Museum of the Revolution in Moscow

In the fall of 2017, the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution is celebrated, during which the Bolsheviks overthrew the last Russian autocrat, Nicholas II. The course of development of Russia and the whole world has changed. A fundamentally new system emerged, denying the capitalist foundations. In Moscow there is an institution of culture, the name and content of which brings the viewer back to those turbulent times. It is the Museum of the Revolution on Tverskaya-Yamskaya, 21. Since 1998 - the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia (hereinafter, for short, the Museum of the Revolution).

Bronevik and Koziavka

In the October poem "Okay" the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky wrote: "Which are temporary! Slazz! Your uninitiated are finished! "The uninitiated think:" The Museum of the October Revolution, located in an old mansion, tells only about the storming of the Winter Palace, the volley of the Aurora, the Lenin armored car. " This is not quite true. The richness of the diverse expositions that tell about the economic and social political development of Russia at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, the priorities of modern Russia, the succession of generations amazes. Visitors note the goodwill and professionalism of the guides. Guides are not inclined to embellish the ideas of socialism. Just tell how it happened.

Weapons, clothes, printing machines, the interior of the restaurant, where grandparents visited, the stuffed dog Koziavka, who flew into space - thirty rooms of an unrealistically fascinating journey into the past. There is an opinion: the period of modern history that has vanished in the summer looks impressive, visible, but not rude. Children like to watch filmstrips, and parents - to nostalgic. The café-museum with products, about which now they say "natural, not just that ...", candies made according to the recipe of forty years ago, are popular.

Noteworthy building

Most visitors leave with the intention of recommending to friends to visit the Museum of the Revolution. In Moscow on Tverskaya they were well: cognitively, no fuss and vulgarity. By the way, there is a hall where it is told about destiny of the building. It was built in the XVIII century. Quite well preserved outside and inside. I saw different owners and visitors. The owner of the old estate was a poet, playwright Mikhail Kheraskov (the earlier information was also preserved), which sold it to the Count, Major-General Lev Razumovsky.

The main building (main house) was built under Catherine the Great (1777-1780). Later known among the architects of the time Adam Menelas added additional wings. The manor came in a style typical of mature classicism. Invasion of the army of Napoleon did not spare the beauty. The perestroika was commissioned by the architect Domenico Gilyardi. By the way, there is another museum. On the Revolution Square (Moscow), he opens the door to everyone who is interested in learning about the Patriotic War of 1812. But back to the topic. When Razumovsky died, the widow transferred the architectural heritage to her brother Nikolai Viazemsky. Nikolai Grigorievich transferred the buildings to the Moscow English Club (1831). Up to 1917, there were social gatherings of men of noble origin. At one time the randomly expanded commercial buildings blocked a beautiful facade (it was necessary to wander in search of an entrance).

New palace life

The history of the Museum of the Revolution began soon after the fiery events of October. It was decided to form a collection of materials on the Russian liberation movement, comprehensively study the accumulated information. In the residual form (in small squares) the club operated as early as the beginning of 1918. But the past gave place to the future. New decrees, decisions flowed. The very first order, issued by the Commission for the Protection of Monuments of Art and Antiquities under the People's Commissariat for Education, concerned the preservation of the architectural appearance of the manor given to the cultural institution. Trade outlets, once treacherously grown in front of the palace, were demolished. The façade again shone with greatness.

In a different way, the halls of the English club also sounded: the Museum of Old Moscow was working here. The first exhibition in the establishment of the name of the revolution was opened in November 1922 and was called "Red Moscow". The writer of the capital Vladimir Gilyarovsky said that the opening took place at six in the evening. The electricity was switched on. In the halls, several years standing without heating, as if warmed. Visitors of the new model were completely different from the previous inhabitants: in military overcoats, leather jackets, coats, they busily paced the recent "realm of idleness."

There is no other way for us, in the commune there is a stop

The people proudly admired red flags and a formidable weapon of insurrection, hung over ancient marble walls. The old portrait was decorated with pictures and pictures of heroes "ten days that shocked the world" (as described by American journalist John Reed). Among the guests were women (which could not have been at the time of the English club).

Everyone was happy that there was a new museum. There were a lot of revolutions in showcases and thematic corners: soldiers, sailors, the birth of a new world! Many recognized each other in combat images. The collected storage units became the basis of the exposition of the Historical and Revolutionary Museum of Moscow. In 1924, the institution became the State Museum of the Revolution. The first leader, Sergei Mickiewicz, is a well-known personality. Russian revolutionary, master of journalistic genre, historian, professor of Moscow University. The organizer of the Moscow Workers' Union.

The farther into socialism

The Museum of the Revolution in Moscow widely covered the subject of mass peasant demonstrations against the nobility and landowners (it is noteworthy that their leaders Stepan Razin and Emelyan Pugachev were born in the village of Zimoveisky-on-Don, a hundred years apart). It was possible to expand personal knowledge about the Decembrist movement, Narodnaya Volya, to understand the "jungle" of the events of Russian revolutions, the civil war. These were the oldest expositions that the Museum of Revolution had at its disposal.

In Moscow they understood: the gradually accumulating experience of building socialism must be systematized, actively popularized. Since 1927, the thematic framework has been expanded. For decades, the world of developing (and later developed) socialism has attracted not only citizens of the Soviet Union, but also foreign guests.

Gift of Repin

Separate statesmen, large delegations from capitalist, socialist, developing countries, writers, artists, sculptors, theatrical figures, "proletarians of all countries" considered it their duty to visit the Museum of the Revolution. Some guests did not come empty-handed. So the exposition was replenished with paintings imbued with rebellious spirit "January 9", "Red funerals" and others. They were presented by the famous painter Ilya Repin.

Loving citizens of the USSR and friendly countries bore gifts to the leader of the state, Josef Stalin. Many of them differed in a touch of ideology: a phone in the form of the Globe, a telephone hammer, a clock adorned with a small gold T-34 tank. The exhibition of gifts operated from the 39th to the 55th years of the XX century. An unusual assortment is popular with viewers today. In 1941 the museum already appeared on the undisputed leaders among such institutions. The funds numbered one million items. Branches were opened.

Shared the work

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) made drastic adjustments to the scientific and educational activities carried out by the museum. The revolution did not happen, just the lion's share of the funds went deep into the rear. The number of employees has been reduced almost threefold. But the work did not stop. In July of the 41st, an exhibition was presented to the attention of visitors, telling about the struggle of the Soviet people against the German-fascist invaders. Both the head center and the branches met and escorted the tourists during all the war years.

The enemy was eager for Moscow. The museum workers confronted him in the way they could: telling people about the heroism of Soviet soldiers. Statistics of visits read: the number of visitors for 1942 - 423, 5 thousand people.

The exposition under the open sky (guns, mortars and other equipment of the Red Army and enemy trophies) functioned. The usual rhythm of work returned in 1944. There was a partial re-profiling: the materials reflecting the features of the revolutionary liberation movement were dispersed. Some of them "left" for GAU (Main Archival Office), others - to the State History Museum, popularly known as the Museum of Revolution on Red Square, and others - thankfully accepted by the Library of Foreign Literature. The sender himself focused on studying the ideological trend known as the Russian Social-Democratic movement. Still it was necessary to understand the subtleties of development peculiar to the society of justice, freedom and equality.

Approached the objectivity

It is known that once some of the worthy memory names were in disgrace: the exaggeration of the significance of the contribution of Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin) to the achievements of the country flourished. In 1959, after the famous XX Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the crowned personality was debunked. Excursion texts have become bolder, more objective. Who visited the institution in the early 1960s, remembers: exhibited a huge number of exhibits, telling about the development of health care, education. Visitors learned how in the conditions of industrial growth they protect the environment, what is happening in the "culture" sector, how many times the welfare of Soviet citizens has increased.

In 1968, there was another renaming: on the signboard appeared the inscription "Central Museum of the Revolution of the USSR". The following year, he was given the right to conduct scientific research. The high status of the Institute was given to the institution-keeper of the heritage of the centuries for the first time. A solid level of activity was assessed by state awards. The laboratory of museology (1984) was opened, which began to study the history of museum business in the Soviet Union.

Is there life outside of ideology?

The socio-political processes of the country of the sample of the mid-1980s were interrupted by the "continuity of generations". A new interpretation of the past, a retreat from the planned path to communism and other modern trends pushed to abandon ideologization and propaganda. Special storage facilities were open for public viewing.

In 1998, the Museum of the Revolution radically restructured the exposition. GCMSIR has become a major scientific and methodological center, hosting delegates to thematic meetings, conducting scientific and practical classes. For the expansion of experience, museum workers from all over the country come here. All interested physical and legal persons can count on receiving methodological recommendations, passing professional training.