Among the sights of Irkutsk, this place belongs to the category of must-sees, especially when it comes to the first acquaintance with this Siberian city. In the museum of the history of the city of Irkutsk, you can immerse yourself in the past, see with your own eyes the elements of the way of life, life, traditions of its inhabitants in different periods of time.
From the history of the museum
By the standards of museum work, the organization really appeared quite recently. January 1996 is considered to be the founding date of the Museum of the History of the City of Irkutsk. By decision of the mayor of the city, he was given a small building on Tchaikovsky Street.
Initially, only the history department worked as part of the museum, the purpose of which was to form a collection of exhibits and organize exhibition activities. The everyday, social, professional life of the inhabitants of Irkutsk in different years and centuries was chosen as the main topic.
Gradually the museum developed, funds were replenished. The townspeople, enterprises and institutions of Irkutsk themselves made a great contribution to the formation of the museum collection.
Later steelbranches were opened, and the main exposition was moved to a building built at the end of the 19th century by the Irkutsk merchant-philanthropist A. M. Sibiryakov.
Museum Today: Basics
Currently, the Museum of the History of Irkutsk. Sibiryakova is a branched structure, the number of funds of which reaches 101 thousand storage units. The permanent exposition consists of exhibitions dedicated to the ethnography and archeology of the region, as well as the life and customs of the inhabitants of Irkutsk in the 17th-20th centuries.
The official address of the Museum of the History of the City of Irkutsk: Frank-Kamenetsky street, 16 a.
In addition to the main history department, the structure includes four branches:
- museum of urban life;
- home crafts;
- military historical center "Fatherland Soldiers";
- city exhibition center named after V. Rogal.
The subdivisions of the museum conduct active exhibition and educational activities, organizing conferences, master classes, and creative meetings. Visitors can take part in museum clubs.
Museum Fund
Representing all the key aspects of the life of Irkutsk citizens is a large-scale task that requires constant replenishment and classification of collection funds. The sources of replenishment are targeted collections, the transfer of materials and exhibits by enterprises, administrative bodies, public organizations of the cities of the Irkutsk region, and the conduct of archaeological and ethnographic expeditions.
Funds of the museum, including more than 100 thousand exhibits,located in the main building and on the territory of the Rogal exhibition center.
A number of thematic museum collections have been formed:
- "City self-government";
- "Komsomol organizations of Irkutsk";
- "Multinational City";
- "Irkutsk views";
- "Siberian photos";
- "Merchant of Irkutsk";
- "Honorary Citizens";
- "Irkutsk Diocese";
- "Artists, writers, artists of Irkutsk".
Over the past years, collections of a tea-packing factory, filings of pre-revolutionary periodicals, numismatic and award collections, and much more have been transferred to the museum.
Branches
V. Rogal Exhibition Center was opened in 1999 and became the first branch of the museum. On the ground floor of the building in the city center there is a permanent exhibition of works by the people's artist Vitaliy Rogal. It also hosts exhibitions of craftsmen, artists, photographers, students of art schools and creative associations of the cities of the Irkutsk region. The center actively cooperates with the regional art school, the photographic society of Irkutsk.
The Fatherland Soldiers branch began its work in February 2004 in order to popularize military history and patriotic education of youth. Two permanent exhibition halls dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War, the history of military institutions of Irkutsk andparticipation of Irkutsk citizens in the wars of the XIX-XX centuries. The third hall is used for temporary exhibitions from the cycles "Councils of Veterans", "Fates", "Search Teams".
The "Museum of Urban Life" is located in the building of the estate of the end of the century. Permanent expositions include "Morals and way of life of Irkutsk residents of the 19th-20th centuries", "Tea Museum". The latter includes several exhibition complexes: "Tea Way", "Russian Tea Traders", "Traditions of Tea Drinking", "Tea Packing Factory in Irkutsk", etc.
The "House of Crafts" brings together residents of the Irkutsk region interested in the preservation and development of traditional arts and crafts and folk art. Interacting with the Association of Masters "Onyx", the creative workshop "Beresten", the artel of potters, the employees of the branch are trying to introduce the younger generation to creative practices. In creative workshops, training is provided in the following areas: work with birch bark, frame doll, beading, hand weaving, pottery, wood painting and carving, art smoothness, etc.
Scientific work: conferences, lessons, publications
In addition to the main exhibition activities, the Museum of the History of the City of Irkutsk performs the functions of a city scientific and methodological center. It hosts round tables, conferences, training seminars, educational lectures for children and youth. Museum staff are actively engaged in research work, regularly publishing its results.
The scientific-practical conference "My City" has become a traditional event for the museum. It has been held annually since 1997. In herstudents who are interested in local history participate. Within the framework of the conference, there are sections devoted to the study and promotion of historical and cultural monuments of Irkutsk, national cultures and literary heritage, environmental events.
Museum employees invite their guests to lectures and lessons on local history. Lectures are held there on the archaeological sites of Irkutsk, the history of folk holidays and rituals, Orthodox churches in the region, the history of political exile, merchants, Siberian Cossacks and other interesting topics.
Museum Clubs
Currently, there are four thematic clubs at the Museum of the History of the City of Irkutsk:
- "Meeting";
- Fort Ross;
- "Honorary Citizens Club";
- Nostalgia Ballroom Dance Club.
The first of the listed clubs unites the victims of mass political repressions and their relatives. Materials and publications collected by club members are placed in the permanent museum exhibition.
Members of the Ballroom Dance Club organize themed balls for citizens, reconstruct dance costumes from different eras, and participate in the Irkutsk Ball exhibition project.
Fort Ross is an Irkutsk local history youth organization. The goal of the project is to develop the interest of schoolchildren in events related to the history of Russian America.
Exhibitions and themed events
In early 2019, in addition to the main exhibition, the Museum of the History of the City of Irkutsk hosted suchEvents:
- Exhibition of graphic works by Polina Kozlova within the framework of the project "Steps of Creativity" (V. Rogal Center);
- “Afghanistan. 30/40", an exhibition dedicated to the events of the Afghan war (branch "Soldiers of the Fatherland");
- Exhibition of applied art of the Kostarnov family;
- "Honorary Citizens of Irkutsk";
- Exhibition of works by Omsk craftsmen;
- "Irkutsk Chronograph";
- "Seamless Workshop";
- Exhibition of postcards of the 19th - early 20th centuries;
- A series of master classes "Folk holidays" (Museum of urban life).
Museum of the history of the city of Irkutsk: reviews
The attitude of employees to the work they do has a huge impact on the experience of visitors. Among the reviews about the museum of the city of Irkutsk, one can often find comments about the sincere enthusiasm of the guides, who infect with their interest and enthusiasm. Many note the high professional level of employees.
Here you can really plunge into the past, learn about the people who lived in Irkutsk many decades ago. This is a cozy chamber museum with interesting diverse expositions, polite and attentive staff.
If you are in Irkutsk now, it's time to evaluate the objectivity of visitors' reviews about the Museum of the City History.
