Museum of the History of Moscow: where and what to see?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

History is a very important part of culture. As a rule, at school they study the past of the largest countries, including their own, but the formation and development of cities bypass or talk about it briefly. Meanwhile, for example, Moscow witnessed many events that changed its appearance and influenced the life of the people living in it. Perhaps that is why it is worth visiting the Museum of the History of Moscow. What kind of institution is this?

History

The history of this institution began in the 19th century. At the initiative of the Moscow City Duma, in 1896, a museum of urban economy was opened, located in one of the Krestovsky water towers. After that, its name and address changed several times. The Museum of Moscow was located in the Sukharev Tower, and after it on New Square. Then there was the last move to the Provisional Warehouses at the moment, which lasted 3 years. In 1920, it was renamed, so that it became known as the Moscow Communal. And from 1940 to 1986, the institution was named after the Museum of History and Reconstruction. Finally, at the end of the century, it was given its current name.

Over the years, the Museum of the History of Moscow has grown and become a very serious institution, which for some reason many tourists bypass. The reason for this is probably not only the abundance of cultural places in the capital, but also the almost complete absence of advertising. Even the residents of the city themselves do not always know what kind of institution it is, where it is located, and what you can see there. Now it is a whole complex, there is even a cinema center on its territory where you can watch documentaries. The Department of Culture intends to seriously revise the concept of the museum, to make it more interactive and interesting not only for adults, but also for children and youth. At the same time, it is assumed that attention will be paid not only to the past of the city, but also to its current problems.

Address

The Museum of Moscow, after several moves, is now located in the historic building of the Food Warehouses. Their address is 2 Zubovsky Boulevard, a few steps from the Park Kultury metro station. The Museum of the City of Moscow is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00, opening and closing an hour later on Thursday.

The warehouses it now houses were built between 1829-1835. They represent one of the few complexes of buildings that have been preserved almost completely unchanged. Despite their purpose, the architect Fyodor Shestakov did not sacrifice beauty for the sake of practicality, and the whole ensemble in the Empire style looks very organic and forms a single space. This decision was highly appreciated by A. V. Shchusev.

Exposure

The collection, which the Moscow History Museum boasts, includes more than 1 million items, including a variety of documents, furniture, costume elements, fine and applied arts, photographs, maps, coins, dishes, archaeological finds etc. Here you can see paintings by Aivazovsky, Polenov, Vasnetsov, Makovsky, Surikov, Falk and other famous artists. You can also compare modern Moscow with how it developed and expanded, with a rich collection of photographs, maps and city plans. There is even a dinner menu in honor of the coronation of the last imperial couple. Where else can you see this?

Development Concept

Despite such an interesting exposition, the Museum of the History of Moscow is not very popular. However, the Department of Culture decided to fix this and developed a global concept aimed at increasing interest in this institution. First, the building needs to be repaired and equipped properly. Secondly, it is necessary to expand the tasks of the museum to cover not only the history of the city, but also its current problems and future.

The leadership of the institution intends to work closely with designers, architects and artists, as well as continue to expand the exposition and improve the infrastructure. Back in 2013, the first documentary cinema in Russia began its work on its basis, so it is worth visiting the Museum of the History of Moscow, if only for this reason.