The Kursk Museum of Local Lore is more than a hundred years old. Over the past years, he never once for a long time stopped his activities, even in the most difficult periods for the country and the city. Scrupulously collecting historical evidence of the life of the region, today it has the largest collection of exhibits in the Kursk region. The materials stored in its walls tell about how the Kursk people lived from time immemorial to the present day.
Restless governor
In 1902, Nikolai Nikolaevich Gordeev was appointed to the post of governor of Kursk. A serious, responsible person devoted a lot of attention and time to the issues of managing the province. He delved into construction, agriculture, gardening. There were no inconsequential matters for him.
Once, visiting a statistical office, he saw in the closet unique objects of great historical value. There were few of them, but this was quite enough for the decision of the initiative leader. He invited his subordinates to open a museum.
Well-educated, keen on archeology, the governor took up a new business seriously. Without him, no questions were resolved; he wanted to delve into everything himself. The meetings that took place were distinguished by their efficiency and effectiveness. Listening to scientists and colleagues, he expressed his point of view, and, if necessary, objected.
Undoubtedly, the greatest merit of N. N. Gordeev is that at the beginning of the 20th century the first historical-ethnographic museum, now the Kursk Museum of Local Lore, appeared in the city. He also created a society of lovers of archeology at the museum.
In memory of the visit to Kursk by the emperor
Nikolai Nikolaevich was an excellent organizer. Soon many smart and necessary residents of Kursk were brought to business. The museum was created by teachers, clergy, artists, and officials. In a word, the intelligentsia of the city was in the cycle of events. The merchants also did not stand by. The museum has become a common cause.
The collection of items increased. She replenished due to finds, gifts or purchases. The governor has repeatedly acquired for his money samples of folk art as a gift to the museum.
During an audience with Emperor Nicholas II, the Kursk governor presented a photo album. The photographs were rare exhibits of the museum. Sovereign liked the gift. The archive of the Kursk Museum of Local Lore contains a document that certifies that Nicholas II agreed to the creation of the museum "in memory of the visit by the Imperial Majesty of Kursk in 1902".
Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich immediately took patronage over the museum and wished him success in studying the history of the region. The emperor, having chosen Kursk as the place of military training exercises, repeatedly visited the city.
The beginning of the museum
The institution began its work on January 18, 1905. N. N. Gordeev continued to participate in the museum after its opening. His sensible initiatives have always been taken to implement, which increased the importance of the institution. For example, he proposed making the visit to the museum free so that the poor residents and visitors could come here. And for wealthy people, one day a week was paid. Calm, without fuss, the atmosphere gave them the opportunity to have a fruitful time in the museum. Kursk posters notified citizens about lectures that were delivered at the museum. Thus, the people were instilled with a craving for knowledge, an interest in the history of their native land. Nikolai Nikolaevich, a lover of archeology, conducted interesting classes on this topic. Even experts were amazed at the depth of his knowledge.
Museum exhibits were taken to other Russian cities to tell people about the history of the Kursk Territory.
In February 1906, N.N. Gordeev, in connection with his illness, retired and went with his family to the estate near Tula. In October, he passed away. His wife sent gifts to the museum for a long time.
Museum on Znamenskaya Square (1905-1920)
In 1903, after obtaining the Highest consent to assign the museum its name, the best building in the city, the premises of the Kursk Provincial Treasury, was allocated for work. Throughout its history, the museum has changed addresses four times. To design interiors and displays from Moscow, they invited the scientific draftsman K.V. Orlov. He taught at the Stroganov Art College.
The museum has created several departments: church, pre-Petrine, Petrovsky, paleontological, ethnographic and artisanal. After the opening of the exhibition, a note made by a group of scientists was left in the review book: “… few archive commissions can even dream of …” about such a building and such a collection.
Nothing is known about the work of the Kursk Museum of Local Lore from 1913 to 1917. Documents for this period were not preserved. The White Guards first ruled the room, and then the Red Army men. As a result of careless handling of fire, a fire broke out in which both the building and the exhibits were damaged.
Museum on Kherson Street (1920-1923)
The house of the city bank on Kherson, and now Dzerzhinskaya street, where the museum moved in the winter of 1920, still stands. Locals know him as the Teacher’s House. Today it housed the city social service.
The historical-archaeological and artisanal museum was merged with the Museum of Arts and became known as the provincial historical. 15 rooms were allocated on two floors. The number of departments remained unchanged, six, but instead of Peter's, paleontological, and ethnographic departments, the historical, archaeological, and museum expositions appeared.
During this period was the largest replenishment of collections. Paintings, art objects, furniture, books were brought from the abandoned estates and mansions. The requisition committee distributed items from the noble estates. The museum became known as the Museum of the Executive Committee. But soon the bank needed square meters, and the museum had to move out.
Museum on the 1st Sergievskaya Street (1923-1926)
The next move to the premises of the former nunnery on 1st Sergievskaya Street (now M. Gorky) took place. It was obvious that this was not for long. The room was small, and the number of exhibits exceeded five thousand. A huge place was occupied by an expanded library of 10 thousand volumes.
Now the museum began to be called the provincial local history. In accordance with the new requirements, four departments were organized: historical-cultural, industrial-economic, school-pedagogical and nature.
Kursk Regional Museum of Local Lore on Lunacharsky Street
In 1927, the museum moved to the house, which in the city is called the “former bishop's”. After bringing the premises into proper form, ten departments were located here. The museum began its work.
During the Great Patriotic War, before the entry of German troops into the city, museum workers rescued valuable exhibits. Some of them were evacuated to Sarapul, some, mainly porcelain, were buried in the basement. But even during the years of occupation, the museum continued to operate. It was opened a few days later at the request of the authorities. In 1943, after the liberation of Kursk, workers took only three weeks to restore the exhibition and open their doors to visitors. Of course, the Germans took part of the unique collection with them.
About the former bishop’s house
The house, which today houses the Kursk Museum of Local Lore at 6 Lunacharsky Street, is an architectural monument of federal significance and deserves special attention.
Simultaneously with the construction of the Znamensky Cathedral in 1816, construction of a two-story house began nearby. The construction of the XVII century, which belonged to the archimandrite of the Bogoroditsky monastery, the architect G.V. Gavrilov made part of the new house. On the ground floor of the current museum there is a room with arched vaults, this is an earlier building. The bishop lived in the house, as well as the monks. The singing rooms were there. In the middle of the XIX century, only the second floor was inhabited, the archbishop was located there, and on the first there were rooms of the monastery government and the office.
At this time, another structure was built between the cathedral and the house, an extension. A home church was built on the second floor, and cells on the first floor. At the end of the century, while visiting Kursk, John of Kronstadt lived here. After the revolution, this was the hostel of the delegates of the provincial congresses, and later the barracks of the GPU troops were set up here.
Museum today
Description of the Kursk Museum of Local Lore can be done using statistics. The regional museum worked for more than a hundred years. In the first year, 6 thousand people visited him, which was an incredible success. In the eighties of the last century, the museum totaled more than one hundred thousand visitors annually. Nowadays, there are fewer, but still at least 80 thousand.
Today, the museum has created several departments of history and nature. They are located on 1200 square meters, with their help visitors get acquainted with the past of the Kursk province and modern events. Permanent exhibitions are being finalized, modified, so excursions in the Kursk Museum of Local Lore are always interesting.
The museum is the owner of more than 180 thousand valuable exhibits, 30 thousand unique books, 20 thousand rare coins. Being a regional museum, it has 25 branches.
Museum collection
The fund of the museum was formed over a hundred years. The main items of the collection were acquired and stored in the first half of its activities.
Some of them were bought in antique shops or donated by the owners. A large proportion of the fund is made up of rare things nationalized from noble estates after the revolution. Valuable antiquities mined during ethnographic and natural history expeditions are also listed in the museum.
He owns porcelain collections, antique beads and metal products, and paintings. The furniture section is represented by antique items. A lot of clothes of historical importance were collected. Reviews of the Kursk Museum of Local Lore indicate that visitors receive a strong positive impression of what they saw. Particularly attracting attention are photo materials that document the history of the region.
