Love and are interested in music? At the same time, you not only like to enjoy the beautiful sounds of the melody, you also understand musical instruments. Or maybe you yourself are not averse to sitting at the keys. Even if all of the above is not about you and you just love to learn something new, if you are curious and strive to broaden your horizons, then you should visit one of the most non-standard museums around the world - the Museum of Soviet Synthesizers. Moreover, for this you do not even need to leave the house. Surprised? Are you intrigued? Then read the article to the end.
Synthesizer - what is it?
Surely many of you are familiar with this tool. The synthesizer is an electronic analogue of the piano. It is more compact than a classic instrument. Due to the ability to change sound, on modern synthesizers you can play the part of not only the piano, but also any other instrument.
A bit of history
True, this was not always the case. The first synthesizer was created back in 1897 by the American experimenter Tadeusz Cahill. His device did not imitate the sounds of the piano at all, as we used to, but of a church organ. In addition, unlike modern minimalist synthesizers, Cahill's invention weighed more than two hundred tons. Everything changed at the beginning of the 20th century. It was then, in 1920, the first compact and mobile synthesizer was invented by a scientist of Russian origin Lev Theremin who received practical application in the music industry.
Synthesizer in the USSR
Synthesizers were especially popular in the USSR. Among the first Soviet synthesizers, such brands as Aelita, Alice, Yunost, Polivoks and others were especially popular. Since the 50s of the last century, the Soviet Union not only began to play instruments, domestic composers even wrote music specifically for them.
In modern world
The popularity of the synthesizer does not fall to this day. Many musicians prefer this instrument to the classical piano due to its ease of use, its mobility, and its acoustic capabilities. But old models are no longer interesting to musicians, but to collectors. However, many of them are not easy to find. Sometimes even the characteristics of retro synthesizers are lost in the archives of design workshops. And interest in such tools is growing over time.
How was the idea born?
That is why in 2001, a portal was created on the Internet, on which anyone can get detailed information about a particular Soviet-made synthesizer. One of the creators of the virtual museum, introducing himself as John Rasint, says that the idea of creating the site was born out of the need for him to learn something about old models that are no longer available.
However, John came across either commercial sites where collectors sought to sell one model or resources with insufficient information. Now, thanks to the efforts of the developers of the museum of Soviet synthesizers, everyone who is interested in such a topic can learn all about rare models of the instrument. To do this, just click a couple of times with the mouse.
Museum of Soviet synthesizers: where to find it?
As you already understood, this special museum cannot be visited in the literal sense of the word - it has no building, no address. More precisely, there is only an email address - ruskeys.ru. The developers of the site initially had no idea about creating a museum in its usual sense, since the value of their brainchild is not that visitors could examine the exhibits, touch them with their hands, listen to the sound, but get comprehensive information about them.
However, due to the fact that site owners often had to buy models that they write about on their resource, their personal collection has grown exponentially. Therefore, they are already thinking about opening an exit museum, in which old synthesizers will be presented in all their glory.
