The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the foremost art galleries in the world which exhibits some of the masterpieces of Russian art and annually attracts over one million visitors. The gallery bears the name of its founder Pavel Tretyakov who began collecting works of art in the mid-19th century and donated his collection to the city of Moscow in 1892. The building was purchased by the Tretyakov family in 1851 and it has been extended as the art collection grows. Just outside the entrance to the museum is a statue of Pavel Tretyakov, which was placed here in 1980 replacing a statue of Stalin which now takes a less prominent place in the gallery's courtyard.