Alexander Vampilov Cultural Center

About museum

Alexander Vampilov Cultural Center opened on the 75th anniversary of the playwright’s birth, August 19, 2012. It operates across four areas: an art gallery with works dedicated to Irkutsk, Baikal, Alexander Vampilov and his circle; a small but very substantial library that houses not only Vampilov’s books but also literature on theatre, art and the Baikal region; a literary and theatrical salon that welcomes guests with exhibition openings, book presentations and creative evenings of extraordinary people; and perhaps the Center’s main visual attraction — the museum exhibition “On the Mezzanine,” for it is through this space that the spirit of the creativity and life of “the last great Russian playwright of Pushkin-like courage and strength” (V. Kurbatov) is conveyed. The exhibition’s design is based on images from the play “Last Summer in Chulimsk.” “On the Mezzanine” is filled with priceless exhibits that Vampilov himself touched: his books, personal belongings, autographs, as well as theatrical models, posters and playbills, and items from the 1960s–70s.