Not every compatriot living in the Novgorod region has heard about the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture . And even fewer people had the opportunity to visit him. But the visit will allow you to get a lot of pleasant experiences for the whole family - a large number of exhibits installed directly in the open air, and a number of fascinating cultural programs will impress anyone.
Where is located
The Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Folk Architecture is located near Veliky Novgorod, right on the shore of Lake Myachino, at the address: 173007, Veliky Novgorod, Yuryevskoye Shosse. Here is located St. Yuriev Monastery.
There are many ways to get here. The easiest is to take a bus. Buses of routes No. 7 and No. 7a are suitable. You can sit on them right near the station or at the Sennaya Ploshchad stop. The entire journey to the museum takes about 20 minutes, and the ticket will cost 27 rubles per person.
If you prefer to travel by car, it is enough to leave the city in a southerly direction and head along the Yuryevsky highway: after driving about 2 kilometers, you will see a sign and you will need to turn left. After a couple of kilometers you will be in place. So now you know how to get to the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, and you can visit it at any time.
When he appeared
In January 1964, the Minister of Culture of the RSFSR signed an order to improve the protection of monuments of wooden architecture. It contained a proposal to create an open-air museum in the vicinity of Novgorod.
It was discussed and adopted - in early June, the Novgorod City Council allocated the territory of the old Oryol Manor to equip the museum - near the St. George Monastery, right between Lake Myachino and the road leading to Yuryevo.
So the museum of folk wooden architecture of Vitoslavlitsa appeared. The date of its foundation is precisely June 5, 1964. The creator and first leader was Leonid Krasnorechiev.
There was a lot of work - I had to move many wooden buildings and architectural monuments created from the XVI to XIX centuries. Therefore, the museum received its first visitors only in May 1967. One of the first exhibits transported here was the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, which was previously located in the village of Kuritsko. It was built in 1595.
What is interesting about the museum
As already mentioned, the Novgorod Museum of Folk Wooden Architecture Vitoslavlitsy boasts a large number of interesting exhibits. First of all, these are wooden buildings built several centuries ago - it was for the sake of them that the museum was created.
However, inside each of these buildings is another museum! The creators tried to do everything as reliably as possible, filling the church with church utensils, re-creating the working atmosphere in the forge and the familiar everyday life in residential huts. Looking at all this, plunging into the world in which our ancestors lived, will be equally interesting for both adults and children.
The atmosphere is recreated just perfectly - thanks not only to numerous ancient exhibits, but also to experienced employees who are ready not only to tell in detail about the purpose of these objects and the past of our people, but also to participate in various programs.
Yes, perhaps the programs are one of the main advantages that the museum can boast of. The most varied, from household gatherings to the celebration of important holidays: you can see live, how our ancestors had fun. What to see there! You have a great opportunity to become the protagonists of all these programs. Therefore, there is no doubt: once in Novgorod, a museum of wooden architecture Vitoslavlitsy must visit, you will not be disappointed!
The main attractions
It is almost impossible to tell about all the interesting places that are worth visiting in the museum. So we’ll tell at least a few of them.
The oldest exhibit is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin - it was built back in 1531 in the village of Peredki. The masters carefully disassembled it, moved it to a new place, where they spent a lot of time and effort to assemble it in the form in which it stood for almost five centuries.
Together with two other churches of the sixteenth century - the Church of the Assumption, which was already mentioned, and another church of the Assumption, built in the village of Nikulino in 1599, they form a full-fledged churchyard. That is what the center of the rural district was called.
There are several more churches built in the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries. You can still see the real forge - it was built in the village of Spas-Piskopets at the very beginning of the last century. Moreover, it is quite suitable for work - for this there are all the necessary tools and devices.
Those who want to learn how grain was processed and stored can visit the threshing floor with Riga - it was transported from the village of Gorbukhino, where it coped with its functions perfectly from the beginning of the 20th century.
There are two granaries - Smirnova and Gromova, built in the village of Borikhino and Lyamtsino in the early twentieth and late nineteenth centuries, respectively.
In total, the Museum of Wooden Architecture Vitoslavlitsy offers its guests to see 21 objects of wooden architecture, each of which opens a new page in the history of our ancestors. And this is not counting the manor complex that once belonged to Countess Orlova-Chesmenskaya, consisting of three objects.
Excursion programs
Of course, it’s very interesting to walk around the museum, examine the houses and objects that people lived and used several centuries ago. But still it is much more interesting to see how it looked several centuries ago, when things were actively exploited, and not just lay as exhibits.
That is why the creators have provided a large number of diverse programs. Some of them are seasonal, while others can be ordered at any time of the year. Booking tickets is carried out online on the official website around the clock. Entrance fees for adults - 150 rubles., For students - 100 rubles. Tours are paid separately.
Experienced workers perfectly enliven the atmosphere of the museum, allowing guests to get accustomed to it even more densely, to feel like part of it, or even take a direct part in excursions.
Let's talk briefly about a few of the most interesting.
Get-togethers in Vymutnoy closet
This is one of the most interesting and unusual programs that the Vitoslavlitsy Museum in Novgorod offers. It is an interactive theatrical program. On the one hand, participants can play various games that are familiar to our ancestors. On the other hand, to take part in a spinning workshop, to get such an unusual, but useful and interesting skill. How did the spinning girls brighten up boring evenings a couple of centuries ago? Of course, horror stories and various stories told each other. Local workers have gathered a huge archive of those and will gladly share them with visitors.
It is a pity that the entire program is designed for only 45 minutes - they fly by simply unnoticed.
Winter miracles in Vitoslavlitsy
Visiting the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture from October to February, you can become a participant or spectator of this exciting program. It lasts an entire hour and is presented as a theatrical game program. Not only people participate here, but also various fairy-tale characters that existed in the beliefs of our ancestors. Yes, each element of the program is taken from Novgorod legends, tales and fairy tales, lovingly collected, processed and combined for ease and beauty of the story.
Of course, the program “Winter Miracles in Vitoslavlitsy” is of most interest to children, but many adults, especially those interested in history and Slavic mythology, will be interested to see all this with their own eyes.
Christmas time in Vitoslavlitsy
It will be especially interesting to visit the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture in Veliky Novgorod from December to January. After all, it was at this time that the most mysterious and unusual time was on the calendar of the Russian peasant - Svyatka. At this time, there was practically no hard work in the field, people rejoiced, had fun, ate tasty and satisfying food (when there was something) and often went to visit each other.
It is on this side that the life of our ancestors is shown by the program "Christmas time in Vitoslavlitsy". Visitors will see the performance of real carols, as well as several rituals with fortune telling, according to legends, which allowed to open the curtain over the future. Of course, there will be traditional games, as well as a variety of treats. The entire program is designed for sixty minutes - each of them will surely be remembered by visitors for its brightness and richness.
Wedding
You have a wedding and you want to make it even more interesting, unforgettable? You can do this thanks to the Vitoslavlitsy Museum. Especially for this occasion, the wedding program "Wedding. Princely Appliance" was developed. Experienced actors will meet the newlyweds and conduct many relevant ceremonies: cleansing, breaking the road, burning girl’s will, and a number of others. Also, all the participants will be given the appropriate ranks, as it should be in the Novgorod tradition. Parents will be given special honors - all the rituals are observed as accurately and fully as possible. Surely the action will be accompanied by a solemn bell ringing.
If the wedding takes place in winter, then there will also be a great opportunity to ride a sleigh - an integral element of Russian celebration.
Meeting young
This ritual has always been considered in Russia no less important than the wedding itself. And the workers of the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture in Veliky Novgorod are well aware of this. Therefore, the newlyweds are offered an unusual and almost forgotten rite in large cities - a meeting of the young. The villagers honor the guests, wish the newlyweds love, health, prosperity and a large family. All this is accompanied by a bell ringing, caressing the ear.
The whole procedure takes about half an hour, but the memories that it leaves will certainly remain with the newlyweds and their guests for life.
The winter program can also be supplemented with sledding - an occupation familiar to our ancestors, but very exotic for most modern citizens.
Household yard
This can not be called a program, but still many visitors, especially young ones, are most delighted precisely after visiting the household yard.
Two horses and three goats live here. Of course, they are also pleased to welcome visitors.
When visiting, guests can take part in a master class in which they talk about all the intricacies of caring for pets. For example, for goats this is feeding, combing and milking - without these procedures it is difficult to imagine the life of Russian people a hundred years ago and further, in the depth of centuries. With horses, it’s still more interesting - they need to be cleaned, a saddle and a bridle must be put on them, harnessed in a cart or sled, the hooves should be cleaned of dirt and stones accidentally stuck, and if necessary, shoe-shoe. After all, a horse is an animal, although very strong, hardy, but needs constant care and care in order to maintain health and vitality for many years.
Visitors to the Vitoslavlitsy Museum in Veliky Novgorod can also take pictures with animals. Goats are allowed to feed (food can be taken on the spot) or just pet them. And on horses, children and adults can ride under the supervision of an experienced groom. According to many, short skating is one of the most vivid impressions received during the whole day spent in the magnificent open-air museum.
Conclusion
So our article comes to an end. From it you learned all the important information about the glorious Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, which is located near Novgorod. Surely many readers have a desire to visit it. Well, deciding to take such a step, you definitely will not have to regret it.