PRIVATE PUSHKIN

No. Private Pushkin is not a reference to some anonymous schlub in the Russian Army.

It's a slug for yesterday afternoon's little outing to the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts Private Collection.

It is very close to the apartment, and Andrea wanted to see the exhibition of Rembrandt engravings and etchings. The Family Mosolov had begun collecting the work of Rembrandt and other Flemish painters. Rembrandt is certainly a famous name, but Andrea has helped me to fleetingly glimpse into his true genius.

Ilya Silberstein, an art historian, founded this museum and his collection is a solid foundation for the entire museum. Andrea commented that it seemed like a "real art museum," with good lighting, accurate didactic panels and an actual climate control system.

I copied from the museum's website two paragraphs that I think are interesting and telling about this little gem of a museum:

Most private collections in Russia were nationalized and broken up after 1917. The names of many collectors disappeared from the history books. Private collecting was classified as amassing private wealth, contradicting the Soviet way of life. During the Soviet period, the traditions of private collecting nevertheless survived. Until quite recently, private collecting was frowned upon in Russia. At best, it was regarded as a somewhat dubious occupation.

Things have now changed, however, and private collecting today plays an important role in helping to preserve the national cultural heritage. The decision to open a Museum of Personal Collections provided a fresh impetus for the development of private collecting in Russia. The permanent exhibition also addresses the history of private collecting from 1917 to the present day.

 As always, we didn't have enough time to see absolutely everything. However, in the atrium is an extension of the museum's Rodchenko and Stepanov collection. I also greatly enjoyed the Solovyov collection (so much that I went back for a second look while Andrea was re-investigating the Yelena Makasayeva collection with its beaded artworks). I also saw for my first time the works of Tyshler, Sterenberg and Weisberg, all of which were terrific. Photography is not allowed at all in this museum. There are even no official books or catalogues with photos on the collection.

When the museum closed, we walked up Ostazhenko Street and finally found Tiflis, a Georgian restaurant we have been searching for since Alexi was here a month ago. And are we glad we did. As always, the Georgian fare was terrific, but the restaurant was also noteworthy for its atmosphere and decor of big comfy chairs and divans upon which to dine and its candle lit ambiance.

EXTERIOR OF THE PRIVATE COLLECTION MUSEUM AS DARKNESS ENVELOPS THE CITY. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS NEW, GLASS EXTERIOR IS AN ENCLOSED COURTYARD TO A GRAND CLASSICAL STYLE BUILDING.

A BAD PHOTO (NO FLASH) BUT IT ACCURATELY CAPTURES THE  AMBIANCE OF RESTAURANT TIFLIS.

GRANDMA YELLING AT THE WAITER. JUST KIDDING. ANDREA SPEAKING WITH OUR WAITER. THIS WAS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE BEST SERVICE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN RUSSIA: PROMPT AND EFFICIENT IN EVERY REGARD. AND THE FOOD WAS GOOD, TOO!