Akhmatkhan Bai House

About museum

Akhmetkhan's house (village Novy Kyrlaĭ) is a genuine example of vernacular architecture: a two-story wooden house built in 1893, decorated with ornamental carving on the facade. Originally it belonged to the rural mullah of the neighboring village Ashit. The house has two floors — the first floor was used for workers, and the second contained the owners' living apartments.

The wealthy peasant Akhmet's house (v. Novy Kyrlaĭ)
In 1918 Akhmet Khan bought it cheaply to improve conditions in his native village, Novy Kyrlaĭ. At that time villagers regarded Akhmetkhan as a notable local figure (he performed civil-registration functions according to some accounts). Akhmet himself was a wealthy peasant and a miller. In the 1930s the house was labeled as belonging to a 'kulak', and Akhmet, together with his family, was exiled, reportedly to the Magnitogorsk area. After that the building housed the kolkhoz administration (later the village council). Later the house was used as housing for kolkhoz workers.

In 2011 the house was transferred to the museum complex and restored. With the efforts of the museum staff, an exhibition recreating the life of a prosperous peasant of the late 19th–early 20th century was installed. The decorative exterior of the house is presented together with interior household items from Tatarstan. The modest yet comfortable furnishings and the ethnographic and everyday objects create an emotionally expressive atmosphere.