Each city should have a local history museum. Small cities are not always lucky with this. But in large such institutions are definitely there. Museum of the history of the resort city of Sochi is one of them. It was created in 1920.
Other name
Previously, the Caucasus Mountain Club existed in the city. Its head was Vasily Konstantinovich Konstantinov. This man not only loved and studied his native land. In his main profession, Konstantinov was an engineer and was engaged in the design and construction of roads. The most famous of them is the road to Krasnaya Polyana and the settlements of Aibga, Plastunskoye, Azhek. Members of the club, who studied the nature of the Caucasus, archeology and life of the indigenous population, managed to collect a collection of minerals, household items, herbarium. They kept it in the house of the mother of Konstantinov Ekaterina Pavlovna Maykova.
It's all in common
After their death, the collection becomes the property of the state. In 1920, a local history museum was created. A room was found for him - a private house. Subsequently, the Primorskaya Hotel was built in its place. Initially, the museum did not cause active interest. During the year, only 712 people visited him. But the museum’s collection was not small and consisted of about 1000 exhibits. In addition, there was its own local history library.
For posterity
Keeping the history of the region was very important, therefore, enthusiasts of this business fought for their “treasures” with all diligence, even when in the mid-1920s there was a problem with the room. He simply was not there. Therefore, the exhibits migrated to boxes. They had to be collected at the time of moving, then re-deploy the exposure. These ordeals continued until 1932, when the museum was finally allocated a permanent building.
Stamina and courage
After 9 years, the war began. The Museum of the History of Sochi in this difficult time not only did not close, but also continued to replenish with new items. About 3000 exhibits replenished his collection during the Great Patriotic War. Now, considering the exposition devoted to this topic, one can imagine in detail what the Sochi people did, how they helped the front, how they worked in the rear. When the war came very close to the city in 1942, the question arose of how to preserve the unique collection. I had to evacuate most of the exhibits far into the mountains and hide them in caves, burying them in the ground.
For the soul
But the Museum of the History of Sochi did not stop its activities. After it became known for sure that the city would not be captured by the enemy, the exposition reopened to visitors. People exhausted by the war, however, visited the Museum of the History of Sochi in these difficult years. About 45 thousand people got acquainted with the history of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus from 1941 to 1945. In the museum building, excursions for wounded soldiers were regularly held. His employees went to the city hospitals with lectures.
Grow and develop
After the war, the Sochi History Museum continued its activities. The number of exhibits grew, new exposures were created. Cultural work was carried out. A variety of exhibitions were brought from other cities (Maykop, Sukhumi, Kaluga, Krasnodar, Tbilisi, etc.). Soon, it became possible to include separate buildings in the Sochi resort history museum. Thus, he had branches of the Ethnographic Department in Lazarevsky and "Cottage of the singer V. Barsova."
New building
A popular institution that adorns the look of the city, such as the Museum of the History of the City of Sochi, should be located in a suitable room that meets all modern requirements. Therefore, it was decided to build a new building. The investor quickly ran out of money and, as often happened in the 90s, construction was suspended. In 2000, a building was allocated for the museum along Vorovsky Street. It was built in 1936 and itself was already an exhibit, according to which it was possible to study the architectural features of buildings of those years. By the way, the Sochi Art Museum, whose history also dates back to ancient times, also occupies a building in the center of construction in 1936. So here. Immediately open the exhibition in it was impossible. There was a long reconstruction, which, in the end, was completed and the doors for visitors were reopened.
Is there some more
One of the branches of the Museum of History of Sochi is located in the village of Lazarevskoye. It was founded in 1985, and began to receive its first visitors five years later. The building in which the branch is located is historic. It was built in 1914 by a merchant named Popandopulo. On the upper floor he lived with his family, and on the lower floor was a wine cellar. In 1920, the building was nationalized and placed under the department of public education, which first housed a peasant school, then the collective farm youth school. From 1938 to 1980, it housed the Lazarevskaya secondary school.
In crowded but not mad
After reconstruction, a room of 100 square meters. m. was divided into three rooms, which housed an exposition telling about the life and culture of the indigenous population of Sochi from ancient times until the beginning of the twentieth century. Initially, the Adygei-Shapsugs inhabited the Caucasian coast, but after the end of the Caucasian war in the mid-19th century, former citizens of the Russian and Ottoman empires settled on it. About how all this happened and how such different peoples coexisted on the same land, and is told in the museum.
Thematic Division
The distribution of the halls is as follows. Indigenous peoples can be found in the first and second. Here are displays dedicated to the culture and boot of Shapsugs. You can see their weapons, household items, national costumes, tools, jewelry. The third room introduces visitors to how or immigrants who settled on the Black Sea coast in the second half of the 19th century. Among them were Russians, Czechs, Belarusians, Moldavians, Estonians, Turks, Ukrainians and others. Culture and life from this period have a mixed character and national items, for example, clothes of one people, can be found in the wardrobe of another.
Museum-cottage of the singer V.V. Barsova
Why this singer’s summer cottage attracts visitors. After all, she lived and sang many years ago? Probably because the talent has no time and still her songs are listened to and loved by connoisseurs of real art and music lovers. Having heard the trills and overflows of the voice of Valeria Barsova, you will not forget them and will not confuse them with another. Easy manner of performance is remembered and touches the soul. In order to see how this unique person lived and come to her summer house - a museum in Sochi.
Her whole life was shrouded in a love of music. From childhood, she loved to sing. Often she did this with her sisters. She especially liked the lingering folk songs, which she used in her repertoire. She was born in Astrakhan. Studied at the Moscow Conservatory. Then she began to sing in the opera. In 1920 she became a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater. Throughout her life, she traveled a lot and everywhere found a warm welcome. The talent of Valeria Barsova was highly appreciated by famous singers and musicians. Most of her life since 1947 took place in a country house in the city of Sochi. Here she was engaged in vocal and pedagogical activities and received eminent guests.
What can be seen
The first one of her house, with an area of about 130 sq. M. m. All items in it are genuine. The feeling of the past era covers already at the entrance to the museum. A German piano greets visitors, with a large portrait of Barsova hanging over it. She bequeathed her dacha to the city of Sochi of her own free will. In the museum, the will itself hangs on the wall, which everyone can read. The singer lived in luxury, now visitors can admire her parquet and antique furniture. Glazed stands hang on the walls, in which a collection of genuine exhibits is collected. You can say the whole life of the singer in full view. Not everyone decides to leave such an inheritance. But it is evident that V. Barsova had nothing to hide from descendants. On the contrary, she considered it very important that everything, even documents, starting from her birth, were kept and put on public display.
Stands
There are seven stands in total. The first is dedicated to her childhood and youth. You can see photos of Astrakhan where she was born, the school she graduated from, and the theater where she went with her family. At the second stand, exhibits telling about students and study at the Moscow Conservatory. The third stand is about how she served as a soloist at the Bolshoi Theater. Barsova was a national artist, a state prize winner. From the information on the stand, you can learn about her roles in the theater and see photos in a stage manner. The fourth stand is dedicated to famous people of her partners. The fifth talks about touring. The sixth is about the social work that she conducted, despite her busyness. And finally, the seventh. About how her memory was immortalized. She died and was buried in the city of Sochi.
Currently, the Museum of the History of Sochi, whose address is ul. Vorovsky 54/11, keeps up to date. Its halls feature expositions in modern design. Museum visitors are not bored, but it is very interesting to inspect the collection of exhibits (about 4 thousand), to learn about the development of the city in the resort direction. Original photographs and documents complement the exhibition, experienced guides will share fascinating and useful information about the features of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, including the city itself. If you decide to visit the Museum of the History of Sochi, opening hours:
- September - May: 9:00 to 17.30, except Monday.
- June - August: 9.00 to 19.30, seven days a week.