I'm taking a Russian River Cruise leaving Moscow on 09-16. I just received my cruise packet and am trying to pick my optional tours while in Moscow.
I'm having trouble deciding between Novodevichy & Tretyakov. I'm really hoping I don't have to choose between them and will have time to do both, but just in case.......has anyone been to both places and can you share your opinion?
I love the beauty and peace of old cemeteries, I spent a whole day in Bonaventure in Savannah, so I'm leaning towards making that my first choice, since I know that a few days later I will see the Hermitage Museum.
Will I miss something incredible if I don't see the Tretyakov? I have to be very honest and say that this is undoubtedly my first and only visit to Moscow, so I can't tell myself I will catch it the next time around/

I've been to both maybe 30 years ago. Tretyakov is an art gallery - paintings, do you absolutely love them?

Novodevichy - will the tour take you to the cemetary only? Or to the monastery as well? Can you read cyrillics, will you be able to make out the names of the buried people? Will they mean anything to you?

For me, it would depend on the weather, in September it may be sunny and warm, maybe rainy and windy.

Two very different choices! As Dayenu says, Tretyakov is an art museum and is devoted to Russian art. It has an outstanding collection of icons. I was a bit less enamored of the rest of the museum, although there were some pieces that I was very glad to have seen.

I thought Novodevichy was truly lovely, but I didn't visit the cemetery, just the convent and grounds.

Hope that helps!

I spent more than 1 year in Moscow for working purposes (2008).I vote for Novodevichy.if you have to absolutely choose between two really different (good) locations.
Ciao,
Gianni (Milan, Italy)

Did GCT in June. Did both. Had a great guide (an actor, really) for Tretyakov. I would urge it, if you have to chose. I learned a lot there, knowing little before.
Novodevichy is great for history, but I already knew most of that.

Hope I am not too late, you can read your email on the boat, unless you are pig-headed like me and refuse to read email away from home.

Pls give us a posting when you return home.

Tretyakov - if you like art. It is not merely an art gallery, it is fantastic. Naturally, it does have a collection of ugly portraits it cannot get rid of, but once you get past them, it is a great gallery. But hold on - why not the Pushkin. The Pushkin is not far away and holds some of the greatest and most famous art in the world. I stood in one room which was maybe 20 x 25' & probably held 30 paintings of Monet, Renoir etc & all but 2 them are so famous as to be in every art book. But the collection of Fauvists is not to be missed - it really is thrilling.