There is one memorial place in the Nizhny Novgorod land, known throughout the country. The village is small but beautiful. Everything in it recalls the noble way of life of past centuries. We are talking about the village of Big Boldino, Nizhny Novgorod region. It became famous for the fact that the famous poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin lived in it.
Physico-geographical reference
The village of Bolshoi Boldino (Nizhny Novgorod Region) is located 230 km from the regional center. Its origin began in the Middle Ages. It is known that until the sixteenth century in its place was the Mordovian village of Zabortniki, whose population was engaged in the collection of honey.
The village is spread in the forest-steppe lands of the Mordovian Upland. Its territories are wavy-hilly plain, which is crossed by rivers, streams, ravines.
The climate of Boldin lands is temperate continental. The seasons are vivid. Winter lasts about six months, frosty. Summer is dry, often arid.
Since ancient times, in the village of Bolshoy Boldino, Nizhny Novgorod Region, broad-leaved forests grew, gradually being cut down. As a result of the destruction of forests, the fauna of these lands has also disappeared. Currently, it is not numerous.
Population
In ancient centuries, the Great Boldino of the Nizhny Novgorod region was inhabited by Mordovian peoples. Russians appeared on this territory since 1340, it was then that Prince Konstantin ordered the Russians to settle on the rivers Oka, Volga and Kudma. After this, many villages of this area that have survived to this day began to form.
To date, according to information from the Employment Center Bolshoi Boldino (Nizhny Novgorod Region), the population of the village is 5,074 people, all of them are rural residents. Agricultural subjects are also displayed on the arms of the village in the form of ears of corn.
The Big Boldino Index of the Nizhny Novgorod Region is 607,940.
Where did the name come from?
The village of Zabortniki, which was located on the site of Bolshoi Boldino earlier, owes its name to the main occupation of the Mordovian tribes that inhabited it. They collected honey from wild bees, and this activity was called storing.
The modern name of the village has two versions of origin. According to one of them, the village was previously called Tatar El Boldino in Tatar, and later the name was reduced. According to another, the village was named after Boldai, who was of Mordovian origin.
XVI-XIX centuries
Since the second half of the XVI century, this land was the property of the Pushkin family, the most famous noble dynasty. Eustathius Pushkin served as a diplomat under Tsar Ivan the Terrible and received a Boldin estate from the Tsar as a reward for his exploits. Later, Ivan and Fedor Pushkins were awarded royal gifts in the form of Boldin lands.
Owners on patrimonial lands did not live permanently, but only occasionally came. In 1742, the estate passed to Pushkin’s grandfather, Lev Aleksandrovich. The possessions at that time were very voluminous: in addition to the Boldino, the Pushkins belonged to the village of Kistenevo and the village of Maloe Boldino. The owner himself, Lev Aleksandrovich, always lived in Moscow, and came to the village.
Lev Aleksandrovich was a believer, he loved to do charity affairs. At his own expense, he began to build a church of stone, as well as a manor house. In the XIX century, the estate was inherited by the father of Alexander Sergeyevich, Sergey Lvovich. On the eve of his marriage, he decided to give part of the estate to his son, which was the reason for the poet's arrival in the village of Boldino.
Visit of the poet
The first arrival of Pushkin in Boldino occurred in 1830 before marriage with Natalia Goncharova. The groom planned to draw up documents on the property allocated to him by his father. But the cholera epidemic overwhelmed the Nizhny Novgorod lands, and the poet had to stay in the village for three winter months.
This fall, Pushkin wrote many wonderful works that brought him world fame. Not for nothing that this period in the life of the poet was later called by the literary critics Boldinsky in the fall. Pushkin visited in Boldino back in 1833 and 1834.
Pushkin's life in Boldin was secluded. In the large corner room of the master's house was his study. From the windows you can see the larch, which Alexander Sergeyevich planted. Other trees of those times have also survived - a willow near the pond and two oaks next to it.
20th century events
In 1911, the Big Boldino of the Nizhny Novgorod Region became the property of the state. Pushkin lands were in danger. When noble estates were destroyed during the revolution, the peasants took care of preserving the Boldin estates.
Not far from Boldino there is a Pushkin patrimony in the village of Lvivka. There remained an old park, the manor house of the Pushkins. The village retained the original images of manor buildings. It is no accident that a museum of heroes from Belkin's Tales was opened in it.
Our days
Currently, the main cultural value of the village of Bolshoy Boldino, Nizhny Novgorod Region, is the Pushkin Museum, housed in a manor house. It includes:
- House of gentlemen. This is a manor house with a mezzanine built of wood. The room preserved the atmosphere of those years when the great poet lived in the house. Pushkin occupied the entrance hall, the lap and the study. Salze is a room in which guests are welcomed. It has a sofa, armchairs, a round table. On the table there are copies of documentary papers of Pushkin’s time. The furniture of the office was recreated according to the sketch of Pushkin: it has a table, chairs, two sofas, a clock.
- Patrimonial office. The building is located on the other side of the pond, in front of the manor house. A magnificent bridge leads to the office. In ancient times, the office collected patrimonial dues from the peasants, as well as conducted housekeeping and household affairs. This building has simpler furniture than in the noble estates.
- Household buildings. The human, bathhouse, kitchen, barn and stable rooms were recreated later.
- "Arbor of fairy tales" and "tent". These gazebo buildings are located in the middle of the park.
- “Priests order” - church priests lived in it, it wasn’t preserved due to a fire. The buildings were recreated from photographs.
- The park is a picturesque place in the center of the village.
- Grove Luchinnik - located a few kilometers from the Pushkin estate. The poet himself liked to walk in it.
In addition to the Pushkin places, the village has many other cultural monuments.
The architectural monument of Boldin is the white stone church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, built by the poet’s grandfather. The temple was partially destroyed during the Soviet era. By 1999, the church was completely restored. Currently, the temple is active, it hosts regular worship.
The chapel of Archangel Michael was erected on the site of another church that previously existed in Boldino. It is a wooden building, a bell tower rises above it.
In Bolshoi Boldino there are two memorable sculptures by A.S. Pushkin. The first is near the museum building. The second is not far from the estate. In 2009, another monument was erected - the nanny-teacher Arina Rodionovna and her pupil. The inspiration for the memorial was the satirist writer Mikhail Zadornov.
On the 100th anniversary of the poet’s death, a House of Culture was built in the village, which is not operated for its intended purpose.
How to get to the museum?
Direct buses run from the city of Nizhny Novgorod to Boldinsky lands, which will take everyone to this wonderful place in 3-4 hours. You can catch the bus at the stations "Nizhny Novgorod" (Lyadova square) and "Shcherbinki". There is no bus service in the village, you can ride a taxi.
The museum welcomes guests daily from 9:00 to 17:00, except Mondays. To consider all the sights and breathe in the atmosphere of poetry and the nobility, one day will not be enough.
This problem is easily solved, and cozy hotels of the Big Boldino of the Nizhny Novgorod Region will come to the rescue. The convenient location of the hotel of the same name will allow you to stay close to the museum complex. The hotel staff will provide convenient service to their guests. Having a rest after a long journey, it will be possible to draw up an action plan in Big Boldino of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and spend the weekend in an original way. A lot of unique events in the village!
In June, the village annually celebrates Pushkin's birthday. Cultural figures from all over the country come to celebrations, poems are read, literary incentives are presented.
In the autumn days, a literary and scientific conference “Boldin Readings” is held in the village, the purpose of which is to study Pushkin’s work.
Whatever events were chosen for visiting in the village of Boldino, in any case this unique place will be remembered for a long time!