Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore, the oldest museum in the Urals, today is a cultural and scientific museum association with a worldwide reputation. It consists of 9 museums in Yekaterinburg, 10 museums in the Sverdlovsk region, an information and library center, a restoration workshop and a center for innovative technologies. The museum is officially recognized as the cultural heritage of the region.
Address of the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore: Yekaterinburg, Malysheva street, 46.
Ural Society of Natural History Lovers (WOLE)
Wole, uniting people of various professions, interests and material wealth, arose in Yekaterinburg in 1870. These people were connected by interest and love for the history of their land. Fortunately, a man was found who brought together local history enthusiasts and made their achievements more significant and valuable.
Onesim Claire - Swiss, who was immediately christened in the Russian manner Onisim Egorovich - taught at the men's gymnasium in Yekaterinburg. Having moved to a new place, he became interested in the surroundings of the city, nature, and sights. Here, in the gymnasium, I found like-minded people, here WALLE was born. And along with it, on the initiative of teachers, the local history museum (Sverdlovsk). Since January 2018, the museum was named after O. Clair.
The creation of the UOLE is the greatest historical event of the Ural region. What was laid by him almost 150 years ago in the cultural development of the city still brings its generous fruits.
The first steps to create a museum
The first exhibits of the newly created museum were books that the donor brought from his home. Then a collection of minerals and a snake, alcoholized in a flask, were added. There was nowhere to store these things, so they were in the homes of Wole members. The museum premises - two small rooms - the city authorities allocated only a year later. So, the future Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore is located on its first legal square in the building of the mining department. But members of the Society did not have the opportunity to put their treasures on display by visitors due to lack of space.
The fund of the museum was growing. Certain collections have already begun to take shape: zoological, mineralogical, paleontological and botanical. Further replenishment of the fund through donations led to the birth of new collections. Someone brought 40 coins as a gift, and it was decided to create a numismatic trend. When the student showed Claire something similar to a stone ax, they began to form an archaeological collection.
Three years later, the mining department was able to allocate more space, but, due to rapidly growing funds, there was still little space.
Museum opening for visits
The fact that despite the difficulties the museum still opened, can not be called an accident. WOLE members, using all their capabilities, sought to put the treasures they collected on display as quickly as possible. On their initiative, in 1887, the Siberian-Ural Scientific and Industrial Exhibition was held in the city, which was a great success. At the end of the exhibition, the museum inherited one of the buildings of the mining department in the city center, as well as part of the exhibits. The museum fund doubled and totaled more than 13 thousand items. There was already what and where to demonstrate. The museum opened to visitors in December 1888, for the first year of its operation, 1, 300 people visited it.
Museum Development
The Museum of Local Lore was so famous in Russia that the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich became its curator, which gave the right to benefit from the treasury: two thousand rubles a year. In 1912, the museum already numbered 17 departments with 30 thousand items.
In 1895 there was a fire in which both the building and the collections were damaged. The City Duma allocated a plot of land in the center of Yekaterinburg for the construction of a museum building for free. In 1911, in the presence of dignitaries, a ceremonial laying of the building took place, which was never destined to appear. While work was underway on the project, while Wole entered into ownership of the land, the First World War began. The money promised to build the building was denied.
But the museum worked in an old, renovated building. After 1910, the number of visitors increased to 14 thousand a year. This was due to the increase in the population of the city due to the people evacuated to Yekaterinburg and the wounded, restoring health here.
Museum in the pre-war USSR
In 1920, the museum was visited by more than 20 thousand people, in collections there were already 42 thousand objects, 11 departments were created. In 1925, by decision of the city authorities, the museum ceased to exist as part of the Wole and became an independent institution. On the basis of the state Ural (now Sverdlovsk) regional museum of local lore, an exposition was created demonstrating the historical significance of the party course. Strict requirements were established on the ideological nature of all compositions.
For a while, the museum was closed. He was looking for suitable premises for new tasks. The issue was resolved by providing two buildings. In one, there was a depository of funds, and in the other, departments worked. Thus, in 1927, on Lenin Street 69, the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore opened with new exhibits. The city gave the museum several more rooms for exhibitions and collections.
Post-war years
In 1941, the museum was closed again, the exhibits are preserved for long-term storage. The premises were recalled to accommodate collections evacuated from St. Petersburg, as well as the design bureau of the tank factory. After the war, the museum opens in the premises of the Ascension Church and continues to work. Expositions are displayed in several small buildings, which periodically had to be changed. But at the same time, the scientific library expanded, a planetarium opened, and a restoration workshop began to work.
In the 60s of the last century, museum specialists created an exposition of the nature department, performed at such a high level that it was recognized as a standard, and museum workers from all over the USSR came to get acquainted with it. During this period, thanks to a surge in the activity of enthusiasts, under the guidance and with the help of museum workers, many different museums were opened in the city and in the region. In 1978, by the decision of the regional executive committee, the museum of local lore became a museum association.
On the street Malysheva, 46, the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore moved in 1987. Today it is the main premises, although the branches of the institution are located at several addresses.
Modern museum
Over the years, new museums were created on the basis of the association. Some began to live an independent life, some remained branches of the head institution. But everywhere, the basis is taken on the conduct of cultural and educational work, the study and scientific substantiation of events.
Today the museum stores more than 700 thousand exhibits, receives 270 thousand visitors a year, organizes 130 exhibitions in museum buildings and 125 visiting ones. This is the statistics. But behind it is the work of a huge team of museum workers of various profiles. Without their dedication to their cause, all this would have been impossible. According to visitors, the museum has a truly incredible atmosphere.
Museum Collections
The modern museum of local lore of the Sverdlovsk region owns various valuable collections. But there are among them the most remarkable and interesting.
The collection of glass and ceramics is one of the first. It began to be created even before the museum was opened by Wole members. The first items were in the fund after the closure of the Siberian-Ural Scientific and Industrial Exhibition. Now it is richly represented by different types of ceramic production, most of it is Russian porcelain.
The Egyptian collection contains objects of culture of Ancient Egypt. The beginning was laid by the donor Konyukhov, replenishment fell on the 20-40s of the last century.
A collection of paintings is presented in the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore mainly by the works of local artists. There are collections of posters, graphics, even drawings of the Ural factories.
Archaeological finds form a large section. They came to the museum in different years, thanks to excavations that were carried out in the region during the existence of the museum. But the first exhibit that the student brought to his teacher O.E. Claire - a stone ax - occupies a special place.
Numismatists have something to see in the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore. Reviews about the collection are extremely positive. Here are collected coins and paper banknotes of different times and peoples. In addition, badges, orders and medals, securities are presented.
This is not a complete list of museum collections. Each item from the fund is priceless. But there are unique exhibits that should be discussed separately.
Big Shigirsky idol
In the XIX century, during the development of a gold mine on Shigirsky peat bog (Sverdlovsk region), various ancient objects were discovered, including a wooden idol. Together with other finds he was transferred to the museum of Yekaterinburg. Even then, this collection, which continued to replenish over time, became a sensation.
The idol was found at a depth of four meters. The tree was destroyed, and it was pulled out in pieces. After the reconstruction, a figure 5.3 meters high was obtained. It is not known at what time the lower part of the idol was lost, and now the height of the figure exhibited in the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore is 3.4 meters.
After conducting modern wood analysis and radiocarbon examination, experts say that his age is 9.5 thousand years. That is, our idol is much older than the Egyptian pyramids. This sensation is recognized by the international community.
Skeletons of a mammoth and a large-horned deer
The skeleton of a mammoth and a giant deer occupy a central place in the collection of the museum, which tells about animals of bygone eras. These two exhibits were acquired in different years from local residents of the Kamyshlovsky district. The giant skeleton of a deer hit the museum in 1886. Mammoth acquired after 10 years. They used to attract attention of visitors to the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore. Photos of the remains of these animals are decorated with booklets and postcards.
Library of V. N. Tatishchev
Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev - statesman, historian, geographer and economist. In 1737, having received a new appointment and leaving Yekaterinburg, he left the city his personal library. Years later, employees of the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore discovered a part of the collection. The most valuable book was published in 1516.
Today anyone can visit this amazing place. Tickets to the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore are sold at the box office of the museum.
