Lesnoy Museum and Exhibition Complex

About museum

The museum was founded on May 13, 1968 by community activists. In 1995 it received the status of a municipal institution. Today it is a museum and exhibition complex occupying a three-story building and a separate exhibition hall of 461 sq. m. The museum building is decorated with ornamental ironwork by local craftsman Alexander Chernenko. Its awards include honorary diplomas from the town head, the Ministry of Culture of the Sverdlovsk Region, and the governor. The museum presents five permanent exhibitions: 'History of the City', 'Peasant Life', 'Geology', 'Nature of the Urals', and 'Military Glory'. Its holdings number about 25,000 items. The museum has diverse collections: a collection of coins from the Imperial period (the earliest coin dates to 1700); a collection of antique samovars, including ones from the Tula factories of the Batashev brothers and Teille; clocks from the 'Henry Moser & Co.' factory, supplier to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna; a collection of locks and keys dating from the late 19th to early 20th century; a collection of church books and icons painted in the village of Yelkino in the 19th century for church services and home use; an extensive collection of bird nests, and more. The museum operates three museum-educational programs: 'From Local Studies to Local Patriotism' for primary school students, 'Museum and Children' for preschool children, and 'World Studies' for children with physical, visual, and intellectual disabilities. The museum is visited by more than 30,000 people annually.