Nizhny Novgorod is a city with a long history and a rich historical heritage, which is described not only by architectural monuments, but also by the expositions of city museums. Over the years, the Rukavishnikovs estate has been considered one of the most colorful and interesting. In addition to the original atmosphere of the middle of the century before last, it presents exhibits of the local history museum of Nizhny Novgorod, telling about the history of the city itself and its inhabitants.
History of the estate and museum
The first owner of a 2-story stone house located on the Upper Volga embankment was the merchant of the third guild S. Vezlomtsev. However, in the 1840s, due to debts, he had to part with his home. The mansion was transferred to M. G. Rukavishnikov, a large Novgorod moneylender and the owner of the first steel mill in the city, and later to his son.
The latter decided to turn an ordinary manor house into a magnificent complex a la Italian palazzo. The architect P. Boytsov and artist M. Mikeshin worked on turning the mansion into a palace-type building. The first developed a reconstruction project, and the second decorated the facade.
Outside, the building was decorated with elegant stucco molding, high-reliefs of caryatids were placed in the windows of the windows, and the Atlanteans supported the balcony, located on the 2nd floor.
From the inside, the walls of all rooms were generously decorated with expensive lavish finishes, and expensive parquet was lined on the floor. At the second floor level, the main building was connected with a two-story outbuilding.
In the courtyard there was a small courtyard, a fountain and a porch.
However, all this can be seen even now - local guardians of culture and history have tried to keep the estate in the form in which it was more than 100 years ago.
The reconstruction, started by the second owner of the estate of the Rukavishnikov clan, was completed in 1877, and at that time this house became the richest and most noticeable in the city.
After the revolution and the change of power, in 1924, the local history museum of Nizhny Novgorod was located in the main mansion, later it became the center of the Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve.
Secrets and mysteries of the museum
During the reconstruction, commissioned by S. M. Rukavishnikov, the main walls of the house were preserved, around which wings and additional halls were simply attached. Also during the reconstruction, the estate grew on the third floor. It turned out like a house in the house.
Today, you can determine where the older building was located by the spire on the manor roof. However, there are several versions of why Rukavishnikov decided to leave the original building. According to one of them, his mother asked him about this. On the other - a calculating businessman simply decided to save on building materials.
Another unique feature of the estate is the floor with a “secret”. Masters laid the floor so that if you stand in one doorway and look at the floor, it seems voluminous. And if you look at it from another aperture, it will look like a chocolate bar.
No less surprising for those who come to the estate for the first time, is the figure of a janitor at the spiral staircase leading to the attic. What is the janitor in the attic? If you turn to the museum workers with this question, they will tell you that because of the scale of the construction, Rukavishnikov needed a large staff of servants to take care of the building, which also had janitors for the roof. The latter removed snow from the roof so that it would not push through the roof and that it would not leak and spoil the ornate ceilings inside.
Expositions
Currently, the manor funds, which many perceive as the local history museum of Nizhny Novgorod, contain more than 320 pieces of storage that tell about the history of Novgorod and Novgorod, representing unique examples of domestic and foreign cultural heritage.
So, in addition to visiting the colorful halls and rooms with preserved original decoration, museum visitors can see objects from private collections:
- the family of a large industrialist of the XIX-XX centuries Abamelik-Lazarev;
- Sheremetyevs;
- V. M. Burmistrova (nee Rukavishnikova);
- D.V. Sirotkina, who at one time was also quite large and famous merchant.
In addition, here you can get acquainted with the works of the photographer A.O. Karelin, whose photographs tell about the life of Nizhny Novgorod and its inhabitants.
Also, visitors can get into the “special pantry”, which presents amazing precious items.
Additional services
In addition to excursions in order to get acquainted with the expositions of the museum of local history of Nizhny Novgorod, the estate often hosts balls, theme nights and holidays. A variety of training classes for children and adults are also organized here. In addition, the museum holds visiting and exchange exhibitions of its exhibits.
Location, contacts and mode of operation
Finding the Rukavishnikovs estate with expositions of the Nizhny Novgorod Museum of Local Lore, whose address has not changed since the time of construction, is quite simple. It is located next to the city administration at the address: Verkhne-Volzhskaya embankment, 7.
You can see museum exhibits:
- from Tuesday to Thursday - from 10 am to 5 pm;
- from Friday to Sunday - from 12 noon to 7 pm.
Tours take place every hour.
The museum is closed on Mondays. In addition, every last Thursday of the month in it is a sanitary day.
The contacts of the local history museum of Nizhny Novgorod are known to many in the city.
How to get there
You can get to the Rukavishnikovs estate with expositions of the local history museum of Nizhny Novgorod on foot from the nearby Kremlin and other attractions located in the historic city.
If you have to get from other areas of Nizhny Novgorod, you can use buses No. 4, 19, 40, 45, 52, 58, 90 or minibuses No. 2, 24, 31, 40, 45, 60, 85, 90, 98, 302. The closest stop to the estate is the Water Academy, from which it will be necessary to walk about 100 meters from the historic building.
You can also get to the former Rukavishnikovs mansion by tram and trolleybus. To do this, choose the route that passes by the River School stop. To be at the main entrance of the estate, from the stop you will have to walk 300-350 meters on the street. Piskunova.
Alternatively, you can take a taxi to one of the main attractions in the city.
Reviews
The main evidence of the non-decreasing interest in the estate and the expositions presented in it is the museum of local history of Nizhny Novgorod - reviews that can be found on the Internet. In them, visitors talk about their vivid and unforgettable impressions and complete immersion in the history of Nizhny Novgorod.