Dukhovshchinsky Historical and Art Museum

About museum

In May 1985 a Museum of the Great Patriotic War was established in Dukhovshchina with a view to marking the 40th anniversary of Victory. In 1991 the project was officially recognized as state-owned, and in 2000 a unified museum system was created, consisting of the Dukhovshchinsky Museum, the Prechistenskaya Art Gallery and eight school museums in the district. The museum's collection represents a diverse cultural heritage: fine art, local history, military, archaeological, etc. It contains unique exhibits dedicated to P. K. Kozlov and G. A. Potemkin, as well as collections belonging to Dukhovshchina's famous fellow countrymen: V. I. Ardamatsky, S. T. Shatsky and others. The central museum houses halls devoted to the history of the town and district, Russian everyday life, the Great Patriotic War, the partisan movement, notable natives of the district, currencies of Russia and other countries, as well as materials on healthy lifestyles, local conflicts (Afghanistan and Chechnya), and the Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park.