This amazing historical monument is located in the heart of the capital, near the Arbat. This is one of the surviving houses in which the great poet lived or stayed.
Lermontov Museum-Apartment in Moscow is a small one-story house with a mezzanine. After restoration, the house acquired its original appearance. His interior is fully consistent with the description of the living conditions of the era in which Mikhail Yurievich lived.
Museum expositions consist of small and large living rooms, the poet’s room, the room of his beloved grandmother, and the exhibition hall. Lermontov’s house-museum in Moscow presents personal belongings of the great poet, books, furniture, his portraits, as well as images of his friends and relatives. Among them are exhibits made by the poet himself.
History reference
The house in which the Lermontov Museum is located in Moscow today was built by Peter Chernov, a merchant. This happened immediately after the victory in the Russian-French war (1812).
Later, the grandmother of Mikhail Yurievich rented this cozy mansion to give his grandson the opportunity to get a Moscow education. Here Mikhail Yuryevich lived with her from the end of the summer of 1829 until 1832, when he moved to Petersburg.
In the Soviet period (as in many historical buildings) a communal apartment was placed in the house. Most of its residents did not even imagine that they live in a house with such a rich history.
How the museum was created
Malaya Molchanovka, 2 - a house that is a fragment of 19th century history. He is dear to all our compatriots in that an outstanding Russian poet, Lermontov, spent his youthful years here.
A wooden mansion in the Empire style with a mezzanine subsequently more than once changed tenants, was rebuilt many times. For many years, admirers of the work of the ingenious poet worked hard to create a museum in it. The most effective part in creating the expositions was taken by I. L. Andronikov.
In 1979, the house received the status of a museum, and two years later (1981), it opened its doors after restoration for visitors.
Rod Stolypin-Lermontov
To reconstruct the environment in which young Lermontov lived, the authors and creators of the museum used the typology of noble life of the early 19th century, successfully used the details that became known during the study of the poet’s work and life, as well as the memoirs of his contemporaries.
It must be said that Elizaveta Alekseevna, the grandmother of Mikhail Yuryevich, belonged to the noble family of the Stolypin, who had been known in Russia since 1566.
On the wall of her room you can see a view of the village of Neyolovka, which was in the Saratov province. This small village belonged to the great-grandfather of Mikhail Yuryevich A. E. Stolypin. He was the owner of one of the best serf theaters in the country and was repeatedly elected leader of the nobility of the Penza province. Eleven children were brought up in his family. In Elizabeth Alekseevna’s room, many things remind her of her brothers.
Small living room
As a rule, visitors begin to inspect the Lermontov Museum in Moscow from this very room, the warmest and most comfortable in the house, where the poet’s neighbors, friends, relatives in the boarding school and university often gathered: D. D. Durnov, M. I. Saburov, N. S. Shenshin, A.D. Zakrevsky, N.I. Polivanov. The secretary kept books that were read by the young poet and his friends - "Brothers robbers" by Pushkin, "Song of the Bell" by Schiller. Here you can see the magazine "Athenaeum".
This was the first edition, where in 1830 Mikhail Yuryevich published his own poem, signing with one letter "L". It was a poem from early works - "Spring", dedicated to E.A. Sushkova, whom Lermontov was seriously interested in at that time. In the same room is a portrait of Varvara Lopukhina. A tender and reverent feeling for this charming girl, the poet kept his entire short life.
Watercolor, performed by Lermontov, represents Varenka in the image of Emilia - the heroine of Lermontov’s drama "The Spaniards", one of the poet’s first serious works. The "Book of Fates" made by Lermontov to participate in the New Year's masquerade (1832). The poet came to a noble meeting in the costume of an astrologer. For the guests he prepared New Year's greetings in verse.
Large living room
This spacious room, made in the style of the Moscow Empire style - there is nothing fanciful, superfluous in it. Its main decoration is wonderful bas-reliefs. These are brilliant works of the artist F.P. Tolstoy. They are dedicated to the war with the French (1812).
People close to the poet gathered in this room. They sang, danced. Often, Mikhail Yurievich played the piano and violin. Here he learned to play the piano and even tried to write music.
The Lermontov Museum in Moscow has a real treasure, which is located in this room. We are talking about family portraits made by a serf artist. Here you can see, along with other works, a rather rare portrait of the mother of Mikhail Yuryevich - Maria Mikhailovna. She was not twenty-two years old when she died of consumption.
Cabinet
On the mezzanine floor is Lermontov’s office. This room preserves the spirit of the Lermontov era. Bookcases are filled with a wide variety of books on history, philosophy. Here are collected works by Walter Scott and Byron, Chateaubriand and Chenier, Goethe. Fluent in German, French and English, Lermontov preferred to read world classics in the original. He picked up the best books of that time from Derzhavin, Karamzin, Fonvizin, Zhukovsky, Pushkin in bookstores. The walls of the cabinet are decorated with portraits of Lord Byron and Kiprensky, Pushkin performed by Utkin. The engraving, which depicts the majestic Caucasus, is located next to the famous work of Raphael "Madonna and Child", which always inspired the poet with sad thoughts about his early mother.
On the easel is a watercolor portrait, the work of Mikhail Yuryevich. His young poet created in memory of his father. Lermonotva was very upset by the quarrel of her grandmother with Yuri Petrovich. Son and father were very attached to each other.
The view of Ivan the Great's bell tower (engraving by an unknown author) hangs above the poet’s desk, as evidence of Lermontov’s infinite love for ancient Moscow.
Why visit a museum
Our capital has many interesting monuments of history and literature. We recommend that you visit the Lermontov House Museum in Moscow for a number of reasons. In this small mansion you will have a unique opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere and life of the nobility of Moscow at the beginning of the 19th century. You can feel the spirit of the cozy life of the intelligentsia of Moscow, whose minds were still excited by what happened not so long ago - the Decembrist uprising.
The ingenious poet Lermontov himself appears in these walls for many from a new perspective, which was not discussed at school. The documents and furnishings of the house-museum present to us a teenager and a young man, Mikhail, who studied hard, sincerely made friends, fell in love, and was very worried about separation from his father.
The Lermontov Museum in Moscow, the opening of which took place after the restoration of the house in February 1981, is always glad to welcome guests.
Recently, the last restoration of the building was completed. On May 19, 2014 the museum again hospitably opened its doors to visitors. Today thousands of tourists from all over Russia dream of visiting here. According to the administration, today, the exposition is represented by a very large collection.
For the 200th anniversary of the poet, the Lermontov Museum in Moscow, a photo of which you can see in our article, has prepared interesting new items. They will certainly interest history buffs and connoisseurs of the genius poet.
