A. A. Kokel House-Museum

About museum

The village of Tarkhany in the Batyrëvsky District of the Chuvash Republic has made an exceptionally strong impression on world history as the birthplace of the outstanding artist and founder of Chuvash professional fine art, A. A. Kokel. He studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg and taught at the Kharkiv Art School and the Kharkiv Art Institute. In 1935 A. A. Kokel was forced to leave his native village. However, he dreamed all his life of returning to Tarkhany and creating his works for his people. In 1980 a house-museum of A. A. Kokel was opened in this village, recognized as an object of cultural heritage of republican significance. In 2020 the house-museum underwent restoration, and in September 2021 a picture gallery was opened here, presenting more than 300 paintings by participants of the Kokel plein air. The Chuvash people are proud of their fellow countryman and, following his example, educate the younger generation. Every year an international Kokel plein air is held in Tarkhany.