Hermitage
Many generations of boys (and girls) came and are delighted with the Knights' Hall, where the figures of knights in armor of the 16th century on horses, covered with armor, are exhibited. This magnificent cavalcade recreates the appearance of a true knight army, ready for battle. Invariably admire children and the famous watch "Peacock" - one of the symbols of the Hermitage. The gilded figures of a peacock, a rooster and an owl, included in the composition of these watches, are equipped with mechanisms that cause birds to move. The owl turns its head, flaps its eyes, raises its paws, and its cage rotates, ringing bells. With a noise, a magnificent peacock tail dissolves. Hoar crowing, rooster awakens. There is no such miracle in any of our museums. What else is the first thing to show a child in the Hermitage, as in any other world-class museum, depends entirely on the child himself, on his hobbies and preferences. Someone will admire the luxurious ceremonial halls of the Winter Palace, someone - the halls of the ancient period. One child will be happy to see the real Egyptian mummy, the other - the "Wax Person" of Peter the Great. "The Gallery of 1812" will be remembered for older children, fond of military history. Well, of course, it is worth to show the Hermitage masterpieces of painting - Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Titian, Rubens, Velasquez, El Greco, Impressionists. Just do not try to bring down on the child all at once, especially since you still can not do it. Collections of the Hermitage are immense - about 3 million museum valuables. Look at just a few rooms, no more, having thought in advance what will be interesting for your child right now. Next time you come to visit other masterpieces - you can return to the Hermitage indefinitely, all your life.
Museum and Fine Arts im. A.S. Pushkin
The most impressive in the Pushkin Museum is a rich collection of sculptures, as well as halls dedicated to ancient civilizations. Who did not get to the Hermitage mummies, can see the Egyptian finds here. Children who have an idea of the ancient gods and heroes will see them with interest in the form of magnificent casts. And in the branch of the Pushkin Museum, the Museum of Private Collections, located in the neighborhood, the guys should show a collection of Impressionist works, the best in Russia. And not just to show, but also to tell about who Impressionists are and what was the novelty of their art. About how they were first laughed at, they did not understand ... If you get interesting, the kids will forever remember this very instructive story. Children in the Pushkin Museum in general are always welcome. It's a tradition: his first director Ivan Tsvetayev conceived his museum as an educational institution. The children's center for aesthetic education of children and youth "Museion" is open at the museum and today you can bring the child to the art studio or to the art critic's circle.
Tretyakov Gallery
The Tretyakov Gallery is full of masterpieces. And, as quite realistic works of the Wanderers from the collection of Tretyakov himself, and the great works of the Russian avant-garde and the innovative art of the Soviet era (in the Tretyakov Gallery on the Crimean shaft). Very rich in the Tretyakov Gallery and a collection of Russian icons. What to show - everything depends entirely on your tastes, on what kind of art you want to make close to your children, what kind of painting to impart to them. Do not just think that they will necessarily prefer the harsh realism of Shishkin and Yaroshenko and fall in love with the painting "Again the Deuce." Children are just with abstract thinking everything is in order, perhaps, even better than most adults. This is easy to see, remembering how preschool children paint. So Chagall, and Larionov, and Malevich, and Kandinsky can very much please them. Of course, watching the pictures is not worth wordless. It is necessary to tell, at least a little, about their authors, about the time when these works were created, gradually fixing in the child's mind a certain idea of artistic styles and genres. And to understand and remember, than, for example, the landscape differs from a still-life, a four-year-old is also capable.
Museum for children
In many modern museums of children today not only traditional excursions and lectures, but also interactive games, theatrical programs, folklore festivals, creative workshops and laboratories are waiting for. In the West, special "museums for children" are also widespread. The first such museum was created in 1899 in Brooklyn (USA), and today there are about four hundred of them. Most of them are in the US, but there are such museums and almost all European capitals. The most famous of them are the Museum on the Grass in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris and the Inventorium in the city of science and industry La Villette (France), the Children's Museum in the Museum Quarter of Vienna and the Children's World Museum in Walchen Castle (Austria) Factory of Discoveries "in London and" Eureka "in Halifax (Great Britain). These museums do not look like adults - they often do not have show-windows, and museum items can be easily taken in hand. Similar practice exists in some Russian museums, in which children's centers are active, for example, in the Russian Museum, in the All-Russian Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts, and in the State Pushkin Museum.
The Prado Museum
This world's largest museum is waiting for you and your child, if you find yourself in Madrid. The peculiarity of his collection is the largest collection of Spanish painting in the world. But the masterpieces created by artists from other countries are also an abyss. Independently choose what to show the children in this huge museum is incredibly difficult, especially for a foreigner. It's one thing to figure out where to lead a child in the Hermitage or the Tretyakov Gallery, another thing is the Prado. For this purpose, a special children's audio guide has been released. It can be obtained free of charge - in addition to the audio guide for adults.
Russian Museum
In the Russian Museum is very active children's center, where classes are held and with young artists, and with art lovers. There are also special excursions for children from 4 years old, fascinating and cognitive. Guides absolutely professionally show the kids the exposure, while not loading them with special terminology, but by talking in an accessible language. Parents are also invited to this excursion. Not only to see the children with Borovikovsky, Serov and Petrov-Vodkin, but also to learn how to talk with children about the fine arts. If you decide to show the Russian Museum yourself, keep in mind that there are richer collections of paintings of the 18th century and the Russian avant-garde than in the Tretyakov Gallery.
The Louvre
Independently to go with the child to the Louvre, without having a certain program, is also very risky. The child quickly tired and tired - the museum is huge, and there is always a crowd in it. So this route should be thought in advance, armed with a detailed plan of the museum and walking strictly along the paved course. On the prospectus with the museum plan it is indicated where the most famous exhibits are located. It is clear that the child just need to show Gioconda and other masterpieces of the Louvre. But not less enthusiasm for children usually leads and the real crown of Louis XV surrounded by magnificent ornaments with sparkling gems. Any trip to the museum requires a lot of energy from the child. You can not run, make noise - he will not stand such tests for long. In addition, from any person - and a small one too - the museum requires concentration of attention. The child is difficult for a long time to be focused on a single occupation. Remember this and do not delay such a trip, otherwise instead of love of art, the child will have fatigue and boredom. It is better to look at only a few pictures and even, perhaps, return to the ones you liked, than to rush through the halls, trying to cover everything at once. A good idea - when going home, buy in the kiosk postcards with reproductions of the pictures you liked the child. So he will remember them faster.