What you will not see in Moscow, on the Arbat. But it is precisely here, not far from the provocative erotic museum, that there is an equally interesting museum of the history of corporal punishment. What is this place, and what exhibits can be seen in this exhibition?
A house of horror or a real story?
The owner of the unusual exposition, Valery Pereverzev, is a very pleasant man who is happy to answer any questions and smiles a lot. When asked why he began to collect precisely objects related to torture, he does not give an exhaustive answer. There has always been interest, says Valery. First, handcuffs appeared, then a little later - lashes, tongs and pads. When there were too many exhibits, they were exhibited at the All-Russian Exhibition Center, and only after that did the museum of the history of corporal punishment appear on the Arbat. Valery still personally conducts excursions for visitors and is ready to talk for hours about his hobby. At the same time, he asks the guests to consider the collection not as a fun attraction, but as a collection of artifacts of the past. Of course, most of the exhibits are reconstruction, but the main goal of creating the museum was to familiarize the public with the customs of punishment and torture in different eras.
Unique Museum of Torture
Expositions on corporal punishment and medieval executions are in many countries around the world. Moreover, the Museum of the History of Corporal Punishment in Moscow is not the only one in Russia and, one might say, quite modest by world standards. However, its creator claims to be unique. The thing is that for the most part, expositions devoted to this topic are a plexus of real historical facts and mystical superstitions. In Europe, in such a museum they will tell not only about how they executed and tortured in the Middle Ages, but they will also tire you with legends about witches and vampires. But this is not the worst option, many expositions of corporal punishment completely resemble “horror houses” from amusement parks. In addition to models of instruments of torture, they include mannequins of monsters, terrifying music. The Moscow Museum of the History of Corporal Punishment is a completely different place, according to the creator, this is the case when real historical facts are worse than invented stories. In this case, the organizers of the exhibition are only required to tell and show everything that once was in reality. And let all these tools remain in the windows as a memory of the past, without returning to the real world.
Museum of the History of Corporal Punishment: photo and description of the exhibits
The Moscow exposition on the Arbat called Torture Museum opened in 2011. Initially, the museum occupied 4 rooms, but gradually it expands and is re-equipped, without closing for guests. In the muffled red light, visitors can see various instruments and accessories for torture. These are impressive designs like an electric chair, a chair with nails, a guillotine. A lot of Valery Pereverzev’s collection and compact instruments of torture include “Spanish boots”, shackles, whips, branding devices and much more. The exposition also includes costumes of executioners of different nations and times, as well as portraits of the most famous professionals of this craft.
Where is the Torture Museum located?
Finding a museum of the history of corporal punishment on the Arbat is not difficult. It is located in the very center of historical Moscow. Exact address: Stary Arbat, 25/36. Earlier in this room was the restaurant Alt Berlin. Today, above the steps leading to the basement, there is a Torture Museum signboard that offers guests a cultural program that has nothing to do with eating. The Museum of the History of Corporal Punishment is a unique place in the capital that you should visit at least once. Separately, it is worth noting that the exposition is popular not only among citizens of our country, but also among many foreigners. And this is an undeniable success.
Visitor Information
The Museum of the History of Corporal Punishment is open daily from 12.00 to 22.00. The exposition is open to guests over 18 years old. A female ticket costs 300 rubles, and a male ticket costs 400 rubles. Why such discrimination? This is a little joke of the museum owner. He believes that women better perceive new information and have more developed curiosity. The discount is also provided because of his personal respect for beautiful ladies. However, if a man wants to buy a woman’s ticket, the museum staff will not mind, but Valery would like to personally meet a person who is ready to change his gender for the sake of saving one hundred rubles. Face control is also awaiting visitors at the entrance, organization representatives may refuse to sell an entrance ticket without giving reasons. Excursion service is free - on weekends the group meets once every two hours. It will not be boring to walk through the museum without a specialist. Near each exhibit there is a plate with its detailed description.