M. S. Shchepkin Historical and Theatrical Museum

About museum

In the jubilee year marking the 200th anniversary of Mikhail Semyonovich Shchepkin, a historical and theatrical museum was opened in his homeland. The actor's great-granddaughter, Kristina Pavlovna Lupovskaya, attended the opening. Artists and museum staff worked on creating the exhibition. The museum interiors convey the spirit of 19th-century theatrical life. Unique exhibits and documents about the life and work of M. S. Shchepkin are collected here, including correspondence with prominent cultural figures of the 19th century, relatives, and friends. The museum preserves memorial furniture from the house of Nikolai Mikhailovich Shchepkin and personal belongings of the actor's great-granddaughters, actresses of the Maly Theatre. The museum presents documentary evidence of the development of theatre in the Belgorod region. Actors have visited the museum and given master classes. A highlight of the museum is a mid-19th-century peasant homestead — a log house, barn, granary, 'pun'ka' (traditional storage building), stable, and shed. All this helps to understand the spirit of 19th-century theatrical life and to appreciate the artistry of the great Russian actor.