Merchant Belyanin's House

About museum

In 1895 the merchant M. S. Belyanin built the house, which in 1917 became the property of the Izborsk Cultural and Educational Society. In 1944 the Izborsk village council was housed there. After the war, the ground floor of the house was used for film screenings and festive events, while the second floor was divided into a library, cobbler's and sewing workshops. Since 1969 the building has housed the administration and held the collections of the Izborsk Museum.

Today the restored interior of the merchant's house presents the exhibition 'Izborsk Land — Sacred Places for Russian Culture'. The exhibition offers information about the history of Izborsk from the 18th century to the present day, about local residents, well-known Izborsk families, and about the prominent people who visited the ancient town. Such notable figures as the artist N. K. Roerich, theologian A. I. Makarovsky, writer L. F. Zurov, researcher V. V. Sedov, and film directors A. Tarkovsky and V. Motyl once visited Izborsk. In this house you can see unique documents, interior items, and paintings.