Exhibition "A Visit to V. I. Chapaev"

About exhibition

Vasily Chapaev remains one of the most vivid heroes of the turbulent early 20th century, and interest in him has not waned. One of the most interesting museums dedicated to the hero is located in his homeland — in Cheboksary. Visitors will see a landscape model of the town from the late 19th–early 20th century with the village of Budayka, where the future commander was born, learn about the places where his childhood years were spent and about his family history, visit the Chapaev family house, and see the traditional interior of a Russian peasant izba from the late 19th–early 20th century. Authentic household items and utensils belonging to V. I. Chapaev’s relatives from the villages of Koshkino and Gremyachevo (his mother’s homeland), as well as from the village of Ryndino in the Tsivilsky District — the former estate of one of the owners of Budayka — were used to recreate the interior. Museum guests can trace Chapaev’s military career from a soldier and feldfebel of the Imperial Russian Army, a recipient of the Order of St. George, to an organizer and commander of the Red Army. The exhibition tells about the Red Army units created by Chapaev and about his White opponents. Visitors are met by anatomical mannequins in full uniform, recreating realistic images: a soldier of the Imperial Russian Army and an Austro-Hungarian private, a Cossack, and a Red Army soldier. Footage from the famous 1934 film "Chapaev" is shown on screen. Tickets can be purchased on the website.