On the right bank of the Siberian river Tom only fifty kilometers from the city of Kemerovo is the museum reserve Tomsk Pisanitsa. The official date of birth of the cultural center is February 16, 1988. This place is popular not only among residents of the Kemerovo region - every year it is visited by tens of thousands of tourists coming from different parts of Russia, countries of near and far abroad.
Location of the museum
“Tomsk Pisanitsa” is a unique open-air Russian museum based on ancient monuments of rock art. The protected area occupies about one and a half hundred hectares of the forest park zone of the Yashkinsky district. Flora includes four hundred species of diverse plants grouped in forest and steppe communities. The fauna of the reserve is represented by many large mammals, small rodents. The territory of the natural complex is inhabited by over one and a half species of birds, there are many bright beautiful butterflies.
By decree of Peter the Great
The venerable age of the ancient sanctuary is more than six thousand years. The Tomsk Pisanitsa attracted attention already during the reign of Peter the Great. One of the Russian explorers compiled a record mentioning "all sorts of idiots" depicted on a coastal stone. Because of the drawings, the stone was called "written." This is where the name of the sanctuary came from, which later spread to the entire Tomsk Pisanitsa museum.
According to the tsar’s decree, in 1719, a scientific expedition was equipped to Siberia to study the natural features of the region and “all kinds of antiquities”. The pundits recorded and described in detail about three hundred cave paintings made by ancient people. Thanks to the drawings, the researchers were able to compile a more complete picture of the life and life features of the northern peoples.
A careful study of the information that the ancient ancestors left, continues to the present time. The knowledge gained has allowed modern scholars to understand how Siberian tribes lived during the Neolithic, Bronze and early Iron Age.
The unique art of ancient man
All drawings are located on those surfaces of stones that are facing the river. Here you can clearly see the scenes of ancient hunting, various animals, mythical forest creatures, as well as many mysterious signs. The drawings survived to this day, because they were knocked out on rocky walls with the help of hard and sharp stones.
The unique monument "Tomsk Pisanitsa" became the site of a sanctuary for the descendants of ancient people, and has been revered by them for several millennia.
To see the cave painting, tourists need to go down the iron stairs to the very bank of the river. The lower step is located at the level of Pisanitsa, so it will be possible to well consider unusual drawings, many of which can be recognized as true masterpieces of the art of primitive people.
Open-air museum
On the large territory of the complex, where Tomsk Pisanitsa is located, there are many more architectural and ethnographic monuments, collections and museums, there is even a small zoo.
Among other expositions, special attention should be paid to an ethnographic estate called "Shorsky ulus Kezek". The museum complex combines a number of residential and household buildings in which the Shors lived during the turn of the two centuries - the nineteenth and twentieth.
The structures are arranged in the form of chopped rectangular yurts. Such housing construction appeared under the influence of life and culture of the Russian peoples. The Shors earned their living by hunting and blacksmithing, because of which they were called the Kuznetsk Tatars.
Other expositions
Slavic mythological forest is a modern reconstruction of the Slavic temple. The exposition is arranged in the form of a rounded territory, closed by a fence. Inside the courtyard are wooden idols depicting the main Slavic gods.
The gallery of sculptural stone structures of ancient times reflects the natural and historical origin of the peoples of the Siberian land. All mythology and the ancient epic of the aborigines are reflected here.
The Museum of Rock Art of Asian Nations, the Museum of Natural History, the Mongolian Yurt, the Chapel of Cyril and Methodius, the complex "Time and Calendars" - only nine museum displays include the complex "Tomsk Pisanitsa".
Dynamic Impressions
In addition to permanent exhibits, the museum-reserve regularly organizes traveling exhibitions. Here you can see themed collections of paintings, books, coins, craftsmanship products.
A highlight was the exhibition of traditional clothing of the indigenous peoples of Kuzbass. The guests of Tomsk Pisanitsa remembered the performances of young vocalists and musicians of the region for a long time.
Scientific and practical conferences, meetings, historical studies and architectural and ethnographic expeditions are held on the territory of the museum-reserve.
Holidays in the conservation area
Due to the ethnic orientation, the territory of the reserve has long turned into a zone of cultural and festive events. It regularly hosts festivals, folk art fairs, traditional festivals and other events that attract a large number of people. A very important point in the work of the museum is the preservation of the original culture of the region, the preservation and maintenance of traditions with the involvement of a mass audience.
It is very bright, noisy and numerous here during the celebration of Christmas, Shrovetide, Easter, Trinity. Representatives of the Kemerovo Diocese provide all possible assistance in organizing religious events for museum employees.
The days of ancient Slavic holidays and events of modern life leave unforgettable impressions. Children's Day and Bird Day unite many people in a single desire for peace and good. On the territory of the museum-reserve even opened a permanent residence of Santa Claus.
The folklore event of the New Year's Eve is called Chyl-Pazhi and takes place in March. A colorful and vibrant holiday introduces guests to the cultural customs and traditions of the Altai peoples. Performances of folk groups, costume performances, dishes of national cuisine - all this makes the event an important cultural event of the year.
The holiday of Ivan Kupala at the Tomsk Pisanitsa has long earned the love of the people. This day there are especially many guests - usually up to ten thousand are gathered. People hold ceremonies in a clearing, dance around a fire, bathe in the Tom River and collectively meet the sun. The holiday takes place in an Old Believer atmosphere in compliance with all the rules. Guests can dress in antique clothing to feel involved in the mystery of an ancient event. The festival is surely attended by mummers of the action - Ivan Kupala, Vodiannaya and the mermaid.
At the end of summer, the Bratchina Pir folk festival is held here, marking the completion of the harvest. Event organizers conduct it in accordance with ancient customs and traditions. On this day, arrange old Russian games and fun.
How to get to Pisanitsa
On the corresponding page of the official website there is a map by which you can find out where the Tomsk Pisanitsa Museum-Reserve is located. How to get to Kemerovo by various means of transport, the easiest way to find out at the railway station or airport.
From the city there are regular buses in the direction of the city of Yashkino, passing through the village of Kolmogorovo and the village of Pacha. The stop at which you should go is called the Museum Reserve. From the bus station of the city of Kemerovo, buses run all day with an hour and a half interval.
When choosing a trip by car, you should move along Kuznetsk Prospekt towards the Kirovsky District, having crossed the Tom River. From there, a suburban highway leads to the Tomsk Pisanitsa.
There is also the opportunity to get to the museum by boat on the river. You can leave Kemerovo, Yurga or Tomsk.
Opening hours of the museum
To get to the territory, you need to buy tickets to the Tomsk Pisanitsa Museum-Reserve. The entrance fee is low and varies depending on the day of the week and the citizenship of visitors. For students and schoolchildren admission is only one hundred rubles. The maximum ticket price on a day off reaches two hundred. Small children under the age of five can be taken with them for free.
It is noteworthy that the museum-reserve is open every day from ten to nineteen hours, closing for breaks or lunch. Guests are always welcome here.