The gallery created by Pavel Tretyakov remains one of the main symbols of Moscow today, and his charitable activities have become a real feat, thanks to which Russian art acquired more than a dozen outstanding artists.

However, not everyone knows that in life the philanthropist was a very shy and modest person. Being one of the richest merchants of his time, who spent more than 1.5 million rubles on a collection of paintings, he wore a simple frock coat and drape overcoat, saved on household expenses and recognized only cigars as a luxury, and only one a day.

Childhood and youth

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov was born on December 15 (27), 1832 in Moscow. He and his brother Sergei were heirs to their father’s business - Mikhail Zakharovich owned paper spinning factories and bequeathed to his sons to maintain and develop family enterprises.

According to tradition, Pavel was educated at home and youth was involved in the business: he performed menial work in shops, invited customers, and was in charge of purchasing. At the age of 15 he was already keeping books, and at 20 he became a full-fledged business manager.

Career

The brothers, remembering their father’s behests, were able not only to preserve family business, but also to develop it - soon, in addition to factories, they were already in charge of the trade of bread, firewood and linens in local shops, and in the mid-1860s they headed the Novo-Kostroma Linen Manufactory.

Under the leadership of the Tretyakovs, the factory began to quickly gain momentum, despite the economic crisis of 1880. Soon it took first place in terms of production volumes in Russia. The brothers opened a store in Moscow on Ilyinka, where they began to offer customers Russian and foreign-made fabrics - velvet, wool, linen, cambric, as well as scarves, tablecloths and blankets.

After this, Pavel and Sergei acquired two apartment buildings in Kostroma and Moscow, and land plots in the Kostroma province. They usually divided all profits in half, but there was no strict division into “mine and yours” between them - the brothers wisely distributed capital based on marital status, needs and interests of everyone.

The Tretyakovs were lucky, but it would be unfair to say that they were simply lucky: both were known as honest, efficient and energetic people who did not spare themselves for the sake of what they loved. The Tretyakov entrepreneurs were impeccable partners and walked through life hand in hand, bound by true family love and strong friendship, which they maintained until the end of their days.

“It doesn’t often happen that the names of two brothers are so closely connected with each other,” historian Pavel Buryshkin wrote about them.

Sergei and Pavel were also united by a passion for art: they went to theaters and concerts together, and it would be more correct to call the famous collection of paintings the gallery named after Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov.

Collection and patronage

Like most other representatives of the Moscow merchant class, the Tretyakovs considered charity a must. Trusteeship of schools and shelters, donating funds to the needs of society were part of their work. These views were based on Christian principles: sacrifice was a mission of gratitude to God for success in business and a means to overcome the “corrupting power” of money.

At the same time, the main form of assistance was “refusal by will”; during the life of the benefactor, large donations were rarely made - they preferred to invest the funds in circulation. In this regard, Pavel Tretyakov became an exception - he began investing as soon as he received such an opportunity, and from year to year the volume of his financial assistance only grew.

He began by sponsoring an educational institution for deaf-mute children, and did not refuse the non-public support of friends, neighbors, local churches - in a word, almost everyone who turned to him. In 1876, he agreed to partially pay for the research expedition of N. N. Miklouho-Maclay in the South Seas, and a few years later donated a large sum for the construction Orthodox church in Tokyo.

Even as a child, Pavel was fond of collecting small miniatures, engravings and lithographs, buying them at the market and in shops. This became the forerunner of the grandiose collection that he acquired, having received his own funds. Later, he set himself the task of creating a full-fledged collection of Russian paintings and making it public domain.

An interesting fact is that he gave preference to domestic artists not only out of patriotic feelings, but also because at first he had little understanding of art and believed that it was easier to work with compatriots, but over time, a real artistic flair awoke in the philanthropist, and he acquired a reputation as a recognized art connoisseur.

Tretyakov bought paintings at exhibitions in Russia and Western Europe, specially ordered portraits and landscapes of prominent contemporaries from artists (he addressed such requests to,), acquired ready-made collections and series of paintings.

In 1874, Pavel Mikhailovich built a separate building for the gallery, and in 1888 he made visiting it free. In 1892, he officially donated both the premises and their contents to the city, and in his will he made a note that interest from his capital would be spent in the future on replenishing the collection. He continued to acquire new exhibits until the end of his life at his own expense.

The biography of Tretyakov, written by Lev Anisov, describes the episode of the donation of the gallery to Moscow. , having visited the industrialist’s house in Lavrushinsky Lane, asked to give him the painting “Boyaryna Morozova”, to which Pavel Mikhailovich replied that he could not do this, since from now on the entire collection belonged to the city. After this, the emperor took a step back and bowed deeply to him.

Pavel Mikhailovich was motivated exclusively by selfless motives. He did not receive any profit from the paintings and the gallery, and he could not stand praise addressed to him—the praise seriously embarrassed him. It was rumored that when the critic Stasov wrote an enthusiastic article about the philanthropist, Tretyakov almost fell ill from frustration, and after donating the collection, he even left Moscow for a while, not wanting to listen to gratitude.

Despite his generosity, Pavel Mikhailovich was never a spendthrift. His passion for art did not prevent him from haggling for a long time, looking for an opportunity to buy cheaper and asking for a discount, which, however, was dictated not by greed, but by a simple calculation - the more profitable the purchase, the larger the collection will eventually become, because the money saved can be spent on another masterpiece.

He generally preferred to economize on himself and his family. The patron carefully recorded all expenses, including alms, and from the surviving records today one can judge the enormous scale of his charitable activities.

Personal life

The famous entrepreneur married late: his worries did not leave time for his personal life, and Tretyakov was not interested in love passions. During his protracted bachelor life, his friends nicknamed him Archimandrite. Only at the age of 33 did he marry Vera Mamontova, the cousin of a fellow industrialist.

The bride did not shine with beauty, but she shared a passion for art, although she preferred music rather than painting. It was a union of love, not of convenience, and their life together ended up being peaceful and happy. Until the end of their days, Pavel Mikhailovich and Vera Nikolaevna were inseparable - they went to concerts, did housework and sent each other tender letters from trips.

His wife bore him six children: sons Ivan and Mikhail, daughters Alexandra, Maria, Lyubov and Vera. Unfortunately, only girls survived to adulthood: Vanya died at age 8 from scarlet fever, and Misha was born sick and died soon after.

In 1892, Tretyakov buried his beloved brother Sergei. He was also a collector, although not as passionate, and they ordered in advance to merge the collections and transfer them to the city. His departure was sudden, and Pavel Mikhailovich greatly experienced the loss.

“He was a much better man than me,” he sighed.

Death

By the end of his life, Tretyakov acquired the title of Advisor to Commerce, a member of the Council of Trade and Manufactures and the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. IN last years he suffered from a stomach ulcer. The disease caused considerable suffering and caused death.

Pavel Mikhailovich prepared a will in advance, in which he left large sums a children's boarding school, a house with free apartments for widows of artists, the Moscow Conservatory, almshouses, and ordered scholarships and pensions for the workers of his factory. He did not bypass the household and did not forget to mention every servant in the house.

On December 4, 1898, the famous philanthropist died, bequeathing to his children good health and to take care of the gallery. His wife Vera left after him - after his death she lived only 3 months, her grave was next to her husband. Pavel Mikhailovich was buried at the Danilovsky cemetery next to his brother, and in 1948 the ashes of both Tretyakovs were transferred to Novodevichye.

Memory

• In Moscow, a monument to Tretyakov was erected in front of the gallery building.
• A street in Lipetsk bears the name of Pavel Mikhailovich.
• On the island New land there is a glacier named after a patron of the arts.
• Anna Fedorets wrote the book “Pavel Tretyakov”, describing his multifaceted personality with the help of a huge amount of surviving documentary evidence.

The Tretyakov Gallery is one of the greatest treasures of world art. I wonder what the Tretyakov family was like?

The Tretyakov merchant family traces its history back to the district town of Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga governorate, from where P.M. Tretyakov’s great-grandfather Elisey Martynovich (1704-1783) arrived in Moscow in 1774 with his wife and sons. The following generations of Tretyakovs successfully expanded trade and increased capital. Things were going especially well for Mikhail Zakharovich Tretyakov (1801-1850), which was facilitated by his successful marriage to the daughter of a large merchant exporting lard to England, Alexandra Danilovna Borisova (1812-1899). On December 29, 1832, their first child was born, the future founder of the famous art gallery Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov. After him were born Sergei (1834-1892), Elizaveta (1835-1870), Daniil (1836-1848), Sofia (1839-1902), Alexandra (1843-1848), Nikolai (1844-1848), Mikhail (1846-1848 ), Nadezhda (1849-1939).
In 1848, the family suffered grief: four children died of scarlet fever, and in 1850 Mikhail Zakharovich Tretyakov himself died. After his death, all movable and immovable property went to his two sons, Pavel and Sergei, who successfully continued their father’s trading business.

The mother remained the complete mistress of the house. According to the last will of Mikhail Zakharovich, the eldest of the sisters, Elizaveta, who was only 15 years old, was preparing to marry the senior trusted clerk Vasily Dmitrievich Konshin. Wanting Konshin to get involved, M.Z. Tretyakov decided to seal the cooperation with marriage. Relatives did not heed their daughter’s desperate pleas, and in 1852 Elizabeth, obedient to her father’s will, got married. In connection with this marriage, a spacious house was previously purchased in Moscow, in the area of ​​modern Tolmachevsky Lanes, where the Tretyakov family and the Konshina spouses moved in.

Until 1859, merchant affairs were conducted on behalf of Alexandra Danilovna Tretyakova, who was “temporarily” considered a merchant of the 2nd guild. On January 1, 1860, the trading house “P. and S. brothers Tretyakov and V. Konshin.”

By this time, the youngest of the Tretyakov brothers, Sergei, was already married; in 1856, his wedding took place with Elizaveta Sergeevna Mazurina (1837-1860). Unfortunately, happy marriage did not last long, giving birth to a son, Nikolai (1857-1896), Elizaveta Sergeevna soon died. In 1868, Sergei Mikhailovich entered into a second marriage with Elena Andreevna Matveeva.

The eldest of the brothers, Pavel, did not marry for a long time. Only in August 1865 did his wedding take place with Vera Nikolaevna Mamontova (1844-1899), cousin of the famous philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov (1841-1918). The beginning of a long, happy family life was laid. In 1866, the eldest daughter Vera (1866-1940) was born, then Alexandra (1867-1959), Lyubov (1870-1928), Mikhail (1871-1912), Maria (1875-1952), Ivan (1878-1887). Everyone in the family loved each other. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov wrote to his wife: “

“Many years later, remembering these days, the eldest of the daughters, Vera Pavlovna, will write in her memoirs: “

" In 1887, Vanya, everyone’s favorite and his father’s hope, died of scarlet fever complicated by meningitis. Pavel Mikhailovich's grief knew no bounds.

The second son, Mikhail, was born sick, weak-minded and never brought joy to his parents. Tretyakov’s daughter Alexandra recalled: “

In 1887, the eldest daughter Vera married the talented pianist Alexander Ilyich Ziloti, cousin composer S.V. Rachmaninov. Vera herself was a capable pianist. The Tretyakovs' relative, composer P.I. Tchaikovsky, advised her to enter the conservatory. But Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov adhered to traditional views on raising children: he gave his daughters an excellent home education. Music, literature, foreign languages, concerts, theaters, art exhibitions, travel - these are the components of home education in the Tretyakov family. Artists, writers, musicians visited their house, including I.S. Turgenev, P.I. Tchaikovsky, A.G. Rubinstein, I.E. Repin, I.N. Kramskoy, V.M. Vasnetsov, V. G. Perov, V. D. Polenov and many, many others.

The Tretyakovs loved to travel, with and without children, in their native country and abroad. Pavel Mikhailovich himself made long, long trips every year. At the end of his life, admiring the beauty of nature in the Pyrenees, he wrote to his wife: “ Again I felt that it was worth living to see and enjoy this highest pleasure.».

Both Pavel Mikhailovich and Vera Nikolaevna were people with a keen sense of nature, art, and music. Their children grew up the same way. The eldest daughter married a musician and was happy with him all her life. During her father's lifetime, Lyubov Pavlovna, with his blessing, married the artist N.N. Gritsenko.

In her second marriage she was married to famous artist L.S.Bakst, known not only for his paintings, but also for designing ballets for S.P. Diaghilev’s Russian seasons in Paris. The other two daughters married the Botkin brothers, sons of the famous clinician Sergei Petrovich Botkin (1832-1889). Alexandra - for the doctor and collector Sergei Sergeevich Botkin, Maria - for the military sailor, doctor, inventor, traveler Alexander Sergeevich Botkin.

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov did not prevent his daughters from dating, although he tried to influence their choice. Having provided for his family financially, he believed that money should serve better purposes than simply being spent on immediate needs.

A letter from P.M. Tretyakov to his daughter Alexandra has been preserved, where he writes: “ My idea was from a very young age to make money so that what was acquired from society would also be returned to society (the people) in some useful institutions [emphasis added]; this thought has never left me all my life... The provision must be such that it would not allow a person to live without work" Pavel Mikhailovich himself worked a lot and had few free minutes.

Most of the time was taken up by commercial and industrial affairs - management of the Kostroma flax spinning factory, shops and others, and all the remaining time was devoted to his favorite brainchild - the gallery (visiting exhibitions, artists, construction work in the gallery, hanging, compiling a catalog, etc.). There were also charitable activities. P.M. Tretyakov devoted a lot of effort to the Arnold School for the Deaf and Mutes, of which he was a trustee. He also took part in the activities of the Orthodox Missionary Society, was involved in the care of the poor, was a member of the Commercial Court, and of course was a member different societies- artistic, charitable, commercial. Pavel Mikhailovich did a lot of good things during his life, and even then... According to his will, large sums of money were allocated for the maintenance of the gallery, for the Arnold School, for various scholarships, etc.

The Tretyakov merchant family traces its history back to the district town of Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga governorate, from where P.M. Tretyakov’s great-grandfather Elisey Martynovich (1704–1783) arrived in Moscow in 1774 with his wife and sons.

The following generations of Tretyakovs successfully expanded trade and increased capital. Things were going especially well for Mikhail Zakharovich Tretyakov (1801–1850), which was facilitated by his successful marriage to the daughter of a large merchant exporting lard to England, Alexandra Danilovna Borisova (1812–1899). On December 15 (27), 1832, their first child was born, the future founder of the famous art gallery Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov. After him were born Sergei (1834–1892), Elizaveta (1835–1870), Daniil (1836–1848), Sofia (1839–1902), Alexandra (1843–1848), Nikolai (1844–1848), Mikhail (1846–1848) ), Nadezhda (1849–1939).

In 1848, the family suffered grief: four children died of scarlet fever, and in 1850 Mikhail Zakharovich Tretyakov himself died. After his death, all movable and immovable property went to his two sons, Pavel and Sergei, who successfully continued their father’s trading business.

The mother remained the complete mistress of the house. According to the last will of Mikhail Zakharovich, the eldest of the sisters, Elizaveta, who was only 15 years old, was preparing to marry the senior trusted clerk Vasily Dmitrievich Konshin. Wanting Konshin to get involved, M.Z. Tretyakov decided to seal the cooperation with marriage. Relatives did not heed their daughter’s desperate pleas, and in 1852 Elizabeth, obedient to her father’s will, got married. In connection with this marriage, a spacious house was previously purchased in Moscow, in the area of ​​modern Tolmachevsky Lanes, where the Tretyakov family and the Konshina spouses moved in.
Until 1859, merchant affairs were conducted on behalf of Alexandra Danilovna Tretyakova, who was “temporarily” considered the merchant of the 2nd guild. On January 1, 1860, the trading house "P. and S. brothers Tretyakov and V. Konshin" opened.

Tretyakov Sergey Mikhailovich. 1856

By this time, the youngest of the Tretyakov brothers, Sergei, was already married; in 1856, his wedding took place with Elizaveta Sergeevna Mazurina (1837–1860). Unfortunately, the happy marriage did not last long; after giving birth to a son, Nikolai (1857–1896), Elizaveta Sergeevna soon died. In 1868, Sergei Mikhailovich entered into a second marriage with Elena Andreevna Matveeva.

The eldest of the brothers, Pavel, did not marry for a long time. Only in August 1865 did his wedding take place with Vera Nikolaevna Mamontova (1844–1899), cousin of the famous philanthropist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov (1841–1918). The beginning of a long, happy family life was laid. In 1866, the eldest daughter Vera (1866–1940) was born, then Alexandra (1867–1959), Lyubov (1870–1928), Mikhail (1871–1912), Maria (1875–1952), Ivan (1878–1887). Everyone in the family loved each other. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov wrote to his wife: “I sincerely thank God and you from the bottom of my heart that I had the opportunity to make you happy, however, the children have a lot of blame here: without them there would be no complete happiness!” Many years later, recalling these days, the eldest of the daughters, Vera Pavlovna, will write in her memoirs: “If childhood can really be happy, then my childhood was like that. That trust, that harmony between loved ones who loved us and cared for us, was, it seems to me, the most valuable and joyful.” In 1887, Vanya, everyone’s favorite and his father’s hope, died of scarlet fever complicated by meningitis. Pavel Mikhailovich's grief knew no bounds.

The second son, Mikhail, was born sick, weak-minded and never brought joy to his parents. Tretyakov’s daughter Alexandra recalled: “From that time on, my father’s character changed a lot. He became gloomy and silent. And only his grandchildren made the former affection appear in his eyes.”

Family of P.M. Tretyakov. From left to right: Vera, Ivan, Vera Nikolaevna, Mikhail, Maria, Maria Ivanovna, Pavel Mikhailovich, Alexandra, Lyubov. 1884

In 1887, the eldest daughter Vera married the talented pianist Alexander Ilyich Ziloti, cousin of the composer S.V. Rachmaninov. Vera herself was a capable pianist. The Tretyakovs' relative, composer P.I. Tchaikovsky, advised her to enter the conservatory. But Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov adhered to traditional views on raising children: he gave his daughters an excellent home education. Music, literature, foreign languages, concerts, theaters, art exhibitions, travel - these are the components of home education in the Tretyakov family. Artists, writers, musicians visited their house, including I.S. Turgenev, P.I. Tchaikovsky, A.G. Rubinstein, I.E. Repin, I.N. Kramskoy, V.M. Vasnetsov, V. G. Perov, V. D. Polenov and many, many others.

The Tretyakovs loved to travel, with and without children, in their native country and abroad. Pavel Mikhailovich himself made long, long trips every year. At the end of his life, admiring the beauty of nature in the Pyrenees, he wrote to his wife: “Again I felt that it was worth living to see and enjoy this highest pleasure.”

Both Pavel Mikhailovich and Vera Nikolaevna were people with a keen sense of nature, art, and music. Their children grew up the same way. The eldest daughter married a musician and was happy with him all her life. During her father's lifetime, Lyubov Pavlovna, with his blessing, married the artist N.N. Gritsenko.

In her second marriage, she was married to the famous artist L. S. Bakst, known not only for his paintings, but also for designing ballets for S. P. Diaghilev’s Russian seasons in Paris. The other two daughters married the Botkin brothers, sons of the famous clinician Sergei Petrovich Botkin (1832–1889). Alexandra - for the doctor and collector Sergei Sergeevich Botkin, Maria - for the military sailor, doctor, inventor, traveler Alexander Sergeevich Botkin.

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov did not prevent his daughters from dating, although he tried to influence their choice. Having provided for his family financially, he believed that money should serve better purposes than simply being spent on immediate needs.

Daughters and sons-in-law of P.M. Tretyakov. From left to right: L.P.Gritsenko, A.I.Ziloti, A.P.Botkina, N.N.Gritsenko, V.P.Ziloti, S.S.Botkin. 1894

A letter from P.M. Tretyakov to his daughter Alexandra has been preserved, where he writes:

“My idea was from a very young age to make money so that what was acquired from society would also be returned to society (the people) in some useful institutions [emphasis added]; this thought has never left me throughout my entire life... The provision must be such that it would not allow a person to live without work.”

Pavel Mikhailovich himself worked a lot and had few free minutes.

Most of the time was taken up by commercial and industrial affairs - management of the Kostroma flax spinning factory, shops and others, and all the remaining time was devoted to his favorite brainchild - the gallery (visiting exhibitions, artists, construction work in the gallery, hanging, compiling a catalog, etc.). There were also charitable activities. P.M. Tretyakov devoted a lot of effort to the Arnold School for the Deaf and Mutes, of which he was a trustee. He also took part in the activities of the Orthodox Missionary Society, was involved in the care of the poor, was a member of the Commercial Court, and of course was a member of various societies - artistic, charitable, commercial. Pavel Mikhailovich did a lot of good things during his life, and even then... According to his will, large sums of money were allocated for the maintenance of the gallery, for the Arnold School, for various scholarships, etc.

P.M. Tretyakov died on December 4 (16), 1898, 3 months later his wife Vera Nikolaevna died.

Pavel Tretyakov - founder Tretyakov Gallery. How was the life of this philanthropist? We will talk about this in the article.

Brief information about the life of the great philanthropist

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov was born on December 27, 1832 in Moscow. His parents were merchants. Throughout his childhood, Pavel Mikhailovich was an excellent assistant to his father at work. He and brother Sergei were inseparable. From an early age they worked together and later created the famous art gallery.

By the end of the 40s of the 19th century, the Tretyakov merchants owned five trading shops. But soon the family breadwinner, Mikhail Zakharovich Tretyakov, fell ill with scarlet fever and died. Pavel and Sergei took full responsibility for the family and trade. After the death of his mother, Pavel Mikhailovich headed a paper spinning factory, where he was very successful.

By character Pavel Tretyakov, Interesting Facts from whose life you will learn further, he was a kind and sensitive person. He loved comfort and appreciated art. At work they spoke of him as a businesslike, persistent and firm person. But it cannot be said that he was extremely strict with his subordinates.

Tretyakov's early years

His interest in great art began at the age of twenty, after visiting the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. It was then that the idea arose to collect my own collection of paintings. He understood that collecting a unique collection would take all of his time. free time, but Paul was inspired by the idea.

The first paintings were purchased in 1853, the next year he bought nine paintings by old Dutch masters - they decorated his living rooms until Tretyakov’s death. A couple of years later, his collection was replenished with works by N. G. Schilder “Temptation”, V. G. Khudyakov “Finland Smugglers”, followed by the purchase of paintings by I. P. Trutnev, A. K. Savrasov, K. A. Trutovsky, F. A. Bruni, L. F. Lagorio, and also famous portrait archaeologist Lanci is of Italian origin.

The purpose of collecting Pavel Tretyakov was not enrichment and fame, but a love of art and the gift of his collection to the people.

Marriage

The year 1865 was marked for the young philanthropist by his marriage to a twenty-year-old girl, Vera Nikolaevna Mamontova, who was quite educated for that time. The bride was brought up in the same family as him, and had a very warm attitude towards music and art in general. After a while, daughters are born to them, and later a son, Mikhail. But, unfortunately, he grew up as a sickly child and required constant attention. Mikhail's life was short.

Pavel Mikhailovich's activities are aimed at collecting works of his contemporaries and artists - democrats of the national school. The heart of the Tretyakov Gallery is considered to be the works of I. N. Kramskoy, V. I. Surikov and E. Repin.

First steps

Communicating with famous people, Tretyakov decides to create a large hall of portraits of his compatriots and contemporaries. To do this, he created a list of names, according to which Tretyakov accepted orders for portraits.

Pavel Mikhailovich chose the location for the future museum of painting in Lavrushinsky Lane, where he began constructing a luxurious two-story building for the future Tretyakov Gallery. In the summer of 1893, the long-awaited opening took place. Later, the fate of the gallery was decided by the people. It was transferred to the city of Moscow. As a reward, the autocrat offered Pavel Mikhailovich a noble title, but he refused, choosing the merchant class of which he was so proud.

The history of the emergence of the Tretyakov family of merchants

P. Tretyakov came from an old merchant family. The great-grandfather of Pavel and Sergei, Elisey Martynovich Tretyakov, came from the merchants of Maly Yaroslavets, known since 1646. In 1774, he moved to Moscow with his wife Vasilisa and children: Osip and Zakhar. Elisha later remarried, and his second wife bore him a son, Misha. In 1831, the matured Mikhail married Alexandra Borisova. This is how Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov were born. They also had sisters: Sophia, Elizaveta and Nadezhda. The father carefully monitored the education of his children. The Tretyakov family was a model of obedience and politeness. There were no quarrels or resentments between the children. The brotherly love of Pavel and Sergei later laid the foundation for the creation of the famous Tretyakov Gallery.

Tretyakov brothers

After the death of their parents, Pavel and Sergei had to take control of the factories into their own hands. Their work proceeded smoothly and successfully. According to written sources, the Tretyakov family was not rich enough. The Tretyakov brothers took the money that was spent on purchasing the collection from the family budget and the income of their enterprises.

Sergei fully supported his brother and was actively involved in charity work. They worked, rested and together founded the Arnold-Tretyakov School. It is still famous today because it educational institution created for the deaf and dumb in Moscow.

Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov was the head of the city and a passionate collector of collections.

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov devoted his entire life to collecting. There was one difference between the brothers: Sergei Mikhailovich regarded collecting as his hobby, while Pavel Tretyakov saw a certain mission in his desire, and later in his activity.

Happiness and love of philanthropist Tretyakov

The biography of Pavel Tretyakov indicates that he became the last of his family members to marry. This happened in the thirty-third year of his life. His wife was Vera Nikolaevna Mamontova. All her life this woman was a guiding star for Pavel Mikhailovich. Vera Nikolaevna could not come to terms with only one main rival - her husband’s art gallery, on which he spent his entire fortune and most of his time.

At thirty-two years old, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov was the only bachelor in the family. Nobody expected him to get married anymore. But soon he announces his engagement to Vera Mamontova, and then his wedding.

Pavel Tretyakov met Vera Nikolaevna at one of the family evenings in the Mamontovs' house. Vera Nikolaevna grew up in merchant family. Her femininity high intelligence, love for music charmed the patron.

The wedding date was set for August 22, 1865. To the surprise of everyone, the marriage of Pavel and Vera turned out to be strong and happy. Their family was large. They and six children lived in the house. Vera Nikolaevna maintained warmth and harmony in the family throughout her life. However, their family life wasn't so rosy. The husband was strict and kept financial records. New clothes were bought only after the old ones had worn out. The fact is that Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov spent all the family’s money on replenishing his art collection and on charity.

Despite such huge expenses, Vera Nikolaevna never blamed her husband for this. She valued his love and always agreed with him.

Grief in the Tretyakov family

Not all of Pavel Tretyakov’s children were able to become the pride of their parents. In 1887, the Tretyakov family was overtaken by an inevitable misfortune: he died younger son Pavel Mikhailovich, seriously ill with scarlet fever. Another blow that followed the first was the doctors’ verdict that the second son had dementia. Unable to bear such a surprise of fate, the philanthropist withdrew into himself and became completely detached.

In 1893, Pavel Mikhailovich’s beloved wife suffered a mini-stroke, and five years later she fell ill with paralysis. And then Tretyakov realized that Vera Nikolaevna was dearer to him than anything in the world. He himself fell ill from the experience, and on December 16 he left this world. Vera Nikolaevna passed away three months after the death of her husband. In 1898, according to his will, the gallery became the property of the city of Moscow. And in 1918, by order of the leader of the proletariat, it received the name of the State Tretyakov Gallery. During Soviet times, the Tretyakov Gallery collected not only paintings by artists of the 18th and 19th centuries, but also works by artists of the post-revolutionary period: Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Yuri Pimenov, Semyon Chuikov, Arkady Plastov, Alexander Deineka...

Death of a patron

The merchant Pavel Tretyakov was known not only as a collector of the collection, he was an honorary member of the Society of Connoisseurs of Art and Music. Active participation He also took part in charity. At one time, together with his brother, he founded a school for the deaf and dumb in Moscow.

At the beginning of December 1898, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov fell ill with a stomach ulcer. Even in last hours of his life he thought about matters in the gallery. Last request the dying man wanted to save the gallery, and our contemporaries did just that.

Philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov was buried at the Danilovsky cemetery. Now his ashes rest in the Novodevichy cemetery.

Substitution of a famous painting

In 1913, the mentally ill icon painter Abram Balashov, while in the Tretyakov Gallery, cut up the artist Repin’s painting “Ivan the Terrible Kills His Son.” The faces in the painting had to be restored again. And the gallery keeper (at that time he was E.M. Khrustov), ​​having learned about this, threw himself under the train.

The surprising fact was that the artist himself did not notice any changes in his work. This saved the gallery from collapse.

Interesting facts about the Tretyakov Gallery

• In 1929, the Church of St. Nicholas was closed in Tolmachi, which immediately became one of the storerooms of the Tretyakov Gallery. It was connected to exhibition halls on the top floor of a two-story building, which was intended to display the painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People” by Alexander Ivanov.
• During the Great Patriotic War Tretyakov's collection was evacuated to Novosibirsk. The meeting occupied seventeen carriages.
• The history of the painting “The Rooks Have Arrived”. This picture wrote famous artist Alexey Savrasov. After the death of his newborn daughter, he tried many times to repeat his work. It all ended with the artist painting the walls of taverns with a copy of this painting. And with the money he earned he bought himself bread and vodka.
• In order to receive the desired picture, Pavel Mikhailovich paid for trips for artists. In 1898, Osip Braz painted a portrait of A.P. Chekhov, which Pavel Mikhailovich sent to Nice. However, the writer himself did not like the portrait.
• The well-known Malevich wrote four versions of the famous “Black Square”, and two of them are in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Immortal Legacy

To summarize, it can be noted that the meaning of Pavel Tretyakov’s life is his famous collection. In Russia rare person with such obsession and fanatical desire he tried to convey the “beautiful” to all people, not paying attention to prejudices and social inequality. There was truly a great man who loved his homeland and people, Pavel Tretyakov. The Tretyakov Gallery is his greatest contribution to world art. And the memory of the man with a capital M, which Tretyakov was, will never die!

Publications in the Museums section

Pavel Tretyakov. Art belongs to the people

“Your great name and business will remain,” said art critic Vladimir Stasov to Pavel Tretyakov. These words turned out to be prophetic. Throughout his life, the merchant, entrepreneur, and philanthropist collected paintings by Russian artists in order to donate a unique collection to his hometown..

Childhood dream

Pavel Tretyakov and Mikhail Pryanishnikov. 1891 Photo: tphv-history.ru

Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov. 1898 Photo: tphv-history.ru

Maria Pavlovna, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov and Nikolai Vasilievich Nevrev. 1897 Photo: tphv-history.ru

Pavel Tretyakov grew up in a merchant family and was educated at home. I started collecting my first collection since childhood: I bought engravings and lithographs at the market, in small shops. At the age of fourteen, together with his brother, he continued the family business - first they ran shops with scarves and a store, and then acquired a manufactory in Kostroma. Things were going well, but this did not affect Tretyakov’s lifestyle.

"Silent, modest, as if lonely"- this is how others saw Pavel Tretyakov. He avoided balls, did not admit excesses, and always wore a frock coat of the same cut. The only excess is a cigar a day. But the other side of modesty was a broad soul: he supported a school for the deaf and dumb, organized a shelter for widows, orphans and poor artists. He also supported bold undertakings, such as the Miklouho-Maclay expedition.

Tretyakov family

Pavel Tretyakov with his wife Vera Nikolaevna (nee Mamontova). 1880s Photo: wikimedia.org

Family of Pavel Tretyakov. 1884 Photo: tretyakovgallery.ru

Pavel Tretyakov with his granddaughters. 1893 Photo: tphv-history.ru

At the age of 33, Pavel Tretyakov married Savva Mamontov’s cousin, Vera. Although the head of the family was called “unsmiling,” the marriage was harmonious and happy. Tretyakov became gloomy and silent after the death of one of his sons, Ivan, everyone’s favorite and his father’s hope. But despite the family misfortune, an atmosphere of love accompanied Tretyakov’s children throughout their lives.

“If childhood can truly be happy, then my childhood was like that. That trust, that harmony between loved ones who loved us and cared for us, was, it seems to me, the most valuable and joyful.”

Vera Tretyakova, eldest daughter

Industrialist - collector

Nikolai Schilder. Temptation. Year unknown.

Alexey Savrasov. View of the Kremlin in inclement weather. 1851. State Tretyakov Gallery

Vasily Khudyakov. Skirmish with Finnish smugglers. 1853. State Tretyakov Gallery

In the fall of 1852, Tretyakov visited St. Petersburg. For more than two weeks he visited theaters, exhibitions, wandered the halls of the Hermitage, the Rumyantsev Museum, the Academy of Arts and, overwhelmed with impressions, wrote to his mother:

“I saw several thousand paintings! Paintings by great artists... Raphael, Rubens, Vanderwerf, Poussin, Murilla, S. Rosa, etc. and so on. Saw countless statues and busts! I saw hundreds of tables, vases, and other sculptural things made from stones that I had no idea about before.”

This trip finally made the merchant and industrialist Tretyakov a collector of paintings. The desire to collect paintings by Russian artists became the meaning of his life. At that time, Pavel Mikhailovich was only 24 years old; the patron bought the first paintings by Russian artists in 1856. These were “Temptation” by Nikolai Schilder and “Skirmish with Finnish Smugglers” by Vasily Khudyakov. In the next four years, the living rooms of the mezzanine of the house in Lavrushinsky Lane were decorated with paintings by Ivan Trutnev, Alexey Savrasov, Konstantin Trutovsky... Tretyakov not only laid the foundation for the collection, but also defined main goal of his collection, which he wrote about in his will.

"For me, truly and ardently who loves painting, can't be better wishes“how to lay the foundation for a public repository of fine arts accessible to all, bringing benefit to many and pleasure to all.”

To Europe - for impressions, to workshops - for experience

Ivan Kramskoy. Unknown. 1883. Tretyakov Gallery

Victor Vasnetsov. Bogatyrs. 1881-1898. Tretyakov Gallery

On industrial matters, Pavel Tretyakov often traveled abroad to get acquainted with technical innovations. These trips became “art universities” for the collector. In Germany, France, Italy, England, Austria, he visited exhibitions and museums.

In subtlety visual arts Practitioners and artists also dedicated Tretyakov. In St. Petersburg workshops, the collector learned the technology of painting, knew how to coat paintings with varnish or remove damage on canvas without the help of a restorer. “His demeanor in the studio and at exhibitions is the greatest modesty and silence”, - Ivan Kramskoy recalled about Tretyakov’s visits.

Picture by picture

Vasily Surikov. The morning of the Streltsy execution. 1881. Tretyakov Gallery

Alexey Savrasov. The Rooks Have Arrived. 1871. Tretyakov Gallery

Arkhip Kuindzhi. Birch Grove. 1879. Tretyakov Gallery

The Itinerants movement provided the gallery with a stream of real masterpieces. “The Rooks Have Arrived” by Savrasov and “The Morning of the Streltsy Execution” by Surikov, “Christ in the Desert” by Kramskoy and “Birch Grove” by Kuindzhi and hundreds and hundreds of other works. Tretyakov bought entire collections of paintings from artists, like from Vasily Vereshchagin: in 1874 he immediately acquired 144 paintings and sketches, 127 pencil drawings. The collection was immediately replenished with 80 works by Alexander Ivanov. Vasily Polenov's picturesque impressions from a trip to the Middle East - 102 sketches - also became part of the collection. Paintings by artists XVIII - beginning of the nineteenth century, Tretyakov collected from antique shops and private shops.

The artists themselves admitted that the collector had a special perception of painting, and at exhibitions they sometimes did not know which paintings he would choose. “This is a man with some kind of devilish instinct”, - Kramskoy spoke about Tretyakov.

Gallery in Lavrushinsky Lane

State Tretyakov Gallery

State Tretyakov Gallery

State Tretyakov Gallery

By 1872, the large Tretyakov family was tired of those who wanted to see his unique collection, and the collector decided to build a separate building for it. New halls were built gradually. After the death of his brother, Sergei Tretyakov, his collection also took a place in the gallery, and then it was decided to transfer the collection of paintings to the city.

“Wishing to contribute to the establishment of useful institutions in a city dear to me, to promote the prosperity of the arts in Russia and at the same time to preserve the collection I have collected for eternity.”

Pavel Tretyakov

The philanthropist himself was not present at the opening of the gallery - he left Moscow with his family for six months, as he did not like unnecessary attention to his person. After the opening of the gallery, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, Alexander III

“I don’t need rich nature, no magnificent composition, no spectacular lighting, no miracles, give me even a dirty puddle, but so that there is truth in it, poetry, and there can be poetry in everything, this is the work of the artist.”

Pavel Tretyakov

From the memories of Vera, eldest daughter Pavel Tretyakova.