and Ancient art (plus rotating exhibitions), there is no end of things to see and do on your Met tour. It is the perfect NYC museum to explore if you want to get a broad selection of the finest art.

A private, guided tour with ART SMART makes the Met more manageable and memorable. Whether you are on your own or traveling with friends, colleagues, or family, our professional art historian guides will take you off the beaten path of the standard tour and straight to the collections and exhibitions that will appeal to you and your companions.

Museum Details

Sunday–Thursday 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Admission $22 per adult, $15 per senior, and $10 per child.

Book Yours Now

2. select tour length.

3. Booking Summary

4. payment details, pricing questions.

Private tours for 1 – 4 people in your group booked online* start at $225 per hour (a 5% discount over tours booked via email or phone). All tours have a two-hour minimum. Additional people and/or additional time have an additional fee. Museum admission needs to be added for each person. This is added during your booking. We will get your tickets ahead of time for you. So you can skip the lines!

* For those who need a bit more service via email and phone, our pricing begins at $225 per hour for 1 – 4 people. Larger groups are $50 per adult, $25 per child.

Description.

Our Met Museum Private Tours

How to look at art.

A History of Western Art Tour

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Art Tour

Highlights Tour

Feast Your Eyes Met Foodie Tour & Tasting

A Romantic Tour at The Met

Hidden Treasures Tour

VIP Tour at The Met

Get the Full Picture

VIP Before-Hours Tours

Celebration of Love Wedding Tour at The Met in NYC

Gems & Jewels Tour

Custom Met Tour

The Met Museum and Frick Old Masters Tour

Secret Stories of Color Tour

‘Tis the Season Holiday Tour

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and analyze the use of the website. Learn More

Metropolitan Museum of Art Tours

This post compares and reviews the various options you have for a Metropolitan Museum of Art tour, including official guided tours, night tours, and tours from outside companies. 

Get skip-the-line tickets with free cancellation.

NOTE: As of March 2024, the Met has once again started to offer Museum Highlights tours, and they are also offering other specialty tours from time to time.

• Official Museum Tours
• Independent Tours
• Private/Group Tours
• Night Tours
• Deals and Offers
• Self-Guided Audio Tours

Disclosure:  While our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the  full text .

Skip-the-Line Ticket Prices

With these tickets , you'll have three consecutive days to skip-the-line at The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer and The Met Cloisters.

• $25 for Adults | $17 for Seniors | $12 for Students | Children under 12 free (with Adults)
• Free cancellation with 24-hour notice
• More info or to book a skip-the-line ticket

TIP: Skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Met is included in most tourist passes available in NYC. Learn more about all of the other ticket concessions available to you. 

There are so many opportunities that it might be difficult to choose the trip that best fits your expectations.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to provide a comparison of every major Metropolitan Museum of Art tour available.

Some of these tours are included with the price of admission, but others can cost anywhere from $25-$50 on average.

Whether you’re on a budget or you just want the best possible experience, chances are that one of these activities will fit into your schedule. 

OFFICIAL METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART TOURS

The Met provides several free guided tours every day of the week.

Most of their tours are fairly basic, but they also provide a variety of walking tours focused on specific exhibitions.

Since they cycle through the art they have on display, some of the guided journeys they offer are subject to change.

Each tour is free with the price of admission , so you won’t have to pay for anything more than the cost of entry into the museum.

The museum's official tours have received a 5 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor.

Hundreds of visitors agree that their highlights tour is quite excellent, providing a plethora of information about their installations. 

Before you choose which tour to take, it's a good idea to think about the types of exhibits that would interest you the most.

Although there are museum highlights tours available, many of the museum tours offered by the Met and other companies are focused on one specific topic.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art includes pieces from several different periods in human history, and chances are that you'll find at least one display with intriguing artwork.

With that in mind, here are some of the most popular free tours offered at this fantastic museum.

Museum Highlights

Discover some of the most significant pieces in their collection.

Get a nice cross-section of artwork from several different cultures over the course of this 60-minute trip throughout the Met.

As of March 2024, this tour is available daily at 10:30 am-11:30 am.

This tour is also offered in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Italian and Portuguese.

American Art

Visit the American Wing and see their collection of historically important artwork.

This area of the museum includes significant paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and architectural spaces.

Take a journey through our country's past and see what life was like for early Americans.

This tour typically runs every weekend between 12 pm – 1: pm. Unfortunately, it is currently only offered in English.

Please check the Met calendar for more details.

Modern and Contemporary Art

See the extensive collection of modern and contemporary art on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Learn all about the history of major artistic movements that have taken place in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Discover how modern art led to the free and creative postmodern movement and beyond!

This tour is usually available on weekday at 3:00 pm and on Saturdays at 1:00 pm. You can also enjoy this trip through the museum in French on Tuesday.

Impressionism & Post Impressionism

Uncover the origins of Impressionism and see how it flourished thanks to the creative genius of such artists as Monet, Degas, and Renoir.

Once you have experienced many of the elements that made this artistic movement so unique, your tour guide will show you how it went on to inspire the minds of Van Gogh and Gauguin.

This tour is offered on weekdays at 12:45 pm and also on Saturdays at 11:00 am.

Arts of China

Experience over 5,000 years of Chinese artwork and culture. Discover traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting as you walk through the history of this civilization.

This journey also includes a closer look at jades, bronzes, ceramics, sculptures and decorative arts.

This tour is offered on Weekdays from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm.

OUTSIDE COMPANIES

In addition to the official tours offered by the museum themselves, you can also take a guided trip through the Met with one of the following tour companies.

Ticket prices will be a bit more expensive at about $50 on average, but these options can also be a lot more convenient. Tour prices include skip-the-line tickets.

Whether you want to make sure that you won't miss anything important or you hope to see a side of the artwork that few get the opportunity to experience, these walking tours can be an excellent alternative to the standard fare offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is an internationally recognized tour company which is often highly rated by their customers, and they offer three different tours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In addition to a highlights tour that covers the basics, there are also more expansive and focused options that provide an even deeper look at this historic museum.

Group sizes are very small, as each tour is kept to a max of just 15 guests, and tours run for approximately 2-3 hours on average.

Met Express Highlights Tour

• $52/Adults, Students | $42/Children
• Spring Availability: Mon, Thur, Sat at 11 am
• Summer/Fall Availability: Mon, Thur-Sat at 11 am
• Duration: 2 hours
• Includes admission to the Met.

Meet the Met Tour

• $64/Adults, Students | $54/Children
• Winter/Spring Availability: Mon, Thur, Sat at 11 am
• Duration: 3 hours

Twisted Metropolitan Tour

• $75/Adults, Students | $65/Children
• Availability: Mon, Wed, and Sat at 11 am
• Duration: 2 ½ hours
• Covers scandals & secrets of the masterpieces.

Walks of New York

This is one of the most notable and highly rated tour companies in NYC.

They provide a variety of different trips around the city, including these notable journies through the Met.

Discover centuries of art history with the help of a professional and friendly guide.

Their guided walking tours are intended to give you a good look at most of the significant exhibits that the museum has to offer over the course of either 2 or 3 hours.

Group sizes for these excursions tend to be small, so it's an excellent option for anyone who wants to avoid large crowds.

With an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, it's clear that Walks of New York has impressed quite a few people.

Reviews for their Metropolitan Museum of Art tour are equally excellent. 

Dozens of guests suggest that this is a great way to see the Met, stating that their tour guides are very knowledgeable. 

Tour Information

Best of the Met

• A two-hour trip exploring some of the most important exhibits in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• $52 for Adults | $42 for Children (age 4-12) | Children 4 and under free
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance
• More info and to book .

Extended Met

• A three-hour trip which goes into greater detail and reveals even more of the Met.
• $64 for Adults | $49 for Children (age 4-12) | Children 4 and under free

Museum Hack

If you're looking for a different point of view, this tour company can help.

Rather than just giving you a cross-section of the typical exhibits you'll discover at the Met, Museum Hack provides trips focused on a side of art history that few get the opportunity to explore.

Learn about some of the important artwork that doesn't often get a lot of love from visitors by taking one of these alternative walking tours.

Although this is definitely not your average museum tour, most guests seem to appreciate their experience.

Museum Hack has received an overall rating of 5 out of 5-stars on TripAdvisor and their reviews are generally very favorable.

As a matter of fact, they have yet to receive any negative ratings for their Metropolitan Museum of Art tours.

Reviews indicate that these guided tours are perfect for anyone who is either new to the Met or to art in general, as their guides do their best to make the experience fun for everyone.

As with their competitors, these excursions were most popular with couples and guests who brought a friend.

The Un-Highlights Tour

• Discover the history of art from an entirely different perspective
• $69 for General Admission | $49 for Students
• Not currently available as of March 2024.

PRIVATE TOURS OF THE MET

NOTE: Tours of the Met currently are not allowed due to Covid-19. We'll let you know when they change their rules regarding both public and private tours.

The following options are perfect for anyone who wants a less crowded journey through the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

VIP and private tours give guides the opportunity to focus more on individual guests and their questions.

Some companies also offer trips through the Met either before or after closing, giving visitors the opportunity to see several exhibits without any distractions.

At an average price of $90-$150, ticket prices are definitely more expensive than your typical walking tour.

The cost of these excursions might be too high for some audiences, but others will definitely appreciate the unique experience.

Free Tours By Foot

Believe it or not, we actually offer a private tour of the Met! Over the course of two hours, our guides will help you discover as much of this museum as possible.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all of the exhibits on display, allow us to tell some of the most interesting stories behind the artwork you will see in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

We have an overall 5 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor ( read the reviews ). 

Various visitors have indicated that their trip around this museum was fantastic and their tour guides were very informative.

Some guests were also appreciative of the stories they learned about how certain exhibits were acquired. This trip was highly rated by customers who brought either family or friends.

Ticket Prices

• Click here for more information on booking a private tour.

NIGHT TOURS OF THE MET

NOTE: Like all other tours, night tours aren't currently allowed at the Met. we will let you know when they change the rules regarding night tours.

Empty Met Tour

Whether you want a more personal experience or you just don't like large crowds, this private walking tour will definitely be a hit.

Clocking in at only 90 minutes, the EmptyMet tour is much shorter than some of the other options out there, but you'll also have a much easier time getting to each exhibit.

Your guide will have no need to raise his or her voice in order to be heard, ensuring a more calm and serene journey through the museum.

Although ticket prices are expensive, customers indicate that this is a fairly unique trip that you won't soon forget.

Almost everyone who took the EmptyMet tour was very pleased with their experience.

As a matter of fact, this walking tour has received only one negative review ( read the reviews ).

Every other reviewer suggested that this event exceeded every expectation, and some even indicated that this would be an excellent option for anyone who has an anxiety disorder.

Most visitors feel that their guides are very friendly and knowledgeable.

Even those who weren't necessarily happy about the short length of the tour admitted that they had a wonderful time.

• $149 per person | Group size limited to 25 people

Curious Minds Tours

Although a lot of Met tours are focused on providing a fun and informative experience for adults, it can be difficult to find a trip curated for family audiences.

With that in mind, this company offers a private family tour around the Metropolitan Museum of Art at a very reasonable price.

This 2-hour excursion will reveal some of the most important highlights of the museum, providing a fun and educational look at over 5,000 years of art history.

Group sizes are limited to 8, ensuring a private and personal journey through the Met.

Curious Minds has a 5 out of 5-star rating on TripAdvisor ( read reviews for this tour ), and every single review for their private family tour is extremely positive.

Visitors describe this as an awesome experience that is worth the price of admission.

Parents indicated that the tour guides offered by this company managed to hold the attention of their children, even while talking about somewhat dense topics.

Reviewers typically felt that their guides were not only very intelligent but also enthusiastic about art. Needless to say, this is a very popular museum tour for family audiences.

• $79 per person | Limit of 8 family members
• More information or to book .

SELF-GUIDED + AUDIO TOURS

If you're considering a self-guided tour throughout the Metropolitan Museum of Art, all you need to do is purchase tickets.

The Met provides an audio guide for anyone who might be interested in this endeavor. The audio guide includes over 3,000 different clips about various works of art that you will find in this museum.

All you need to do is download the app to your smartphone. If you do not have a smartphone, you can get an audio guide player at the museum with a fairly low rental fee.

Most visitors have a smartphone, and it is advised to bring one along for this purpose.

Reviews for this audio guide are very positive. Most visitors have given it a 5-star rating , indicating that the information included is incredibly helpful.

Although some have suggested that improvements can be made, even they were likely to give this app a good review.

Some visitors even said that they would be coming back at a later date to spend a full day with just the audio guide.

Although this smartphone app was most popular among couples, it was also very highly rated by guests who either went alone or brought their friends and family.

Rental Fees

• $7 per person | $6 for Museum members
• $5 for Children under 12
• $6 per person (groups of 14 or fewer)
• $4 per person (groups of 15 or more) 

Choose a Destination... I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Amsterdam Berlin Boston Charleston Chicago Dubai Lisbon London Los Angeles Miami Nashville New York City New Orleans Paris Philadelphia Prague Rome San Francisco Washington DC

About The Author

Stephen Pickhardt

North america, united kingdom & ireland, middle east & india, asia & oceania.

Meet the Met: Extended Metropolitan Museum of Art Tour

256 reviews

Why take this tour?

• Enjoy a specially-devised route through the museum, designed to ensure you get the most out of your tour
• Interpret the masterpieces with the help of your guide, and learn the stories behind the artwork
• Visit the Met's rooftop garden for incredible views over Central Park
• Sites Visited
• The Temple of Dendur
• 'Washington Crossing the Delaware'
• Sculpture Gallery
• Ancient Pompeiian Room
• Met Rooftop (seasonal)
• Greek and Roman Statuary
• Tour Includes
• Admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Small groups of 15 people or fewer
• Expert art historian tour guide

Take Walks: Take a trip around the world without leaving Central Park!

Total customer reviews: 256, latest reviews.

Meeting Point

You can also experience these similar tours.

• We’re Hiring Guides - Join Us!
• Press / Media
• Terms & Conditions
• Terms Of Use
• Cancellation Policy
• Health & Safety
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Settings
• Affiliate Program
• Travel Agents
• City Experiences
• Devour Tours

• Exclusive Tours
• About Marisa
• INFO ABOUT THE MET

Private Guided Tours at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Private tours with your very own professional Archaeologist-Museum Educator!

“5 Stars!” Read reviews on TripAdvisor

Professionally Guided Tours

The Met Museum is one of the most comprehensive museums in the world, and navigating its vast galleries may seem overwhelming. Marisa guides you through and offers the personalized experience discerning travelers demand.

“5 Stars!” Read what other guests have said about Museums With Marisa on TripAdvisor!

>> READ MORE

Excellent Tour “Marisa’s tours are perpetually fabulous! She combines her remarkable wealth of knowledge with an engaging delivery, always with great energy and enthusiasm. The Ancient World lives in her capable hands.”

The VIP Experience: Skip the lines!

VIP Skip-The-Lines! Admission lines can stretch down 5th Avenue, but with an MWM tour you’ll meet Marisa and start exploring right away! (Museum admission tickets are seperate.)

Marisa has extensive experience with The Met , so in addition to your personal tour, she leads you to the best corners of the vast building for rest, refreshments and restroom breaks. Your experience is enhanced by anticipating guest’s needs in advance. 

Looking for places to eat near the Met Museum?

Check out these links:.

https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/dining

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-american-wing-cafe-manhattan

A few of our reviews:

Meet Marisa

Dynamic, passionate and engaging, Marisa utilizes over two decades of teaching and living her passions of art, art history, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Harvard and University of Michigan educated; Marisa received dual degrees in Egyptology & Classical Roman Archaeology with a minor in Art History from Michigan. She then attended Harvard University for her graduate degree in Art and Museum Education, with a special certificate in access programming for people with disabilities.

Booking a tour at The Met with Marisa provides an accessible, exclusive, educational and lively experience as you travel through time with a professional archaeologist museum educator.

Book Your Exclusive Tour (914) 510-2944

Six days a week; Museum is closed on Wednesdays  Last tour at 1:30 pm

You must book tour first – Please do not just show up for tours.

Museums With Marisa travels! Bring a museum experience or virtual program to your very own classroom, library, or community center.  Click here for additional information

Www.museumswithmarisa.com, practical info about the met.

Visiting Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion?

You must join the virtual exhibition queue when you arrive. If capacity has been reached for the day, the queue will close early.

• The Collection
• The American Wing Ancient Near Eastern Art Arms and Armor The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing Asian Art The Cloisters The Costume Institute Drawings and Prints Egyptian Art European Paintings European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Greek and Roman Art Islamic Art Robert Lehman Collection The Libraries Medieval Art Musical Instruments Photographs Antonio Ratti Textile Center Modern and Contemporary Art

Crop your artwork:

Scan your QR code:

Gratefully built with ACNLPatternTool

Center table

Manufacturer Imperial Armory, Tula (south of Moscow), Russia

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 553

From 1712, when the imperial armory in the town of Tula, south of Moscow, was founded by Peter the Great (r. 1682–1725), the master armorers regularly enjoyed imperial patronage.[1] During the reign of Empress Elizabeth (1741–61), they began to produce a sideline of cut-steel decorative items and furniture now known as Tula ware. These were richly and elaborately worked using many different techniques in addition to the faceting that gives them their characteristic diamond-like sparkle. Although in their shapes Tula chairs, tables, and stools resemble traditional wooden furniture, they are chased, blued, chiseled, gilded, pierced, and inlaid like parade weapons. They have come to embody for the eighteenth century the Russian decorative arts, as Fabergé objects have for the decades just before and after 1900.[2] So greatly admired was Tula ware in Western Europe that around 1775 its steel-cut look was imitated in silver and silver-gilt by Augsburg goldsmiths.[3] In 1785 Empress Catherine the Great, during whose reign (1762–96) the Tula factory flourished, sent two of the armory's most experienced steelworkers to England in order to hone their skills and broaden their creative outlook and ideas; however, English pattern books such as Thomas Chippendale's The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director (1754) were already in circulation among Russian cabinetmakers.[4] The most imaginative pieces of Tula furniture-objects like the Museum's table-were either delivered directly to Catherine the Great or purchased by her and her family or at the annual Sofia Spring Fair near the palace of Tsarskoye Selo. Made in a cooperative effort by designers and specialist craftsmen, such illustrious pieces were seen as objets d'art and were intended for display and not for daily use. So great was Catherine's passion for these fabulous objects that in 1775 she merged her Tula ware collection of several hundred pieces with some of the crown jewels and placed them together in a special jewelry gallery at the Winter Palace.[5] The empress loved the reflection of light from the thousands of cut-steel facets that caught the rays of the sun by day and the flickering light of candles by night. Catherine's son and successor, Paul I (r. 1796–1801), who disliked his mother's taste in many ways, did, to some extent at least, share her love of Tula ware. As grand duke, he and his second wife, Sophia-Dorothea of Württemberg (1759–1828), called in Russia Maria Feodorovna, ordered "two chandeliers" and "a stool and several other objects" between 14 May and 7 July 1786, from the Tula armorer Simeon Samoelov (Samarin) for Pavlovsk Palace, near Saint Petersburg.[6] When the Museum's table appeared at auction in 2001, the sale catalogue correctly identified the branded initial "P" as the mark of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig of Oldenburg (r. 1785–1829); however, there is one misconception in the catalogue—that Duke Peter might have purchased the table on one of "his visits to his Russian cousins."[7] Tula ware of such high quality was not offered for public sale; rather, such furniture would have left Russia only as a diplomatic gift or as part of an imperial dowry or a present within the imperial family. The Museum's table was most likely acquired by Catherine the Great herself about 1780–85. It is later recorded, together with furniture by Henri Jacob (1753–1824) and David Roentgen (1743–1807), in an inventory of Pavlovsk Palace in 1801. Among the furnishings in Maria Feodorovna's bedroom is listed "a one-legged table with four whale-feet supporting a rectangular top, with steel diamonds and cut silver."[8] Next to this entry is an annotation in another hand: "Given as a gift to the duke of Golsteen [Holstein] by her Majesty, the Empress."[9] This note contains a crucial clue as to how the imperial table left Russia. Duke Peter and his older brother, Wilhelm August, were born princes of Holstein-Gottorp. Their father's sister, Johanna Elisabeth, was the mother of Catherine the Great, who was born a princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, a family not particularly wealthy but ancient and distinguished. When Wilhelm was killed in an accident at sea, Peter was next in line to rule the dukedom of Oldenburg. The province had been until recently part of the inheritance of Grand Duke Paul. Following the wish of his mother, Catherine, in 1773 Paul transferred Oldenburg to the house of Holstein-Gottorp in order to provide their "poor" cousins "with a solid and suitable estate."[10] Nevertheless, the dukes of Oldenburg had to acknowledge the feudal jurisdiction of the Russian emperor, since he was in theory the head of the state.[11] After the assassination of Paul on 23/24 March 1801, Duke Peter traveled to Russia, doubtless to pay homage to the new czar, Alexander I (r. 1801–25), now head of the imperial family. Peter stayed with Maria Feodorovna at Pavlovsk Palace from 21 May until 26 June 1801.[12] Twenty years earlier he had married Friederike von Württemberg, a sister of Maria Feodorovna's. The marriage, a happy one, was cut short when Friederike died in 1785 after childbirth.[13] In a letter to his sister-in-law dated 23 November 1800, the duke, who never remarried, wrote, "Tomorrow it will be fifteen years since our beloved Friederike left us. I know that your Imperial Majesty will think of us."[14] It seems safe to assume that the dowager empress gave the Museum's table as a personal keepsake to her former brother-in-law during his stay at Pavlovsk. The empress had herself just become a widow and must have felt gratitude and affection for Peter, who had devoted himself to the upbringing of his two sons, her nephews.[15] In this connection, it is interesting to note that before returning to Oldenburg Duke Peter bought an extra wagon to transport home the things he had acquired during his stay in Saint Petersburg.[16] The Museum's table belongs to a very small group of Tula furniture embellished with silver inlay, ornamental etching, and gilded applications. It includes a dressing table with chair in the pure Neoclassical taste presented by the town of Tula to Catherine the Great on the occasion of the empress's visit in 1787. She gave it in 1788 to Maria Feodorovna, and it is still preserved in the public rooms at Pavlovsk Palace.[17] Closest in style to the Museum's table is one in Catherine's bedroom at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo; its stand still reflects the influence of English Rococo forms, but its top and decoration are Neo-classical.[18] Another example, with a rectangular top and four tapering legs, is in Pavlovsk.[19] Two slightly earlier examples, with round tops in the "Chippendale style," are in the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.[20] The table in the Metropolitan is technically the most accomplished and visually the most exciting example. The astonishing disparity between the heavy and recalcitrant materials and the light and airy form that seems to float on the surface of the sea, supported by golden whales, makes this table a supreme masterpiece.[21] [Wolfram Koeppe 2006] I thank Mechthild Baumeister, Linda Borsch, Olga Kostiuk, Marina Nudel, and Stuart Phyrr for their help with this entry. I am most grateful to H.R.H. Dr. Philipp, duke of Württemberg, for his advice. Special thanks are also due to H.R.H. Christian, duke of Oldenburg, for discussing the history of this table with me and for allowing me to consult Oldenburg family documents at the Staatsarchiv in Oldenburg. Footnotes: 1. Mariia Danilovna Malchenko. Art Objects in Steel by Tula Craftsmen. Leningrad, 1974, p. 5, figs. 5-7. 2. Other typically Russian national arts are stone cutting, associated with the Imperial Glass and Lapidary Works in Saint Petersburg, and the walrus-ivory carving done at Arkhangel'sk. On the latter, see "Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1997–1998." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 56, no. 2 (Fall 1998), p. 39 (entry by Marina Nudel). 3. A pair of silver candlesticks in the Tula taste by the famous Biller family of Augsburg goldsmiths was shown by the Galerie Neuse, Bremen, at the TEFAF antiques fair, Maastricht, in 1998. 4. Mariia Danilovna Malchenko. Art Objects in Steel by Tula Craftsmen. Leningrad, 1974, pp. 14-16. 5. St. Petersburg Jewellers, Eighteenth–Nineteenth Centuries/Petersburgskie iuveliry, XVIII–XIX veka. Exh. cat., State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg, 2000, p. 8 (showcase at lower left). 6. Archives, State Museum Pavlovsk, doc. A-20/4, pp. 5-6 (for 1786), cited in Anatolii Mikhailovich Kuchumov. "Tul'skie stal'nye izdeliia v urbranstve Pavlovskogo dvortsa (Works in steel from Tula in the interiors of Pavlovsk Palace). In Anatolii Mikhailovich Kuchumov, Stat'i, vospominaniia, pis'ma (Essays, memoirs, letters), pp. 136–42. Pavlovsk: Istoriia i sud'by. Saint Petersburg, 2004. 7. Catalogue of a sale at Christie's, London, 13 December 2001, p. 126, lot 500. 8. Archives, State Museum Pavlovsk, inventory of Pavlovsk Palace, 1801, p. 32. See "Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 2001–2002." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 60, no. 2 (Fall 2002), p. 25 (entry by Wolfram Koeppe); Anatolii Mikhailovich Kuchumov. "Tul'skie stal'nye izdeliia v urbranstve Pavlovskogo dvortsa (Works in steel from Tula in the interiors of Pavlovsk Palace). In Anatolii Mikhailovich Kuchumov, Stat'i, vospominaniia, pis'ma (Essays, memoirs, letters), pp. 136–42. Pavlovsk: Istoriia i sud'by. Saint Petersburg, 2004, pp. 139-40, n. 10 (in which the table is mentioned); and Wolfram Koeppe. "The Oldenburg Table." Weltkunst 75 (2005), pp. 188–92. 75th anniverary issue, pt. I. 9. Anatolii Mikhailovich Kuchumov. "Tul'skie stal'nye izdeliia v urbranstve Pavlovskogo dvortsa (Works in steel from Tula in the interiors of Pavlovsk Palace). In Anatolii Mikhailovich Kuchumov, Stat'i, vospominaniia, pis'ma (Essays, memoirs, letters), pp. 136–42. Pavlovsk: Istoriia i sud'by. Saint Petersburg, 2004, p. 140, n. 10. 10. Staatsarchiv, Oldenburg, Best. 7, Urk. 1773, Juli 19/30; see Hülle 1972, p. 45. 11. Following the protocol, the Annual Chronicle of Oldenburg published during these years documents all the public activities of the Russian imperial household before recording local events (reviewed by this author at the Staatsarchiv, Oldenburg). 12. Staatsarchiv, Oldenburg, Best. 6D, no. 25. 13. Herzog Peter Friedrich Ludwig von Oldenburg (1755–1829). Exh. cat., Landesmuseum Oldenburg. Veröffentlichungen der Niedersächsischen Archivverwaltung, suppl. 22. Göttingen, 1979, pp. 34-37, nos. 15, 16. 14. Johann Heinrich Hennes. Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg, und Herzog Peter Friedrich Ludwig von Oldenburg: Aus ihren Briefen, und anderen archivalischen Quellen. Mainz, 1870. Repr., Bern, 1971, p. 524. 15. Herzog Peter Friedrich Ludwig von Oldenburg (1755–1829). Exh. cat., Landesmuseum Oldenburg. Veröffentlichungen der Niedersächsischen Archivverwaltung, suppl. 22. Göttingen, 1979, pp. 8-9. 16. A detailed estimate provided by the duke's adjutant lists all the transport costs, including money "to bribe the Danish customs" (Staatsarchiv, Oldenburg, restricted Oldenburg family papers). Three pieces by David Roentgen, all bearing the crowned P, were most likely part of the gift; see catalogue of a sale at Christie's, Schloss Anholt, 20-21 November 2001, lots 570-72. One of them, an architect's table, is today in a private collection in New York. 17. Alexandra Vassilievna Alexeieva. "Furniture." In Pavlovsk, ed. Emmanuel Ducamp, vol. 2, The Collections, pp. 92–115. Paris, 1993, p. 92; and Krieg und Frieden: Eine deutsch Zarin in Schloss Pawlowsk. Exh. cat., Haus der Kunst, Munich. Munich and Hamburg, 2001, pp. 342-43, nos. 213-16 (entry by Olga Bashenowa). 18. The table is illustrated in color in Antoine Chenevière. Russian Furniture: The Golden Age, 1780–1840. London, 1988, p. 247, pl. 266. 19. Krieg und Frieden: Eine deutsch Zarin in Schloss Pawlowsk. Exh. cat., Haus der Kunst, Munich. Munich and Hamburg, 2001, p. 343 (on the left). 20. Mariia Danilovna Malchenko. Art Objects in Steel by Tula Craftsmen. Leningrad, 1974, figs. 15, 16. 21. The table was restored in 2003 by Linda Borsch, Conservator, Department of Objects Conservation, Metropolitan Museum. She replaced a thick gilded-wood molding on the top with a beaded frame that was adapted from an original eighteenth-century piece in the Museum's gilt-bronze collection; see the conservation report in the archives of the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Metropolitan Museum.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy , you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API .

• https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/211383 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/211383 Link copied to clipboard
• Animal Crossing
• Download image
• Enlarge image

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Artwork Details

Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item

Title: Center table

Manufacturer: Imperial Armory, Tula (south of Moscow), Russia

Date: ca. 1780–85

Culture: Russian, Tula

Medium: Steel, silver, gilt copper, gilt brass, basswood; replaced mirror glass

Dimensions: Overall: 27 1/2 × 22 × 15 in. (69.9 × 55.9 × 38.1 cm)

Classification: Metalwork-Steel

Credit Line: Purchase, The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 2002

Accession Number: 2002.115

Learn more about this artwork

Timeline of art history, saint petersburg, eastern europe and scandinavia, 1600-1800 a.d., museum publications.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Spanish)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Russian)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Portuguese)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Korean)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Japanese)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Italian)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (German)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (French)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Chinese)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Arabic)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide

Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1977–2008

One Met. Many Worlds.

European Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Highlights of the Collection

Art = Discovering Infinite Connections in Art History

"Recent Acquisitions, A Selection: 2001–2002"

Related artworks.

• All Related Artworks
• In the same gallery
• By Imperial Armory, Tula (south of Moscow), Russia
• European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
• Center tables
• Copper alloy
• Iron and iron alloy
• From Russia
• From A.D. 1600–1800

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1673–1729)

Silhouette of Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia (1759–1828)

Triptych with the Mandylion

Pair of vases

Resources for research.

The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.

The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form . The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Met

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Metropolitan Museum of Art reveals 2024 Costume Institute's Exhibition

MET EXHIBIT: The Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled the 2024 Costume Institute's exhibition ahead of the annual Met Gala on Monday (5/6). This year's theme is "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" and is an interactive exhibit to engage the visitors' five senses. It features 220 garments, all with nature themes, that span four centuries.

Recommended Stories

Ai-generated images are running rampant on social media. what are x, tiktok and meta doing to control them.

While an AI-generated photo of Katy Perry at the Met Gala isn't a major cause for concern, Instagram's fact-checkers taking hours to flag it indicates a larger issue social platforms have to grapple with regarding AI.

Angel Reese, Serena Williams stun at 2024 Met Gala, while Ben Simmons' clock briefcase inspired jokes

Ben Simmons brought a clock briefcase to the "Garden of Time" themed Met Gala, and people had jokes.

The 15 best Memorial Day beauty sales to shop this weekend: Save up to 65% on skin care, makeup and more

EltaMD, L'Oreal, Shiseido: From a foot mask that banishes dry skin to our favorite tinted SPF, these are the deals worth scooping up.

Macy's Memorial Day sale 2024: Save up to 60% on Cuisinart, Shark, Michael Kors and more

On our shopping list: breathable bamboo sheets for just $37, a glittering tennis bracelet for $53 and a four-piece luggage set for $100.

I find fashion deals for a living — these are the top Memorial Day sales I've discovered at Amazon, Walmart and more

Save up to 70% on staples like flattering swimsuits, fan-favorite shorts, top-selling sneakers and a breezy cooling bra.

This bestselling hair-strengthening oil has 63,500+ fans: 'Fuller than it has been in years'

It includes rosemary and mint, which users say not only bolsters strands, but leaves them soft and shiny.

Over 64,000 shoppers swear by these bestselling high-waisted leggings — on sale for just $15 this Memorial Day

Devotees say the buttery-soft wonders flatter all body types, and you can even get them with pockets.

Price drop! This Skims lookalike bodysuit is on sale for just $17 this Memorial Day weekend

'Best bodysuit ever,' says one of 4,000+ delighted Amazon shoppers.

Will Biden be on the Ohio ballot in November? Why the state's Republican governor says they're 'running out of time' to make sure he is.

After missing their deadline, Ohio politicians are discussing ways to certify Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee for president in their state.

Families of Uvalde shooting victims sue Activision and Meta

The families of victims of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas are suing Activision and Meta, as well as gun manufacturer Daniel Defense. The families bringing the lawsuits are represented by attorney Josh Koskoff, who previously won a settlement from Remington for the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims. The suit against the technology companies claims, "Over the last 15 years, two of America’s largest technology companies ... have collaborated with the firearms industry in a scheme that makes the Joe Camel campaign look laughably harmless, even quaint."

This 'really flattering' lacy top that's great solo and for layering is a steal at $15 (that's nearly 60% off) for Memorial Day

It looks good under a cardigan or blazer, but also shines on its own.

These slimming Levi's jeans are up to 60% off for Memorial Day weekend — some styles start at just $22

Let us be your jean genie — grab this top-quality denim for a markdown before these deals go poof.

Junkyard Gem: 1999 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ

A 1999 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ-V6 sedan found in a North Carolina junkyard.

Y Combinator’s Garry Tan supports some AI regulation but warns against AI monopolies

Garry Tan, president and CEO of Y Combinator, told a crowd at The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. this week that “regulation is likely necessary” for artificial intelligence. Tan spoke with Teresa Carlson, a General Catalyst board member as part of a one-on-one interview where he discussed everything from how to get into Y Combinator to AI, noting that there is “no better time to be working in technology than right now.” Tan said he was “overall supportive” of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) attempt to construct an GenAI risk mitigation framework, and said that “large parts of the EO by the Biden Administration are probably on the right track.”

Someone made a Flappy Bird tribute for the Playdate that lets you use the crank to fly

FlappyBird by Chibisuke is a Flappy Bird tribute game made for the Playdate handheld. You can control the bird using either the up or A button, or the crank to add more difficulty. It's available on itch.io.

'Long enough for 67-year-old legs': These Hanes French terry shorts are on sale for only $13

Just the right length for staying cool while keeping things covered — at just the right price.

The Adidas Memorial Day sale is booming — save up to 65% on the brand's popular Cloudfoam and Ultraboost sneakers

Also in the mix: leggings, T-shirts, sports bras, jackets, sandals and more.

Women in AI: Miriam Vogel stresses the need for responsible AI

To give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time in the spotlight, TechCrunch has been publishing a series of interviews focused on remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution. Miriam Vogel is the CEO of EqualAI, a nonprofit created to reduce unconscious bias in AI and promote responsible AI governance. As a board member at the Responsible AI Institute and senior advisor to the Center for Democracy and Technology, Vogel's advised White House leadership on initiatives ranging from women, economic, regulatory and food safety policy to matters of criminal justice.

Shoppers in their 50s and 60s love this anti-aging retinol eye stick and it's just $16 — that's nearly 50% off

'The dark circles have lightened' and 'brighter eyes within one week' are just a couple of the 6,000 accolades this unassuming product has received.

'Like sleeping on a cloud': Save up to $700 on Tuft & Needle's bestselling mattresses for Memorial Day

The popular mail-order bedding brand slashed prices on sheets, pillows, toppers, quilts and more.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

All Things Considered

• Latest Show
• Consider This Podcast
• About The Program
• Contact The Program
• Corrections

Listen to the featured story from this episode.

The main entrance to FCI Sheridan in Oregon. Office of the Inspector General/Department of Justice hide caption

Lack of staffing led to 'deeply concerning' conditions at federal prison in Oregon

The shortage among the biggest obstacles facing the federal prison system and contribute to challenges at FCI Sheridan and other facilities, the Justice Department's inspector general says.

British PM Sunak calls national election for July — a risk as his party lags in polls

by  Willem Marx

Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris (left), flanked by Ireland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, speaks Wednesday in Dublin to announce Ireland's recognition of a Palestinian state. Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Middle East crisis — explained

Spain, norway and ireland say they will recognize a palestinian state.

by  Miguel Macias ,  Willem Marx

A child watches others swim at the Emancipation Swimming Pool in Houston on July 19, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

After years in decline, U.S. drowning deaths are rising again

by  Joe Hernandez

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo says "Congress needs to act" on AI regulation

by  Karen Zamora ,  Patrick Jarenwattananon ,  Ari Shapiro

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo says "Congress needs to act" on AI regulation

Louisiana considers law requiring ten commandments in public school classrooms.

by  Molly Ryan

Children's Health

There are now 25 states with bans on trans health care for minors.

by  Selena Simmons-Duffin

The damage after severe storms and tornadoes in Iowa

by  Frank Morris

Genetic analysis explores the influence of African ancestry in brain disease risk

by  Jon Hamilton

This 'venom manager' says rattlesnakes are misunderstood

by  Jordan-Marie Smith ,  Christopher Intagliata ,  Ailsa Chang

It's a great time to be a home seller as lack of options spark bidding wars

by  Scott Horsley

How political stances on abortion have shifted — for Biden, Trump and voters

by  Domenico Montanaro ,  Sarah McCammon

Middle East

In rafah: more than 900,000 flee and un halts delivery of food aid.

by  Hadeel Al-Shalchi

by  Jaclyn Diaz

The NBA conference finals and the arrival of Anthony 'Ant-Man' Edwards

by  Jason Fuller ,  William Troop ,  Ailsa Chang

Trump's lawyers ask judge to dismiss charges of mishandling classified documents

by  Greg Allen

A decade-old scandal in the U.K. haunts CEO of 'Washington Post'

by  David Folkenflik

A bill in New York looks to update 'antiquated' alcohol laws

by  Ava Pukatch

Chef Alisa Reynolds' soul food has launched her onto the national stage

by  Kai McNamee ,  Christopher Intagliata ,  Ailsa Chang

Searching for a song you heard between stories? We've retired music buttons on these pages. Learn more here.

• LIVE DISCOURSE
• BLOG / OPINION
• SUBMIT PRESS RELEASE
• Advertisement
• Knowledge Partnership
• Media Partnership
• Art & Culture

A cinema tour of Moscow - tips for true film buffs

The beautiful, eclectic and colourful city of moscow, witness to so many historical epochs, is always taking part in movie shoots - its streets, squares and buildings in a range of architectural styes are being used as settings for russian and international films. in april, a film crew led by director venkat prabhu was at work on moscow's streets.

VMPL New Delhi [India], May 25: The beautiful, eclectic and colourful city of Moscow, witness to so many historical epochs, is always taking part in movie shoots - its streets, squares and buildings in a range of architectural styes are being used as settings for Russian and international films. In April, a film crew led by director Venkat Prabhu was at work on Moscow's streets: scenes from the Russian capital will be used in his action film "The Greatest of All Time". Moscow has also attracted the attention of other Indian producers looking for a film set: following several business missions to the city held by Moscow Agency of Creative Industries, Indian filmmakers are planning their first shoots in the city. Below, we describe some of the Moscow sights which will soon be seen by Indian viewers and the most interesting locations in the city for committed cinephiles.

Cult film locations The Russian capital very recently became the setting of the Indian action film "The Greatest of All Time" by director Venkat Prabhu: it was shot on Manezhnaya Square, the chase and gun-fight scenes were filmed in Lyalin, Barashevsky and Maly Kazenny Lanes, on Patriarch Bridge and in other Moscow streets. A spy thriller starring Vijay in the role of an Indian secret agent, it will be the first foreign film produced via the Moscow digital film platform, a new service for filmmakers. Foreign directors can use it to select filming locations, equipment and props online. In the words of Venkat Prabhu, working with Moscow colleagues is an absolute delight. "Here in Moscow, they have a really good team", he said. "They are brilliant. For example, we were filming a motorcycle chase here and it worked out really well: watch out for it in the movie, you'll love it". The film crew of "The Greatest of All Time" spent around two weeks in Moscow. In the film, a retired secret agent returns to Moscow to complete an unfinished mission from the past. "To be honest, few Indian films have been shot in Moscow, and I wanted to give our viewers this experience", said Prabhu, explaining his choice of location for the main action. "We all studied Russian culture and history at school, and it is so nice to be here now and to show this city to our viewers. Moscow plays a very important role in our film".

Moscow has repeatedly been chosen as a film set by foreign directors who prefer real locations to studio mockups. For example, part of "The Bourne Supremacy" - the sequel to the thriller "The Bourne Identity" - was filmed in Kiev railway station, and the stunning car chase was filmed around the Moscow Youth Palace near the Frunzenskaya metro station. The villains in the film race through Ivanovskaya Hill, Rozhdestvensky Boulevard, Trubnaya Square and along the Raushkaya and Taras Shevchenko Embankments. In the late 1980s, on Red Square, Arnold Schwarzenegger played an incorruptible policeman in Walter Hill's movie "Red Heat". It was still quite difficult to get filming permission at that time, and a result the scene was shot from handheld cameras in a bit of a rush. But the two main heroes, Red Square and the great Arnie, went down in history together.

By 1994, it was easier for Alan Metter to get the Moscow government's approval to film the final episode "Police Academy" in the city. While the "good cops" together with the Russian police track down a villain, the viewers can enjoy views of Red Square and the Mausoleum, the Bolshoi Theatre, Novodevichi Monastery, Gorky Park and other famous Moscow landmarks. In 2014, Paul Anderson went further - quite literally: his film crew was not only given five hours of creative access to Red Square but was also permitted to film in the Moscow Metro. His film "Resident Evil: Retribution" features shots of the Arbatskaya station. Some film critics to this day believe that Andersen owed his good luck to Milla Jovovich and her Russan roots.

Film art masterpieces from around the world in their original languages Moscow plays host to one of the oldest international film shows - the Moscow International Film Festival, which has been held since 1935. The first chairman of the Festival jury was the great director Sergey Eisenstein, and since then it has featured Richard Geer, Luc Besson, Robert de Niro, Theo Angelopoulos, Kim Ki-duk, Alan Parker, Emir Kusturica and other global cinema stars. MFF's red carpet has been graced by Michelangelo Atonioni, Sophia Loren and Elisabeth Taylor. Since 1999, the festival has been held annually, and this year presented its 46th international film show programme. This year, India was represented by the Tamil melodrama "Seven Seas Seven Hills" from producer Ram, and by film critic Indu Shrikent, who was a member of the festival jury. One of the awards made by the jury was went to "Need to Shoot Movies About Love", a film which was shot in India and got a special mention "For reflecting gentleness in the waters of the River Ganges". True connoisseurs of festival cinema strive to attend the Moscow International Film Festival year after year, and often time their visits to Moscow to coincide with famous film shows. In recent years, MIFF has been held every April, but it is best to keep an eye on the festival announcements. The films are traditionally shown in their original language with subtitles, so that foreign visitors can enjoy watching moves in their own language.

An alternative to guided tours - Moscow's cinemas Tourists rarely visit Moscow's cinemas, which is such a shame, because many of them have retained their historic appeal, unique decor and atmosphere. Furthermore, many of them show films in foreign languages, so you could well spend a cold, rainy day in a cozy cinema hall like a real Muscovite. Amongst the cinema must-sees are Moskino Fakel (Shosse Entuziastov 15/16) - one of the oldest cinemas in the city, which is reviving and maintaining the arthouse cinema tradition. It was originally opened on the ground floor of a residential Stalin-era skyscraper, and since being refurbished it has retained its charm as an urban haunt for fans of arthouse films.

Another strategic meeting place for Moscow cinephiles is the Illusion cinema, located inside one of the Stalin-era towers (Kotelnicheskaya Naberezhnaya 1/15). Here, in historical interiors amongst stucco moldings and bar-reliefs, you can watch unique archive films from the State Cinema Fund, international classics and contemporary indie and festival films in their original languages. The building is stylized as a Soviet cinema and decorated with copies of old posters and photographs from famous movies. GUM - the Main Department Store - is a wonderful place for guided tours and shopping, but film lovers know it and love it for its vintage cinema in the heart of Moscow (Red Square 3). The cinema was created by special order of GUM's architects, applying the very highest acoustic standards and refined theatre decoration. And there is plenty to admire while you wait for your film to start: early 20th century stucco moldings and the famous crystal chandeliers, which have been treated with a special chemical to stop them reverberating in tune with high- or low-frequency sounds. During film showings, the cinema's enormous windows are covered by stately velvet curtains, and instead of the usual seats, visitors recline in soft velvet chairs or spacious velvet sofas. In one hall, there in a bar where they serve Soviet-style cakes, sandwiches, champagne and lemonade in place of the usual fast-food snacks.

Moscow's legendary Khudozhestvenny cinema (Arbatskaya Square 14) can be regarded as an architectural landmark, a place for guided tours, and as a unique and memorable place to watch a film during a visit to the city. Tickets can cost as much as $100, because here you are not only watching an ordinary film while you fiddle with your popcorn - you are in a place visited by Lev Tolstoy and Sergey Yesenin, and were Sergey Eisenstein's film "Battleship Potemkin" was first shown. Several years ago, the building was thoroughly renovated using the blueprints from architect Franz Shechtel. Inside the cinema, they run specially designed tours, and visitors are thrilled to get their photos taken against the backdrop of the famous undulating staircase and the cinema's trademark bright-scarlet chairs. Moscow's film sets - complete immersion in the world of cinema

For a true movie buff, no trip to Moscow could be complete without a visit to Mosfilm (Ulitsa Mosfilmovskaya 1) - the huge film company spread across an area of 30 hectares, where wonderful Soviet films were shot and which continues to make Russian movies today. The grounds of Mosfilm are like a fantasy town with streets and squares from different historical epochs, its own piece of old-world Saint Petersburg and old Moscow, provincial Russian towns and even Paris. Mosfilm's museum contains some genuine rarities, including a collection of retro cars, vintage carriages, movies props, costumers and bits of scenery, stands with rare camera equipment and even the original Worker and Kolkhoz Woman sculpture by Vera Mukhina, familiar to all fans of Soviet film. This duo of Soviet heroes became the film studio's emblem and features in the intro sequence to every film it has made. You can now complete your fascinating film tour in Moscow's recently created Moskino cinema park (Krasnaya Pakhra, Quarter 107). The outdoor film set area is still under construction, but once complete it will extend across approximately 320 hectares and become the biggest cinema complex in Europe. The first phase is already open to filmmakers and tourists, however. Here you can take a walk around the streets of a 1940s town on the outskirts of Moscow, imagine yourself as a peasant in a little Russan village or a fisherman in a fishing port, or else as a resident of Wild West cowboy town. The Reichstag still stands on one cinema street, along with the still-intact wall dividing East and West Germany, and "bits" of European cities indistinguishable from the originals. In the near future, a 12th-century Kremlin will be added, along with medieval structures and pavilions representing a railway station and an airport.

Film buffs cannot leave Moscow without taking a look at the reconstruction of film director Sergey Eisenstein's office in the Cinema Museum at the National Economic Achievements #exhibition (Prospekt Mira 119, Pavilion 36, Dziga Vertov cinema hall). The museum space itself is a real journey through the history of Russian cinema, from the fairground era via avant-garde experiments to the Stalinist period and wartime cinema, followed by the thaw years, indie cinema and the perestroika cinema boom of the 1980s. You will be guided along the way by manuscripts, posters, commemorative items and drawings, and vintage cinema equipment. Eisenstein's office occupies a separate room in the museum. The historic building where the director lived in Moscow has not survived, but his room has been recreated using household items and personal effects from his Moscow home, along with the classical engravings and books amongst which he grew up. The eclectic furniture, coloured walls and interior design have all been faithfully reproduced to convey the vivid artistic atmosphere that Eisenstein created in his office. Come to Moscow, study its cinema life and make your own film here about your trip around Russia's surprising and diverse capital city!

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)

Ukraine aide says Russia's new government shows Moscow trying to scale up war effort

Sri lanka to send high-level delegation to moscow to look into its citizens joining russian military, putin to push growing moscow-beijing trade in china's northeast, china and russia reaffirm their close ties as moscow presses its offensive in ukraine, eu's frozen russian assets plan faces moscow's retaliation threats.

Reuters Health News Summary

New supply of homes, costing Rs 60 lakh each, dips 38 pc across top 8 cities...

UPDATE 2-China's Li, Japan's Kishida in South Korea for first trilateral tal...

Reuters Science News Summary

Latest news, tragedy in sagar: uncovering the chain of violence and injustice, tragic collision in turkey: 10 dead, 39 injured in major highway accident, galatasaray clinches 24th turkish title amid controversy and drama, club brugge's dramatic rise: from fifth to champions.

OPINION / BLOG / INTERVIEW

Tobacco and nicotine industry’s strategies hook youth for life, united against plastic: global leaders navigate challenges to combat pollution, digital identity: the key to combating climate change and enhancing resilience, harnessing the power of climate-smart livestock: a comprehensive guide for sustainable development, connect us on.

• ADVERTISEMENT
• KNOWLEDGE PARTNERSHIP
• MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
• Agro-Forestry
• Economy & Business
• Energy & Extractives
• Law & Governance
• Science & Environment
• Social & Gender
• Urban Development
• East and South East Asia
• Europe and Central Asia
• Central Africa
• East Africa
• Southern Africa
• West Africa
• Middle East and North Africa
• North America
• Latin America and Caribbean

OTHER LINKS

• Write for us
• Submit Press Release
• Opinion / Blog / Analysis
• Business News
• Entertainment News
• Technology News
• Law-order News
• Lifestyle News
• National News
• International News

OTHER PRODUCTS

Email: [email protected] Phone: +91-720-6444012, +91-7027739813, 14, 15

© Copyright 2024