The Museum of Sin in Tambov is one of the most unique and amazing museums that can be found in this city. This is the official department of the medical Kunstkamera educational museum, working at the local Derzhavin State University. It was organized on the basis of the collection, originally collected by the pathologist of the city hospital No. 2, Yuri Schukin. On these exhibits, sections on pathological anatomy and histology can be traced, the museum has a large number of objects with original stories that are directly related to human vices. It is because of this that the museum got its unofficial name.
Unique museum
The exhibits of the Museum of Sin in Tambov clearly demonstrate what the abuse of bad habits and the rejection of a healthy lifestyle can lead to. Therefore, excursions are often organized here as part of the educational process for schoolchildren and students, as well as for everyone.
You can get to the museum on your own or as part of an organized group. On the tour, they will talk in detail about the prevention of the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, illustrating this with illustrative examples.
Museum building
The Museum of Sin in Tambov is located in the oldest public building that can be found in the city today. During the tsarist regime, the institution of noble maidens was located here, which was supervised by the Dowager Empress Alexandra Fedorovna.
The building itself was built in the middle of the XIX century. At the moment it is a monument of architecture and history. Next to the museum is the educational building of Tambov State University.
It is noteworthy that near the Museum of Sin in Tambov there are many other attractions that tourists advise to visit after visiting the exhibits. This is a museum of local lore, the Transfiguration Cathedral, an art gallery, a cathedral bell tower, a regional drama theater, a man’s monastery.
Kunstkamera analogue
At its core, the Museum of Sin in Tambov, the photo of which is in this article, is an analogue of the Kunstkamera located in St. Petersburg.
The history of the creation is as follows: the entire collection was collected by pathologist Yuri Schukin, who worked almost all his life in the city hospital named after Archbishop Luke. The exhibits of the Museum of Sin in Tambov are about seven hundred transparent containers. In each of them are alcoholic embryos, human limbs and organs. Schukin included human remains in his collection, which could clearly illustrate the harmful effects of bad habits, as well as vices existing in society, on the body.
Museum founder
Yuri Shchukin worked for about 35 years in the morgue, almost every day encountering clear evidence of what the antisocial lifestyle leads to. Once the pathologist came up with the idea to start collecting a collection that would illustrate the consequences of a sinful existence. The main thing was to explain this not only to doctors and medical students, but to everyone without exception. Especially Schukin wanted to convey this to young people. And so the Museum of Sin appeared in Tambov. Photos of exhibits published in this article.
At first, the entire collection was placed in a small closet in the morgue itself. The number of visitors and the number of exhibits grew, and after the pathology department was reformed in 2011, the museum moved to the building of Tambov State University.
Today the address of the Museum of Sin in Tambov is Sovetskaya Street, house 93. There, this institution is located to this day. All this time, he is led by Dr. Schukin himself, who simultaneously teaches at the university.
Excursions
A special educational program has been prepared for visitors at the Museum of Sin, unique research and campaigns to promote a healthy lifestyle are also held here. Often organized groups of students and schoolchildren come to the museum, for them Yuri Kirillovich Schukin tries to conduct excursions on his own.
It is noteworthy that, in addition to the medical field, Schukin is deeply versed in many other areas. For example, it is considered one of the most influential local historians, deeply knows the history of the region, he wrote several books about the historical and cultural heritage of the city.
Today, the entire exposition is divided into three departments. In the main department there are racks in which containers with alcohol embryos and human organs are located. The second department of the museum is a library with a unique collection of old medical books. And the third is a collection of exhibits that are directly related to the surgeon and physician, Archbishop Luke.
Museum motto
The museum has an unusual motto: "Here the dead teach the living." Indeed, the museum exhibits make you think seriously. Almost every exhibit has its own tragic and edifying story, which Shchukin can tell in colors.
One of the most famous exhibits is a small area of the human body on which tattoos are applied. One of the tattoos is the image of the Virgin. The tattoo was between the legs of one young man. In such an unusual way, the young man decided to surprise his girls. But because of the tattoo, he developed a long and serious illness, and as a result he had to have amputation.
One of the racks is dedicated to the intrauterine development of human embryos. It has a particularly strong influence on young girls who see the consequences of their addiction to alcohol or cigarettes. Thus, Schukin seeks to instill responsibility for the young generation for his offspring.
Presented for all to see the foot of a motorcyclist crashing into a tree while being drunk. Exposed and part of the stomach of an alcoholic, covered with numerous ulcers. The man drank technical alcohol, which led to tragic consequences.
The first department of the museum is the largest, many exhibits seek to show what each of the passions or vices can lead to. In their reviews, many visitors admit that, leaving the museum, they think about their lives in a new way, some quit smoking and drinking.
It should be noted that visitors should have strong nerves, since not everyone can withstand what they saw.
Mode of operation
The museum has organized a cinema hall and a lecture hall, where, if necessary, you can conduct additional classes on the harmfulness of bad habits.
The opening hours of the Sin Museum in Tambov are as follows: visitors can see the collection on weekdays, from Monday to Friday. The museum opens at 9 a.m. and is open until 17:00. You do not need to buy a ticket; admission is free.
You can get to the museum by personal or public transport. Nearby is the stop "Derzhavin University".