An updated exhibition dedicated to the Vyatka period of the writer's life is presented in five halls
As part of the celebration of the 650th anniversary of the city of Kirov, the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin House Museum (a department of the Kirov Regional Museum of Local Lore named after P.V. Alabin) reopened after restoration. The house museum and the adjoining estate grounds were restored in preparation for the city's anniversary.
Recall that the literary museum was opened in 1968. The building that houses it is a monument of history and culture of federal significance. Together with the surrounding grounds, it is one of the rare examples of a 19th-century estate complex preserved within the modern city limits.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture of the Kirov Region, Daniil Dvortsov.
— "We are presenting not just one of the regional museums. This house and the very person of Saltykov-Shchedrin are a significant part of the history that we are restoring, preserving and carefully passing on to future generations," the minister said.
A guest at the opening was Gulnara Idrisova, Minister of Culture and Archival Affairs of the Komi Republic. She also congratulated the residents of Kirov on this important cultural event in the city's life: "This is a wonderful museum where they managed to preserve the atmosphere of Saltykov-Shchedrin's times. You have much to be proud of! My sincerest wishes of success and prosperity to the museum!"
The restored house-museum now features the exhibition "M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin in Vyatka. Fate and Creativity" (0+), which acquaints visitors with the period of life of the Russian classic M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin in our city.
In the house where the young Mikhail Saltykov lived there were five rooms: a dining room, a parlor, a study, a bedroom and a servants' room. All of them now serve as museum halls.
The first hall illustrates the official duties of M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, which he carried out in the Vyatka provincial administration; the second hall tells about the social life of the future writer in Vyatka.
In Saltykov's study visitors learn about his family, the young official's courtship of Lizaveta Boltina, his friendships and his social circle. The next hall recounts his departure from Vyatka and his first major work, "Provincial Sketches," created on local material. In the last hall, which had been the servants' quarters during Saltykov's lifetime, the heroes of his immortal works now "live": the fairy tales, "The History of a Town," "The Golovlyov Family" and others as depicted by artists.
It should be added that actors from the Kirov Regional Drama Theater took part in the opening. They presented scenes about the writer's life and helped the first visitors immerse themselves in the atmosphere of 19th-century Vyatka.
Development plans for the museum include further museification of the estate, strengthening cooperation with educational organizations, implementing new interactive museum technologies, staging theatrical programs in the spirit of the 19th century, and much more.
