The Clock Museum in Angarsk is an exposition famous throughout Russia. It presents the collection of Pavel Kurdyukov, which became the basis for the creation of the country's first watch museum. Here you can see unique exhibits from Western Europe, Japan and different parts of Russia. Individual chronometers date back to the 17th-19th centuries, and the Bronnikov’s wooden pocket watch is a special pride.
Museum History
The Clock Museum in Angarsk opened in 1968. He became the first such institution in the whole country. Kurdyukov’s collection, which served as the basis of the exposition, has been collected for half a century.
To begin with, the museum was located in a small hall, which housed only 200 exhibits. Over time, their number increased. The formation of the collection took place in several stages. Kurdyukov himself handed over some exhibits to the museum, others were brought by numerous visitors and admirers.
To date, the collection has about 1300 items. In 1993, the watch museum in Angarsk moved to a new building. Now it is located in a specially restored building in the historical part of the city on Karl Marx Street. This is a large two-story mansion that is visible from afar.
Collector Kurdyukov
Pavel Vasilyevich Kurdyukov, who laid the foundation for the Clock Museum in Angarsk, was born in Vyatka province in 1908. His parents were peasants, he was still interested in mechanics in childhood, and by profession he became a toolmaker. He took part in various socialist construction projects.
Interest in watch movements appeared in his youth. At first he repaired watches, and soon began to collect them. His family moved to Angarsk in 1950. At that time, this city in the Irkutsk region was just starting to be built. Kurdyukov began working as an electrician in the trust, he was repairing instrumentation. At the same time, he continued to work enthusiastically for hours.
At Pavel Vasilievich’s house, the clock was everywhere. The fame of his unique collection spread far beyond Angarsk. Local residents and visitors came to his apartment, like a museum. Then they talked for a long time about an amazing place filled with hours alone.
The decision to organize a museum
The decision to organize a clock museum of the city of Angarsk was made by the city executive committee in 1968. In 1972, Kurdyukov retired, but did not leave his collection. As before, he continued to work with his wife Ulyana Yakovlevna. They actively searched for new exhibits, in which they were helped by numerous volunteers.
Over the years the museum has existed, hundreds of copies of various watches have passed through its keeper. Many people called Pavel Vasilievich the Wizard of Singing Time.
In 1975, Pavel Kurdyukov became the protagonist of the documentary "Returned Time". At the festival of amateur films "Unica" in 1976, the tape was awarded the main prize and a large gold medal.
Museum after the death of Kurdyukov
Pavel Vasilyevich Kurdyukov passed away in 1985. He was 77 years old. After death, he left his unique collection as a gift to the city.
The Clock Museum in Angarsk, whose photo is in this article, having moved to a new building in 1993, has set aside a special stand dedicated to Pavel Kurdyukov. The wife of the founder of the storage, Ulyana Yakovlevna, who cut the red ribbon, took part in the solemn move.
Today in the exposition dedicated to Kurdyukov, his portrait, the most unusual watch compositions created by the master’s hands, as well as his own tools that helped him in his work for many years are installed. A memorial plaque is installed on the building itself.
In 2001, the Clock Museum in Angarsk was named after Pavel Vasilyevich Kurdyukov.
Where is the museum
Address of the Clock Museum in Angarsk: Karl Marx Street, 31. This building is in the very center of the city. Nearby are the administration of Angarsk, the petrochemical library, the house of culture "Neftekhimik", a monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
The opening hours of the Museum of Watches in Angarsk are 5 days a week, except Sunday and Monday. Opening hours of the Clock Museum in Angarsk from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
The cost of a ticket for an adult visitor is 100 rubles, 80 rubles will have to pay a student, 50 senior citizen or schoolchild. Admission is free for preschool children. The museum provides a separate payment for excursion services. In this case, 150 rubles are taken from each adult visitor, 130 from students, 100 from pensioners and schoolchildren, 50 rubles from children of preschool age. At the same time, for excursion groups of up to 10 people there is a fixed rate for the tour in the amount of one and a half thousand rubles.
There is also the opportunity to go on an independent journey through the halls of the museum, armed with an audio guide. Its cost is 150 rubles, while 500 rubles will have to be left as collateral. For shooting with a video camera you will be charged 150 rubles, 80 rubles worth shooting exhibits on the camera. In the clock museum of Angarsk, the operating mode is quite convenient. Therefore, often the newlyweds choose it for a photo shoot. For wedding shooting in the entourage of museum exhibits you will be asked a thousand rubles.
By the way, the museum is equipped with everything necessary for visitors with disabilities. In particular, these are special lifts.
Museum exhibits
As already noted, the museum has about 1300 exhibits. We will talk about the rarest and most amazing in this article. This is a collection of antique watches from Western Europe, which researchers date back to the 18th century. The museum has 15 such exhibits.
37 hours gathered Kurdyukov from the collection of mantel clocks in France. They represent various time periods, starting from the XVIII and ending with the XX century. 70 exhibits belong to the ancient clock of Germany of the XIX century. About 25 hours were made in Russia in the late XIX - early XX century.
Most of the exposition, about 27 items, is a pocket watch made in Switzerland from the 19th-20th centuries. In this museum you can see at least 15 copies that were produced in Japan in the 19th century. A special pride of the museum is the collection of pocket watches of famous Russian masters of the Bronnikovs.
Museum complex
The building in which the museum is located is divided into ten halls. They are thematic. According to the guides, each time has its own watch. All visitors, before starting to get acquainted with the collection, fall into the memorial hall in memory of the founder of the museum, Pavel Kurdyukov.
Of great interest is the hall of the simplest hours. In it, visitors can find models of water and solar devices. In the hall where the tower clock is presented, an imitation of brickwork is performed. A noticeable and memorable exhibit is a large mock-up of the tower clock dial. At the same time, Kremlin chimes or chimes in Prague are shown on slides.
In the hall dedicated to the XVIII century, there are 15 unique exhibits. This is a mantelpiece of Czech masters, the work of English watchmakers, floor-standing items owned by Dads and Denton. The main value of this collection is religious watches. They were made in the French capital by the watchmaker Varein. Their body is made in the original "bul" technique, equipped with rich bronze applications, as well as vases, caryatids, animal figures, flowers and sun faces. The dial is an overlaid enamel cartouche. It is the 18th century clock room that completes the exposition located on the ground floor of the museum.
Second floor of the clock museum
Having risen to the second floor of the museum, you first find yourself in a hall with a variety of French mantel clocks. Salon watches under the name Athena Pallada stand out here, the Saint Bernard watch is of great interest to visitors. They are made of patched and gilded bronze. Their author is the popular French watchmaker Lenoir Ravrio.
An important place in the museum's exposition is occupied by mantelpiece and table clock produced by a French company called the Japi Brothers. They very original imitate the shapes and decor of their many predecessors. The watch itself is decorated in neo-baroque, neococo, neoclassicism styles.
Often visitors pay attention to the classic cases in a simple style made by Marty & Co. They are made of white and black marble. In the next room you can find the watches of mass production that hit the market in the late XIX - early XX centuries. Among them are exhibits in the form of a steam locomotive, a steam engine, a piggy bank, a pendulum or mechanisms with an annual factory. Part of the exposition is occupied by a musical clock. Their collection is very rich and diverse.
An interesting part of the composition is devoted to watches from Germany. In particular, the famous company "Junggans", which was based in the Black Forest. Here, many are attracted by the collection made in earthenware and porcelain cases.
A separate room is dedicated to Japanese watches. They are distinguished by sophistication and grace.
Clock in the Russian room
In Russia, watches were popular, as in the rest of the world. The graphic design of the interior of the hall of domestic masters strongly contrasts with the red and white design of the halls.
Here you can hear the music box, the wooden cuckoo, which breaks out every hour from the wall clock. Everyone will be surprised by a real wonder - a wooden pocket watch. In general, the variety of decor and forms of pocket watches in Russia in the late XIX - early XX centuries are amazing.
There is also a collection of watches for special purposes. These are tank, chess, automobile, aviation models. And even a chronometer from an hour mine. Another pride of the exposition is a watch that has traveled in space. They belong to the famous Soviet cosmonaut Georgy Grechko.
At the end of the composition, modern watch models, products of domestic state and private factories and enterprises are presented.
