MOSCOW, August 29, Zhanna Staritsyna. The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. Conceived as a training center, today it gathers queues for almost all exhibitions. About the most interesting of the history of the Pushkin Museum — in the article data-crop-width=»600″ data-crop-height=»400″ data-source-sid=»rian_photo» class=»lazyload» width=»1920″ height=»1280″ decoding=»async» />< br />
Most mysterious: «Mona Lisa» was also here
In 1974, the Gioconda by Leonardo da Vinci was unexpectedly brought to the Pushkin Museum. The painting was returning from an exhibition in Japan and «along the way» ended up in Moscow thanks to the initiative of the Minister of Culture of the USSR Ekaterina Furtseva.
To protect the masterpiece, they made a special showcase of five layers of glass, put up armed guards. The excitement was unprecedented — people in line waited for more than seven hours to stand in front of the picture for a few seconds. It didn’t take longer, the crowd was pushing too hard.
In a fit of feelings, one woman threw a bouquet to Mona Lisa, which provoked a howl of the alarm system and an instant response from the guards. Fortunately, there were no punitive measures.
Ancient temple and columns from Norway: how the Pushkin Museum was created
Impressive queues at the Pushkin Museum are not uncommon; both classics and contemporary authors are regularly shown there. But the museum was conceived as a training center.
Professor Ivan Tsvetaev, a well-known scientist, archaeologist and art historian, father of the poet Marina Tsvetaeva, proposed to create a place in Moscow where students and lovers of painting and sculpture could “educate taste” on antique samples without leaving the country. country limits. 
The reference to the classics is also visible in the appearance of Pushkin — thanks to the huge columns at the entrance, the museum resembles an ancient temple. To find a suitable marble, a whole expedition was sent to the Urals.
But the material did not fit: as a result, the columns were delivered by sea from Norway. The architectural project was prepared by a young specialist Roman Klein — for such a responsible task he was sent on a business trip to European museums, Egypt and Greece. 
It was necessary not only to make a tracing paper of an ancient temple, but to style it in such a way as to combine different decorative elements and harmoniously fit the building into the urban landscape. In particular, Tsvetaev doubted the centaurs on the façade.
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“The centaurs upstairs, in view of the proximity of the Savior’s temple, as mythological drunkards and great debauchees, will probably not be allowed to be placed. Don't get them out of there? — Ivan Tsvetaev argued in a letter to Roman Klein.
Vladimir Shukhov was responsible for the unusual glass roof. Created from two levels, it not only allowed the sun's rays to evenly illuminate the interior space, but also provided special ventilation: the building was cool in summer and warm in winter. Today, the halls have modern air conditioning and electric lighting.
Not a penny from the treasury: at whose expense the museum was built
At the entrance to the Pushkin Museum there is a memorial plaque to Yuri Nechaev-Maltsov. The owner of glass factories and factories, he allocated fabulous sums for the project. It was at his expense that the entrance columns were made, the main staircase was trimmed with expensive marble.
Built for 13 years. When part of the work was over, there was a terrible fire that destroyed many casts. But Nechaev-Maltsov continued sponsorship.
David: Fascist bomb and Moscow weather
A copy of Michelangelo's «David» did not leave the Italian courtyard due to its impressive size and complexity of transportation even during the Great Patriotic War, when part of the funds was taken to Novosibirsk and Solikamsk. 
In 1941, a bomb exploded near the museum, destroying part of the glass roof. The Italian courtyard turned out to be under the open sky, and a protective wooden case was built for David.
Treasury of art: what is kept in Pushkin
The museum's collection is based on casts of classical sculptures. Tsvetaev ordered them from the best European workshops — if necessary, they were then painted, imitating marble or bronze. 
The first major original acquisition was the collection of Vladimir Golenishchev dedicated to Ancient Egypt. His collection (more than 200 cases) arrived at the opening of the museum.