The Clock Museum in Angarsk is an exposition famous all over Russia. It presents the collection of Pavel Kurdyukov, which became the basis for the creation of the country's first watch museum. Here you can see unique exhibits from Western Europe, Japan and different parts of Russia. Some chronometers date back to the 17th-19th centuries, and the Bronnikovs' wooden pocket watches are a special pride.
History of the museum
The Clock Museum in Angarsk opened in 1968. It became the first such institution in the entire country. The Kurdyukov collection, which served as the basis of the exposition, has been collected for half a century.
To begin with, the museum was housed in a small hall, which could fit only 200 exhibits. Over time, their number has increased. The formation of the collection took place in several stages. Kurdyukov himself donated some exhibits to the museum, others were brought by numerous visitors and admirers.
To date, the collection has about 1300 items. In 1993, the clock museum in Angarsk moved to a new building. Now it is located in a specially restored building in the historical part of the city on Karl Marx Street. This is a large two-story mansion that is visiblefrom afar.
Collector Kurdyukov
Pavel Vasilyevich Kurdyukov, who laid the foundation for the Clock Museum in Angarsk, was born in the Vyatka province in 1908. His parents were peasants, he himself became interested in mechanics as a child, becoming a toolmaker by profession. Took part in various socialist construction projects.
Interest in clockwork appeared in his youth. At first he repaired watches, soon he began to collect them. His family moved to Angarsk in 1950. At that time, this city in the Irkutsk region was just beginning to be built. Kurdyukov began working as an electrician in a trust, he repaired instrumentation. At the same time, he continued to enthusiastically study for hours.
Pavel Vasilievich's clocks were everywhere at home. The fame of his unique collection spread far beyond Angarsk. Local residents and guests of the city came to his apartment, as if to a museum. Then they talked for a long time about an amazing place filled with only hours.
Decision on organizing a museum
The decision to organize the clock museum of the city of Angarsk was taken by the city executive committee in 1968. In 1972, Kurdyukov retired, but did not leave his collection. As before, he continued to work with his wife Ulyana Yakovlevna. They actively searched for new exhibits, with the help of numerous volunteers.
Over the years of the museum's existence, hundreds of copies of varioushours. Pavel Vasilyevich was called by many the Wizard of the Singing Time.
In 1975, Pavel Kurdyukov became the protagonist of the documentary "Returned Time". At the festival of amateur films "Unica" in 1976, the tape was awarded the main prize and a big gold medal.
Museum after Kurdyukov's death
Pavel Vasilyevich Kurdyukov passed away in 1985. He was 77 years old. After his death, he left his unique collection as a gift to the city.
The clock museum in Angarsk, the photo of which is in this article, moved to a new building in 1993, and took a special stand dedicated to Pavel Kurdyukov. Ulyana Yakovlevna, the wife of the store's founder, took part in the solemn move and cut the red ribbon.
Today, the exposition dedicated to Kurdyukov features his portrait, the most unusual watch compositions created by the master, as well as his own tools that have helped him in his work for many years. There is a memorial plaque on the building itself.
In 2001, the Clock Museum in Angarsk was named after Pavel Vasilyevich Kurdyukov.
Where is the museum
Address of the Clock Museum in Angarsk: Karl Marx street, house 31. This building is in the very center of the city. Nearby are the administration of Angarsk, the petrochemical library, the house of culture "Neftekhimik", a monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
The Clock Museum in Angarsk is open 5 days a week,except Sunday and Monday. Opening hours of the Clock Museum in Angarsk from 10 am to 6.30 pm.
The cost of a ticket for an adult visitor is 100 rubles, 80 rubles will have to be paid by a student, 50 by a pensioner or schoolchild. For children of preschool age, admission is free. The museum provides a separate fee for excursions. In this case, 150 rubles are taken from each adult visitor, 130 - from students, 100 - from pensioners and schoolchildren, 50 rubles - from preschool children. At the same time, for excursion groups of up to 10 people, there is a fixed rate for an excursion in the amount of one and a half thousand rubles.
There is also the opportunity to go on an independent journey through the halls of the museum, armed with an audio guide. Its cost is 150 rubles, while 500 rubles will have to be left as a deposit. For shooting with a video camera, you will be charged 150 rubles, 80 rubles is worth taking pictures of the exhibits with a camera. In the Angarsk clock museum, the working hours are quite convenient. Therefore, newlyweds often choose it for a photo shoot. For wedding photography in the entourage of museum exhibits, you will be asked a thousand rubles.
By the way, the museum is equipped with everything necessary for visitors with disabilities. In particular, these are special lifts.
Museum exhibits
As already noted, the museum has about 1300 exhibits. We will talk about the rarest and most amazing in this article. This is a collection of old clocks from Western Europe, which researchers attribute to the 18th century. The museum has 15 suchexhibits.
37 watches collected by Kurdyukov from the collection of mantel clocks in France. They represent different time periods, from the 18th to the 20th century. 70 exhibits belong to the antique German clocks of the 19th century. About 25 watches were made in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Most of the exposition, about 27 items, are Swiss-made pocket watches of the 19th-20th centuries. In this museum you can see at least 15 copies that were produced in Japan in the 19th century. A special pride of the museum is the collection of pocket watches by the famous Russian masters Bronnikovs.
Museum Complex
The building that houses the museum is divided into ten rooms. They are themed. As the guides say, every time has its own clock. All visitors, before starting to get acquainted with the collection, enter the memorial hall in memory of the founder of the museum, Pavel Kurdyukov.
The hall of the simplest clocks is of great interest. In it, visitors can find models of water and solar devices. In the hall where the tower clock is presented, an imitation of brickwork is made. A noticeable and memorable exhibit is a large model of the tower clock face. At the same time, the slides show the Kremlin chimes or the chimes in Prague.
There are 15 unique exhibits in the hall dedicated to the 18th century. These are mantel clocks by Czech masters, works by English watchmakers, floor copies that belonged to Duds and Denton. The main value of this collection is religious watches. They were madein the French capital by watchmaker Warein. Their body is made in the original "boule" technique, equipped with rich bronze applications, as well as vases, caryatids, animal figurines, flowers and solar faces. The dial is an applied enamel cartouche. It is the 18th century clock room that completes the exposition located on the first floor of the museum.
Second floor of the Clock Museum
When you go up to the second floor of the museum, you first find yourself in a hall with a variety of French mantel clocks. Salon clock called "Pallas Athena" stands out here, the "Saint-Bernard" clock is of great interest to visitors. They are made of patented and gilded bronze. Their author is the popular French watchmaker Lenoir Ravrio.
In the exposition of the museum, an important place is occupied by mantel and table clocks, produced by a French company called "Japi Brothers". They imitate the forms and decor of their numerous predecessors in a very original way. The clock itself is decorated in the styles of neo-baroque, neo-rococo, neoclassicism.
Often, visitors pay attention to the classic cases in a simple style, made by "Marty and Co." They are made of white and black marble. In the adjacent room, you can find mass-produced watches that hit the market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among them are exhibits in the form of a steam locomotive, a steam engine, a piggy bank, a pendulum or mechanisms with an annual winding. Part of the exposition is occupied by musical clocks. Their collection is very rich and varied.
Interestingpart of the composition is dedicated to watches from Germany. In particular, the famous company "Junggans", which was based in the Black Forest. Here, many are attracted by the collection, made in faience and porcelain cases.
A separate room is dedicated to Japanese clocks. They are distinguished by sophistication and grace.
Clock in the Russian Hall
Watches were as popular in Russia as they were in the rest of the world. The graphic drawing of the interior of the hall of domestic masters contrasts strongly with the red and white decoration of the halls.
Here you can hear the music box, the wooden cuckoo that bursts every hour from the wall clock. Everyone will be surprised by a real curiosity - a wooden pocket watch. In general, the variety of decor and forms of pocket watches in Russia at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century is amazing.
There is also a collection of special purpose watches. These are tank, chess, automobile, aviation models. And even a chronometer from an hour mine. Another pride of the exposition is a watch that has been in space. They belong to the famous Soviet cosmonaut Georgy Grechko.
At the end of the composition, modern watch models, products of domestic public and private factories and enterprises are presented.
Interesting facts about the Clock Museum
The Clock Museum enjoys well-deserved popularity among guests and residents of Angarsk. About 13 thousand people visit it annually.
The exposition of the museum is located on an area of 480 square meters.
