Location: Ulitsa Semashko 19
House Museum of Maksim Gorky (Музей-квартира А.М.Горького) is a former residence of famous Russian writer Gorky. He lived in this residence between 1902 and 1904. Born Aleksey Maksimovich Peshkov, he took a new pseudo name of Gorky or "bitter" in Russian as a reference to life of proletariat of the time. Much of his books are devoted to hardship of common people. This obviously seat well with the revolutionaries that eventually overthrew monarchical rule in 1917. In the Soviet period Nizhny Novgorod was renamed Gorky, but after fall of Soviet Union the city got its original name. Gorky nevertheless is considered one of the greatest social and political writers of his time.
The museum was opened in 1971 in the house where Maxim
Gorky lived from 1902 to 1904. Gorky rented an apartment in the house of
N. F. Kirshbaum in September 1902 and settled here with his family. By
this time he had become a famous writer, in 1903 and 1904 he was awarded
the Griboedov Prize, he was the leading author of the repertoire of the
Moscow Art Theater, his works were translated into 16 languages. Here
Gorky completed the play "At the Bottom" and survived its success.
Writers Leonid Andreev and Yevgeny Chirikov, singer Fyodor Chaliapin,
and various artists visited this house.
In 1904, a new passionate
love for the actress Maria Andreeva, new literary and social
connections, the desire to fully realize himself, prompted Gorky to part
with his family and leave his native city.
The wife of the writer
E. P. Peshkova, as well as her daughter-in-law N. A. Peshkova,
granddaughters Martha and Daria, daughter of Chaliapin, took part in the
creation of the museum.
Visitors are offered thematic excursions:
The last
Nizhny Novgorod apartment of A. M. Gorky is the center of social and
cultural life of Nizhny Novgorod.
A. M. Gorky and F. I. Chaliapin.
A. M. Gorky and the theater.
A. M. Gorky and children.
The
first floor of the museum is occupied by thematic exhibitions. The
"Green Living Room" in the style of the late XIX - early XX was opened
for literary, theatrical and scientific events. The museum has a
literary club "House with a Mezzanine".
Visitors climb the wooden
stairs to the second floor of the house and see an old bronze plaque
with the inscription “A. M. Peshkov" on the door. The tour starts from
the entrance. There is a telephone on the wall, next to it is a large
oak hanger and a chest covered with homespun carpet. Opposite is a
Swedish bookcase, above it is the painting "Old Rus'", presented to
Alexei Maksimovich by the artist V. Orlov. From the hallway you can go
to the rooms occupied by the writer's family:
Office of E. P.
Peshkova
Here you can see personal belongings and awards of the wife
of A. M. Gorky, photographs, books and documents from different years.
Guest room ("Chaliapinskaya")
F. I. Chaliapin lived in this room
from August 17 to September 7, 1903. The singer's personal belongings
are exhibited here: a desk, a Bulka inkwell, a candlestick, and a pencil
sharpening machine. On the bookcase there is a travel bag, on the wall
there is a clock donated to Chaliapin by the Society for the Aid to
Women Studying in Moscow.
Living room
In this room, Gorky read
his works, arranged meetings, improvisation concerts, at which F.
Chaliapin sang.
Children's
In the room there are metal
children's beds with bedspreads, a cloth screen between them, a school
desk, a table, a bookcase (children's books and a violin are on the
shelves), a chest of drawers for linen, a workbench. In the middle of
the room there is a large carpet, on it are toys, pebbles brought by the
writer's son Maxim from the Crimea. On the walls are photographs of the
nanny M. I. Orekhova-Medvedeva, A. M. Gorky, M. A. Volzhina.
During the winter holidays, Gorky Christmas trees are held here.
Room of M. A. Volzhina, mother of E. P. Peshkova
Furnishings of the
room: a chest of drawers and an antique mahogany desk with bronze, a
table, a bed, a wardrobe. There are family photos on the chest of
drawers. On the table, next to the kerosene lamp, there are sets of Niva
and Dragonfly magazines. In the corner of the room is a sewing machine
and a mannequin for trying on dresses.
Office of A. M. Gorky
Here are things that were especially dear to the writer. There is a
large desk in the middle of the room. On it are piles of manuscripts,
letters, photographs of loved ones, writing materials. In the office you
can see books, a bronze statuette depicting K. S. Stanislavsky as Dr.
Shtokman, a collection of netsuke, a bronze hunting horn, a color
engraving by V. V. Vereshchagin “Napoleon in the Kremlin”. From the
window to the large bookshelf, there is an ottoman with wall-mounted
pillows.
Peshkov's bedroom
Furnishings of the room: two iron
Warsaw beds covered with Bukhara silk bedspreads, a large mahogany
dressing table with a mirror in a carved frame. Among the numerous items
on the dressing table is a mahogany box with a branch of orange blossom
flowers and two wedding candles - A. Peshkov and E. Volzhina. In the
wardrobe, located at the entrance to the bedroom, there are white satin
shoes, a cream wedding dress by E. Volzhina, a Japanese kimono made of
blue silk with embroidery, presented to her. On the bedside table is a
bouquet of dried wildflowers. Resting in the country, A. M. Gorky
collected these flowers and presented them to his wife.
Small
dining room
The tour ends in the buffet room. Here you can see
crockery, a samovar, and other kitchen utensils from the late 19th and
early 20th centuries.
Collection of personal belongings of A. M. Gorky - 912
items.
Library of A. M. Gorky - 804 items.
Art collection of A. M.
Gorky - 26 items.
Netsuke collection — 8 pieces.
The most
interesting items of funds
Sculptural portrait of L. N. Tolstoy
(author I. Ya. Gintsburg).
Sculptural portrait of A. M. Gorky (author
I. Ya. Gintsburg).
Desk of A. M. Gorky (late 19th century).
Color
engraving by V. V. Vereshchagin “Napoleon in the Kremlin”.
Photo
portrait of A. M. Gorky by M. P. Dmitriev (sepia).