Stanislavskiy House Museum (Moscow)

 

Leontevskiy pereulok 6

Tel. (495) 629 2442

Subway: Arbatskaya, Tverskaya

Open: 12- 7pm Wed, Fri, 11am- 6pm Thu, Sat, Sun

Closed: last Thursday of month

 

Description of the Stanislavskiy House Museum

The Stanislavsky house-Museum is the house in Moscow where Konstantin Stanislavsky, a Russian theater Director, actor, teacher, and theater reformer, lived. He lived on the first floor from 1920, until his death in 1938, at the age of 75. Stanislavsky became disillusioned with the conservative spirit of the old Moscow theater school and created an outlet for his innovative ideas, founding the Moscow art theater ( Moscow art theater) in 1898. After moving into this apartment, he turned his ballroom into an impromptu theater, where he rehearsed scenes while working on an experimental drama school. Later, when he became too ill to leave the house, he also held rehearsals here for the Moscow art theater company. Currently, the house has a Museum directed by K. S. Stanislavsky. Stanislavsky's living room and study are now open to the public, as well as his dining room and the bedroom of his wife, Maria Lilina. Also on display are an early Edison phonograph and a vase that was a gift from the dancer Isadora Duncan. On the lower floor there are props and costumes from Stanislavsky's performances.The Museum building itself was built in the 19th century.

 

History Of The Stanislavsky House Museum
Operation of the house
The mansion is one of the few remaining Moscow buildings of the XVII century. In 1690, stone chambers were built on the site, the decor of which is still visible from the courtyard of the mansion. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the building changed several owners: count I. Tolstoy, Captain-Lieutenant of the Izmailovsky regiment Pyotr Khlopov, major General Nikolai Ermolov, and Varvara Spiridonova, who created a large ballroom in the building.

After the fire of 1812, the first significant reconstruction of the building took place, when the owners of the building decorated it in the Empire style: artificial marble columns, cornices, stucco on the capitals and tempera painted ceilings appeared. At the end of the 19th century, the facade was decorated with Central and side risalites, oval Windows, and pilaster ionic porticos. In the XX century, the Moscow art Theater actors ' hostel was located in the courtyard of the building, where the Soviet actor Yuri Solomin lived.

Stanislavsky's Accommodation
After the revolution of 1917 and the beginning of the policy of consolidation, Stanislavsky was forced to leave his home in Bolshoy Karetny lane — the Soviet authorities decided to set up a carpool of the Sovnarkom there. Thanks to the personal request of the people's Commissar of education Anatoly Lunacharsky to Vladimir Lenin, Stanislavsky was allowed to choose a new place of residence on his own. By 1921, the search for the building was completed: the mansion in Leontievsky lane, 6 met the main criteria of the artist — it had a good music hall. Stanislavsky lived on the second floor of the house until 1938, dividing the premises into two parts: living rooms and an Opera Studio, where rehearsals of performances were held.

Having moved to a new apartment at the age of six, Stanislavsky spent the last ten years of his life practically never leaving home, working on manuscripts and conducting rehearsals in an internal Studio. Due to the need to observe bed rest, the Director in recent years conducted rehearsals of performances over the phone.

Museum opening
The decision to establish a memorial Museum in Stanislavsky's last apartment was made in 1941. The opening took place on the tenth anniversary of the Director's death in 1948. The first Director was Stanislavsky's daughter Kira, who lobbied for the creation of the Museum. Since its Foundation, the house Museum has been a branch of the Moscow art Theater Museum.

Modernity
Since the early 2000s, the La Stella theater has been located in the former stable in the courtyard of the mansion. From 2011 to 2015, the mansion was restored by employees of the Hermitage. As a result of the work, the roof was replaced with mauerlat, the drainage system was updated, engineering networks were carried out, the interiors of Dormer Windows were recreated, the crowning cornice was decorated, and window and door openings were repaired. The facade decor was cleaned and the lost elements were restored. The white-stone plinth of the Central facade was reinforced with additional materials and cleared of plaque. Special attention was paid to the Grand wooden staircase described in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "Theatrical novel". Restorers replaced the vestibule, steps, bowstrings, balusters and handrails,as well as restored the ceiling. At the request of the Museum staff, the famous creaking of wooden steps was left during the restoration.

"I was walking out on my bent legs, my head pounding, and I looked at black Ostrovsky with anger. I muttered as I descended the creaking wooden stairs, and the play that had become so hateful was dragging my hands away. The wind blew my hat off as I went out into the yard, and I caught it in a puddle. There was no Indian summer. The rain splashed in slanting streams, squelched underfoot, and wet leaves were torn from the trees in the garden. Flowed by the collar.
Description of the Stanislavsky staircase in the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov»

In 2015, the building won the Moscow government's Moscow restoration competition in the category "for the best project for the restoration of a cultural heritage site".