The Art Deco Museum is one of Moscow's newest museums — it opened its doors just six months ago at the end of 2014 in the former Imperial Mint on the Moscow River embankment. The museum exhibits Russia's first collection of Art Deco. This "decorative art" is fusion of Art Nouveau and neoclassical styles that became an international staple of modern art from 1925 to World War II.
The museum was founded by a young businessman, Mkrtich Okroyan. After falling in love with the style, he spent years traveling from auction to auction in London, Paris and other world capitals, building up a collection that is now worth over $100 million. The museum displays over 900 sculptures, 300 pieces of furniture, and 200 decorative objects that were made between the First and Second World War by artists from France, Austria, and England. The museum has many works by the acclaimed masters of Art Deco, such as Demetre Chiparus, Pierre Bobot, and Bruno Zach.
Stepping into the museum is like stepping back in time into a mansion decorated in 1925 by a very affluent patron of the arts. The exquisite collection is exquisitely displayed, and the museum's curators will happily answer visitors' questions.
Art Deco Museum. 2/4 Luzhnetskaya Naberezhnaya. Metro Vorobyovy Gory. 495-639-9484. Tues. to Sun., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Mon. Adults — 200 rubles ($3). Children, students — 100 rubles ($1.50).
