In the northwestern part of the Penza region is the village of Lermontovo, better known as Tarkhany. Many guests from all over Russia and from other countries come here every year. This is the place where the childhood of Lermontov, a famous Russian poet and prose writer, passed. Here in 1841 his ashes found peace.
Today in Tarkhany, in addition to excursions, various scientific and practical conferences, theatrical and literary and musical programs, holidays ... annual Lermontov readings have become traditional.
Where was Lermontov’s childhood?
The Museum-Reserve covers an area of approximately 140 hectares and represents 3 large architectural complexes:
- a manor house with buildings and a nearby church of Mary of Egypt;
- Church of Mikhail the Archangel with the grave crypt of the Arsenyevs (the poet is buried here);
- the estate of Apalih, belonging to the niece of E.A. Arsenyeva M.A. Shan-Girey.
The estate was ideally planned: all buildings and artificial plantations very well fit into the natural landscape, so today it is also one of the most unique monuments of landscape gardening art. Usually, the State Museum-Estate where Lermontov’s childhood passed is briefly called the Tarkhans.
Manor house
The arrangement of the estate in the form in which it exists today began in the second decade of the 19th century. After the death of her only daughter, the landowner Elizaveta Alekseevna Arsenyeva, who took possession of the Tarkhans in 1795, ordered the Church of Mary of Egypt to be rebuilt in her honor. After its construction, parishioners hastened here from all nearby places, it was she who became the venue for all the traditional rites and divine services. Elizaveta Alekseevna and her grandson constantly visited her.
Next to the church a house was built on one floor, but quite spacious, with more than thirty rooms, large terraces and a mezzanine. It was here that Lermontov spent his childhood and youth.
As expected, gardens and ponds were set up near the house; they were decorated with alleys and flower beds, carved bridges and a gazebo. A little further away from the manor was all the outbuildings, including the mansion, the house of the housekeeper, barn, barns, stable, etc. Against this background, Lermontov’s childhood passed. It can be said briefly that the Tarkhans raised in him a true connoisseur of Russian nature and folk traditions.
Little Michel's Room
In the mansion where Lermontov spent his childhood, his beloved grandson was allocated several rooms, but still he spent most of the time in the nursery. Cleaned in bright yellow color: yellow walls, a sofa, armchairs - it resembled a luminous flashlight on a sunny day. And the cloth on the floor very soon ceased to be just part of the interior, as it turned into a convenient place for painting. Here appeared the first drawings of the future poet. The nanny and grandmother, noting that the boy’s efforts were not in vain, and amazing images appeared on the floor, soon provided him with watercolors and sheets of paper. Modeling was added to the drawing: real story compositions were created from wax. So little Michel plunged into the world of art more and more.
The childhood and youth of Lermontov
At first glance, the boy’s life from 1815 to 1827 may seem completely carefree: Michelle was spoiled and entertained. In the first photo of Lermontov in childhood, we see a smiling boy of 3-4 years old with a scroll in his hands. The little darling who had been left without mother early was dearly loved by her grandmother, who spared nothing for her grandson. Someone of the same age as the boy was constantly visiting the house. Together with friends and peasant kids Michel built snow fortresses, arranged fights and other fun games.
But the biography of Lermontov was not so simple. Childhood and youth, in spite of all the efforts of my grandmother, were overshadowed by separation from her father. In addition, the boy vaguely remembered the shape of his mother, who sang songs to him in childhood. Lermontov always acutely felt his loneliness. Already in his childhood, he was characterized by uncharacteristic thoughtfulness, reasonableness and an inflamed imagination for the child. These features in appearance can be seen in the photo of Lermontov in his childhood, most likely related to 1820 or 1821.
Architectural complex with the Church of St. Michael the Archangel
In 1826, with the help of Arsenyeva’s funds, the construction of a new church began, as the former dilapidated. Then they determined the name of the new church - it was named in honor of Archangel Michael. It so happened that the poet last saw her still unfinished, when in 1839 he briefly came to Tarkhany. But it was here that he found his refuge. According to the surviving data, before the burial, the coffin with the body of the poet was put up for farewell in the church of Michael the Archangel. Such a circle marked his biography. Lermontov’s childhood and burial took place in Tarkhany, which remained the main place of his life.
M. Lermontov was buried next to his mother and grandfather. Later, E.A. Arsenyeva ordered to build a chapel-tomb over the graves, which became a crypt of Lermontov-Arsenyevs.
Estate M.A.Shan-Girey
At a distance of three kilometers from the estate Arsenyeva is another amazingly beautiful and poetic place, which tells the biography. Lermontov’s childhood is also associated with his aunt’s estate - Apaliha. Here he spent a lot of time as a boy, and in his mature years he was on good terms with all the inhabitants of the house. They preserved his textbooks, notebooks, first drawings and poetic experiments, numerous letters written by the poet in his more mature years.
Exhibits of the estate museum
A lot of things that belonged to the poet and his relatives were preserved in the manor house in Tarkhany. Today this is the main wealth of the museum and a peculiar biography of Lermontov. The childhood and youth of the poet appear in full as they become acquainted with the atmosphere of the house and the surviving exhibits. Here are just a few of them:
- A light brown saffian binding album, decorated with a shield, a bouquet of flowers and an original clasp of gilded bronze. The album lacks 2 sheets, probably carved by the poet. Of the remaining 52, 42 are clean.
- The first edition of the 3rd chapter of "Eugene Onegin" in 1827 from the personal library of Lermontov. This is a small booklet (18 × 11.5 cm) in soft cover and a volume of 51 pages.
- Dark brown walnut travel casket 25 × 17 × 12 cm in size with compartments for letters, papers, money. One bronze handle in the form of a lion's head on the side wall has been preserved, the second, like the handle on the lid, is missing.
Here you can also see a bronze signet with a monogram of M. Lermontov and a metal cigarette case (donated by the poet A. Rem) dated to 1754 by Cheti-Minei, an inkwell made of porcelain, as well as drawings and watercolors by Michel himself.
The revival of the museum-estate - a tribute to the great poet
In Tarkhany, where Lermontov’s childhood was spent, over the past decades, huge restoration work and major restoration of the entire complex have been carried out. This allowed to recreate the appearance of the estate in the form that it was during his lifetime.
The only addition is a monument to the poet, erected in 1985 next to the road leading to the museum. The appearance of the poet, depicted at the moment of reflection and dressed in simple clothes, is fully consistent with the spirit of the old manor.