Tretyakov Gallery hosts the most cherished and the most celebrated collection of artworks in Russia. It covers almost a millennium of Russian art and history. The gallery today is evolving: the change is meant to bring it closer to the public. It moves from the traditional format of classical art-museum to the the new modern space that is filled all kinds of activities. The new image of the gallery, that would span over museum's venues programs and activities, required the new universal sign. It could not be entirely novel, yet it had to bear the modern spirit and be comprehensible not only to Russian public, but also internationally.
The solution came with a living letter "T". It blends into all kinds of images and objects and brings the focus onto the people. This new "T" merges the tradition of cyrillic alphabet with the aesthetics of Russian avant-garde. The latter naturally fits into modern digital space. Irt is easily recognizable in many different cultures and languages. This sign laid the foundation for the new flexible visual language of Tretyakovka — this is not just a letter, but a window into the world of Russian art.
