House-Museum of the Decembrists

About museum

The House-Museum of the Decembrists, a structural subdivision of the Kurgan Regional Museum, was opened on December 10, 1975. It is a late 18th-century architectural monument and has federal significance. The Decembrist M. M. Naryshkin lived here with his family from 1833 to 1837. He belonged to a noble and wealthy family, but after the suppression of the uprising he was sentenced to hard labor and came to Kurgan with his wife. The house hosted musical evenings, and in Soviet times it housed a Pioneer club, a library, and medical courses. After restoration the house has retained its exterior appearance and internal layout. The museum's exhibition includes more than 600 original items of 19th-century noble household life and materials about 13 Decembrists who lived in Kurgan from 1830 to 1857. The House-Museum has become a calling card of the city and the region; a monument to M. M. Naryshkin has been installed on the museum grounds. Various events are held here: tours, musical evenings, literary salons, and others.