In 1802, Count Rumyantsev bought the building on the Promenade des Anglais from the Golitsyn family. Subsequently, this house, led by the Count, became a center of science and a repository of historical exhibits.
Background
When Rumyantsev was abroad on duty, he began to collect objects of Russian culture and history, paying particular attention to the first printed books, ancient manuscripts, church books, and government documents. He was able to recreate the collections, surprising quality and wealth.
Historical reference
In 1814, Rumyantsev submitted a letter of resignation and was fully engaged in the study of Russian history. He gathered around himself scientists, the result of the scientific work of which was the publication of several dozen books and the foundation of the museum.
In 1824, the count began the reconstruction of the house. The Rumyantsev mansion was decorated with a majestic 12-column portico. Under the roof of this magnificent building was placed a high relief of the famous sculptor I. Martos with a scene from ancient Greek mythology. So the palace appears before us in our time.
In 1826, Count Rumyantsev passed away, instructing his brother to make a museum out of the house with all his collections. The count's wish was fulfilled, and a museum was founded in the house, the exhibits of which included all the objects collected by the count. A visit to the museum for some time remained completely free, and anyone could enter and get acquainted with the presented exhibits. But after the death of the count’s brother, whose money the museum lived on, the period of regression began in the history of the mansion.
Toward the end of the 19th century, the museum was moved to Moscow. The Rumyantsev mansion itself has changed many owners. After 1917, its rooms and halls were dismantled by a variety of structures.
In 1938, the Rumyantsev mansion was handed over to the Museum of the History and Development of Leningrad.
Modernity
By 2003, the Rumyantsev mansion in St. Petersburg was completely restored. The interior of the halls was restored according to their appearance and decoration in the 1880s. Today, the mansion houses expositions of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, hosts thematic exhibitions and music evenings.
The Rumyantsev mansion, more precisely, the museum, arranged inside, has 4 permanent exhibits: "The history of the building and its owners", "NEP. The image of the city and man", "From weekdays to holidays. Etudes from the 30s." and "Leningrad during the war."
In the premises of the first exhibition you can see the historical documentation related to the mansion itself, copies of its architectural plans, see the interior of the mansion at the beginning of the 20th century, get acquainted with the data about all the owners of this house and see their faces in portraits. One of the subsections of the exposition tells about the Count Rumyantsev himself.
The second exhibition reflects the time of the NEP in the history of the city. The rooms and rooms recreated typical views of St. Petersburg at that time: "Shoemaker's Workshop", "Restaurant", "Fashionist's Atelier", "Communal Kitchen" and others. Sounding music and city newsreels running on the screen allow visitors to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of those years. In addition, the exhibition has various printed materials: movie posters, calendars, newspapers, books.
The third exhibition will tell guests about the 30s. Here you can see the clothes of those times, household items and photographs, products that were produced by factories of that period.
The fourth exposition is dedicated to the blockade of Leningrad. Here you can see the bomb shelter and the famous notebook of schoolgirl Tanya Savicheva, examined at the Nuremberg trials, as well as evidence of famine during the war - food substitutes and siege bread.
Rumyantsev's mansion in St. Petersburg: reviews
The location is really noteworthy. Residents of St. Petersburg and city guests highlight the interesting collections that the Rumyantsev mansion has at its disposal. The photo is in the article, and we can say that the building itself has a truly impressive appearance.
Conclusion
The mansion of Count Rumyantsev from the time of its foundation has become the center of socio-cultural life of the Northern capital. The count performed invaluable educational work on a gratuitous basis: he collected a unique collection of a variety of historical objects, ancient manuscripts, church books and other monuments of Russian history and culture.