A private balalaika museum opened its doors in 2013 in Ulyanovsk. It was founded by true enthusiasts — craftsmen and musicians who continue the tradition of Ulyanovsk balalaika artels and established the musical manufactory “Balalaiker” — the third-largest balalaika producer in Russia. As a result of numerous scientific expeditions dedicated to searching for folk instruments, masters and performers, the museum's creators assembled a unique collection of musical instruments, archival photographs and documents. There is no museum of the balalaika like it in Russia or anywhere else in the world.
Museum interior
The museum's exhibition section consists of instruments from the late 19th to the early 20th century, brought back from expeditions. Here you can see antique, peasant, homemade and artel balalaikas, as well as the earliest examples of academic instruments. The exhibition also features mandolins, regional Russian accordions and seven-string guitars. The museum's founders, Sergey Klyuchnikov and Evgeny Kharlamov, say the museum was created not only to popularize the folk instrument but also to attract young people, enthusiasts and like-minded individuals.
The museum's original concept was borrowed from the global Hard Rock Cafe chain. People would come to the museum-cafe in groups, socialize, immerse themselves in the musical atmosphere and begin to take an interest in folk traditions and the history of the Russian balalaika. It was then that the museum team formed — a team that continues to preserve, study and recreate the country's cultural traditions today.
The balalaika is a popular instrument among young performers
For a time the museum operated online and as a series of traveling exhibitions, and in 2021 it reopened in the building at 19 Bebel Street. The museum complex includes exhibition space and a musical instrument factory. During tours, visitors are told the remarkable story of the Russian balalaika, its kinship with eastern plucked instruments, and other interesting facts from the world of folk music.
Mesmerized little listeners
But the most interactive part of the tour is the chance to try your hand as a craftsman! Visitors learn the secret of the balalaika's most important component and how — and with what technologies — the instrument's characteristic shimmering sound is created. The museum also hosts concerts, evenings of improvised music and other themed events. On the museum grounds there is a shop where you can buy manufactory-made and souvenir balalaikas, jewelry and artisan items. And finally: just listen to virtuoso balalaika player Alexey Arkhipovsky!
