Russia has long been famous for homemade folk products, an important place among which were toys. The "amusing" goods were made of wood, papier-mâchÊ, clay and other material. Most in demand were the Sergiev Posad toys.
Moscow is within easy reach
Sergiev Posad is located only seventy kilometers from Moscow. This small but beautiful town is included in the Golden Ring of Russia. An excursion there will please many travelers, especially if they embarked on a journey with their children. After all, the sights of Sergiev Posad are very interesting , the Toy Museum among which is not the last.
Of course, first of all, this Russian town is known for the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in which the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh rest. It is to this saint that the city owes its existence. In 1340, as a monk, he founded a small monastery, lost in the woods. Around the monastery, small settlements began to appear. Over time, one of the largest monasteries in Russia was formed here. By decree of Catherine the Great in 1782, individual settlements were connected to the city, which was called Sergiev Posad. During the years of Soviet power (1930â1992), the city had a different name - Zagorsk.
Art crafts flourished
The pilgrims flocked to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra from all over the world. This contributed to the fact that various crafts began to develop in the surrounding villages. Products of craftsmen were in demand. Pilgrims were especially attracted by toys carved from wood.
There is a legend that laid the foundation for this business and the first toy was cut out by the abbot of the monastery, Sergius of Radonezh. Pilgrims bought Trinity toys for their children.
Among the pilgrims who came to prayer in the Lavra, there were Russian tsars, their children also did not disdain wooden toys. âAmusingâ carts with horses, spinning tops, spoons, bros - all this was in the collection of the royal children. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Toy Museum of Sergiev Posad is now famous.
The beginning of time
At the origins of the creation of the museum was Nikolai Dmitrievich Bartram, an artist, teacher and art historian. He comes from the Kursk province. Health did not allow Nicholas to graduate from the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. But he became interested in the creation of toys and created a workshop in his homestead, where many wonderful products were made under his leadership and according to his drawings.
Over time, Nikolai Bartram began to study the history of the creation of toys, and then his personal collection appeared. He traveled to many centers of handicrafts in Russia and brought interesting finds from everywhere.
In 1904, N. D. Bartram settled in Moscow and soon became head of the art department of the Handicraft Museum, where he again created a workshop. However, until the moment when the Museum of Toys appeared in Sergiev Posad, there was still a lot of time.
From personal collection to museum
Already when he moved to Moscow, Nikolai Bartram had a significant collection of toys. In subsequent years, it was not only replenished, but also expanded due to household utensils, folk costumes, and even architectural toys.
Since 1910, the artist has set about trying to create a toy museum. He hatched various plans, made projects and sketches. And in 1918, a toy museum really opened in Moscow. At first it was located in Bartram's own apartment and occupied four rooms. All exhibits were divided into 4 sections: puppet theater toys, folk toys, entertaining books and educational games.
The museumâs collection was constantly replenished; there wasnât enough space in the artistâs apartment. In 1924, the museum moved to a separate building - the Khrushchev-Seleznev estate, which was located on Prechistenka. The popularity of the Toy Museum in those years was second only to the Tretyakov Gallery. Indeed, in addition to the fact that there was a wonderful collection of toys, which, incidentally, could even be touched, museum staff worked with children. The innovative methods that they used in their work attracted children and their parents there.
Nikolai Dmitrievich Bartram ran the museum until his death, which happened in 1931.
Toy Museum of Sergiev Posad
Itâs hard to say why, after the death of Bartram, the museum was transferred outside of Moscow. Perhaps, all the same, because it was Sergiev Posad who was always famous for toy crafts. And today there is a factory for the production of toys.
At first, the museumâs funds wandered around various buildings for a long time, but in 1980 he was finally allocated a separate room, in addition, in one of the most beautiful corners of the city of Sergiev Posad. The toy museum is located near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, on Mount Volokusha, in the old building of the former commercial school. This red-brick mansion was built on a hill above a picturesque pond. He himself is a landmark of the city of Sergiev Posad. The toy museum stores over 30 thousand exhibits in its walls. These are toys of different nations not only in Russia, but also in the world.
The first nesting doll is also here.
It is difficult to say what is most attractive in this museum: products of the 18th â 19th centuries or modern masterpieces. Here is a peasant girl in a kokoshnik, and here are painted mistresses, hussars, vanka-vstanka and Barbie dolls. Eyes run up! One of the first Russian nesting dolls, which is stored in the museum, is at least one hundred years old.
The museumâs collection contains the favorite toys of the heir to Nicholas II, Tsarevich Alexei: models of cars, ships, steam locomotives, airplanes. And also a unique set delivered to him from France, containing several games: dominoes, lotto, checkers, cerso, ping pong and others.
The products of masters of the village of Bogorodskoye, which is located under the city of Sergiev Posad, are admired. The Toy Museum allows not only to consider these wooden products made mainly from linden, but also to see how the simplest mechanisms (button, ballast, slats) put them into action.
Today in the Sergiev Posad Museum there are several exhibits, among which the most important can be called "Russian folk toy." Then follow âRussian and West European toy of the 19th â early 20th centuriesâ, âNew Year and Christmas toyâ, âChildren's portraitâ. There is also an exposition "Toy of the East."
If you are in doubt about whether to visit the Toy Museum (Sergiev Posad), photos of the exhibits will help you make the final decision. By the way, there is a toy store at the museum, which means that you can bring interesting souvenirs home from the trip.
A visit to the city of Sergiev Posad will allow you to return to childhood for a short time, the Toy Museum is the main reason for this.