Museum of Rostov Merchants

About museum

The building housing the museum was the main house of one of the city's merchant estates from the late 18th to the early 20th century. From 1835 to 1917 the estate belonged to generations of the Kekin merchant family. In 1918 it was nationalized and converted into an agricultural technical school. In 1999 the main house of the estate was transferred to the museum. On August 29, 2008 the Museum of Rostov Merchants was opened here. It features the exhibition 'The Kekins - family, fate, legacy', dedicated to the history and culture of Rostov's merchant class, as well as to the genealogy of local merchant families. The interiors of rooms have been recreated: the drawing room, boudoir, dining room, and study. The museum displays items, documents, painted portraits and photographs of members of the Kekin family. The exhibits illustrate everyday life, commercial and public activities, and the spiritual and material culture of the merchant class. Some of the house's halls are used for temporary exhibitions. The museum is an important place for studying and remembering the history and culture of Rostov's merchant class.