The Museum of Theater and Music in St. Petersburg has one of the best expositions in the world. The collections contain many unique exhibits assembled by enthusiasts and experts in their field. The formation was not simple, but today the complex of museums, united under a single wing, implements the mission of preserving and enhancing the Russian cultural heritage and educating the masses.
Start
The first exhibition dedicated to theatrical art took place in 1908, the venue was the Panaevsky Theater. The number of visitors and the public's keen interest in the exposition demonstrated the urgent need for a permanent institution of this kind in St. Petersburg. But the Museum of Theater and Music was held much later - in 1918.
P.N.Sheffer was appointed as the director, and L.I. Zheverzheev both became his deputy. Both made a huge contribution to the development of domestic culture, many exhibits were saved by their labors during the siege of Leningrad, and the gallery’s life did not freeze. The Museum of Musical and Theater Arts opened for visits in 1921. Outstanding people of their time — Koni A., Volkonsky S., Soloviev V., Meyerhold V. and others — delivered lectures in a lecture hall accessible to everyone. Utesov L., Davydov V., Korchagina - Alexandrovskaya E., Mayakovsky V. performed in 1927 read the theater script “October 27, 1917”, which formed the basis of the poem “Good”. The premiere of the 2nd piano sonata of Shostakovich D.
Siege days
In the 1930s, the history of the museum almost ended; everyone was evicted from the occupied premises. For seven years, the exposition was packed in boxes and stored in a private apartment. The State Museum of Theatrical and Musical Art found a permanent place only in 1940, and employees began work on a new exhibition. The opening took place on May 31, 1941, a new exposition was presented, over 206 thousand objects were stored in the museum funds. It seemed that a bright period had begun, but after 3 weeks the war came.
A few months later, the blockade of Leningrad began. For 900 days the city and its inhabitants went through the most woeful period of history. Many museums and theaters were evacuated, but cultural life continued. Air raids and bombings were recorded in magazines, followed by short lines to read records of losses, worries, selflessness, the silent exploit of duty and honor. Levky Ivanovich Zheverzheev died in the museum, it happened in the terrible siege of January 1942, a little later, in March, died of P. N. Sheffer depletion. During the blockade, of the eight full-time museum employees, only three remained alive. The resumption of exhibition activities began on November 17, 1946.
Description
Currently, the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theater and Music is one of the largest museums in the world, with over 450, 000 items that tell the story of Russian ballet, opera and drama theaters. The complex includes five branches:
- Theater Museum.
- Museum of music.
- Museum-apartment of Rimsky-Korsakov N. A.
- House-Museum of Chaliapin F.I.
- Museum-apartment of actors Samoilov.
The collection has unique authentic exhibits from different eras. Theatrical costumes, made in the imperial workshops, are adjacent to the modern stage images of Anna Pavlova, Natalya Makarova and others. A large number of exhibits are dedicated to M. Glinka, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, Marius Petipa, Vera Komisarzhevskaya and others.
The exposition of musical instruments has more than three thousand storage units, the same number of stage costumes are stored, a wardrobe is used, which was used in theatrical productions of the imperial scenes of Russia. In addition to the main activity, the site of the museum and its branches are educational centers for children and adults. Lectures are given here, musical and theatrical evenings are held, prominent cultural figures of Russia and abroad are invited here.
Museum of Melpomene
The Museum of Theater Art in St. Petersburg is located on Ostrovsky Square, in a building built in the 19th century (architect - Rossi K.). Before the revolution, it was the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters. The building is an architectural monument, and behind its facade are collected the best exhibits dedicated to the Russian theater.
The permanent exhibition “Theater Legends of St. Petersburg” was several times awarded the highest rating - “Museum Olympus”. It is divided into six thematic sections, allowing you to trace the history of Russian theater from its origins to the moment of the fall of the Iron Curtain. The exhibits tell the story of the first productions on the Russian stage of N.V. Gogol’s play “The Examiner”, the opera “Life for the Tsar” by M.I. Glinka, operas by Tchaikovsky, plays by Ostrovsky and many others. Detailed stories of the guides will tell about the work, creativity, innovations of V. Meyerhold, V. Komissarzhevskaya, F. Chaliapin, K. Malevich, A. Benois and others.
Another exhibition is “The Magic World of Theater”. Visitors get acquainted with theaters of different countries and continents, their layouts are located in the halls. You can see the Shakespearean “Globe”, the Ancient Theater, the Royal Swedish Theater, etc. The exposition invites you to look behind the scenes of the theater scene, where a rare spectator manages to get. Tourists get acquainted with fake business, sound effects and theater cars. The exhibition is interactive, you can try to generate sounds of thunder, the noise of rain or a shot without leaving the museum halls.
The Museum of Musical and Theater Art not only preserves the cultural heritage, but is also an active participant in the cultural sphere. There are constantly guided tours for children and adults, lecture cycles are given, theater performances and music concerts are given, eminent actors, directors, cinema and theater actors perform. The cultural and educational complex is visited by more than 150 thousand people during the year.
Branches
Each of the four branches that make up the Museum of Musical and Theater Art complex has its own exhibits and unique history.
- The Museum of Music is located in the estate of Count Sheremetev. Located at: Fontanka River Embankment, Building 34. The building was built in 1750. Once on a tour, visitors get acquainted with the history of the palace and with the existing exhibitions. The permanent exhibition "Sheremetevs and musical life of St. Petersburg of the XVIII - beginning of XX centuries" contains more than three thousand musical instruments from around the world. Special programs have been developed for children.
- The house-museum of F.I. Chaliapin (Graftio street, house 2B). The year of discovery is 1975. After restoration, the interior decoration was restored in all areas of the house, which was made possible thanks to the efforts of the keeper I. G. Dvorishchina. In addition to the singer’s home, they managed to recreate the Chaliapin's dressing room, located at the Mariinsky Theater. The museum stores letters, personal items, posters of theatrical productions, theatrical costumes of the owner of the house.
- House-Museum of Rimsky-Korsakov (Zagorodny pr., 28). The memorial house-museum was opened in 1971. The composer lived in this house for the last fifteen years and wrote the most famous works. Personal items are presented in the memorial part of the museum and the atmosphere in which the composer created was recreated. The rest of the building was reconstructed and an exposition of documentary evidence of Rimsky-Korsakov’s life is demonstrated. The musical lounge of the memorial house invites to concerts, the hall is designed for 50 people.
- Museum-apartment of the Samoilovs family of actors (Stremyannaya street, building 8. Refers to the Corinthia St. Petersburg hotel). The branch became the only small museum dedicated to the acting profession in St. Petersburg. The memorial part of the exposition tells about the dynasty of actors, numbering 3 generations of ministers of Melpomene. Another exposition is dedicated to ballet art - “Stars of Russian Ballet”. In addition to the usual museum activities, there are held creative meetings, concerts, exhibitions, etc.
The Museum of Theater and Music (SPb) gives every visitor the opportunity to plunge into the sphere that is most interesting at the moment. History and modernity are intertwined in exhibition halls and on chamber floors, creating a single cultural space.
Education
For adults, children and schoolchildren of all age groups there are educational thematic programs. The smallest get acquainted with the museum in a playful way. For example, the thematic tour “The Elephant in the Museum” gives you the opportunity to ask the guide questions, attend a modeling workshop and get a lot more impressions. Younger schoolchildren gain knowledge of the art of theater on interactive excursions, trying their hand at creating scenery, writing scripts, acting or getting acquainted with the history of the theater at a permanent exhibition.
Pupils of middle and senior grades gain knowledge that substantially complements the school curriculum. Visiting the exhibition halls make the works of the masters of the word alive, push the time frame, add credibility to the words, and the authors themselves become closer and more modern. Adults visiting the Museum of Musical and Theater Art, during excursions, will deepen their knowledge of literature, the dramaturgy of theater plays, will be able to get acquainted with the history of the creation and development of the theater, admire the scenery, costumes, attend cultural events that are constantly held on the basis of museum halls.
Lecture hall
Coming to the Museum of Musical and Theater Arts, each visitor can count on replenishment of the knowledge box. There is another important task that funds perform: preserving video materials and providing an opportunity to get acquainted with them. The video lecture regularly hosts sessions to demonstrate archival recordings of theatrical dramatic performances, opera performances, and ballets. Lectures are given here, a lot of time and effort is devoted to organizing evenings with the participation of creative intelligentsia.
Exhibitions
Each museum has permanent exhibits, on the basis of which many thematic tours are held. The Museum of theatrical and musical art is also engaged in active exhibition activities and enlightenment. Exhibitions are an integral part of his daily work. There are a lot of them in museum halls: in 2016, the Chaliapin House-Museum offers a cycle of exhibitions “Petersburg Montmartre” to everyone, in the front yard (Sheremetev Palace) you can visit “inside the music” by visiting the installation “Concert for eight chairs”. The list of exhibitions is constantly updated.
Reviews
Reviews about the museum are only positive, and how could it be otherwise. Visitors note interesting expositions, the work of guides, the beauty of the halls and the staff’s loving attitude to work. Interactive exhibitions are interesting for children, where you can touch the exhibits and try your hand at recreating any theatrical effects. For tourists it turned out to be a useful option to view materials using a computer. The submission of information is presented together with fragments of performances, operas, ballets, which are carefully preserved by the State Museum of Theater / Music.
Those who came to thematic exhibitions noted the completeness of the submission of materials, the disclosure of the facets of talent and the personality of a famous cultural or art worker. According to visitors, it is very interesting to see not only fragments of the performances, but also to “attend” rehearsals, to feel the atmosphere of creativity. Many noted the unique ballet class for children, conducted under the direction of N. Tsiskaridze. Also, for younger visitors, quests and games are held, along the way introducing history and allowing you to try yourself in a creative endeavor.
