The Historical Museum is located in a building that was built by
the Vladimir Archival Scientific Commission. It houses an exposition
belonging to the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve, which introduces
the development of the Vladimir land from ancient times to the 1917
revolution.
In 2003, an updated historical exposition was
opened, striking with unique exhibits and originality of the
artistic solution.
The previous historical exposition lasted more than 20 years.
On
the first floor of the building, theatrical and figurative techniques
were used for the artistic solution of the exposition. The story about
the history of the Vladimir region begins with an acquaintance with the
site of the ancient man Sungir, which was discovered in 1956 near
Vladimir. The rare burials of ancient people, which have no equal in the
complexity of the ritual, 76 thousand objects found at the site of the
dwellings of Homo Sungirensis provide an opportunity to see how our
ancestors lived 30 thousand years ago.
The hall of ancient
history is represented by the Sungir collection, as well as recreated
portraits of ancient people, their tools, clothes. It tells about the
struggle of man with the forces of nature, about the emergence of
self-consciousness in ancient man, his first attempts to understand the
world around him and creatively express his attitude to life. The hall
of ancient history has the shape of an ellipse, a sphere, which, as it
were, creates an image of the cosmos, like a kind of egg that gives
life.
At the corners of the hall, at a certain angle of
inclination, there are mirrors that create a miracle of “breaking
through space”. As if from the looking glass, the visitor is “floated”
by those reflected many times and therefore more voluminous, believable:
an ice hole with crystal water, a pagan temple, etc. In the third corner
is a composition dedicated to Andrei Bogolyubsky, the founder of the
principality of Vladimir-Suzdal. The spiral white stone staircase of the
Bogolyubov Palace is recreated here as a symbol of man's striving for
God. In the fourth corner of the hall there is a plaster cast depicting
Vsevolod III the Big Nest, who ruled Vladimir for 35 years. In the
center of the hall there is a genuine white stone cross of the 12th
century, as well as images of the Bogolyubovskaya and Vladimirskaya
icons of the Mother of God.
Among other things, museum visitors
can also learn about the storming of the city by the Mongol-Tatar troops
in 1238. The picture of the death of a woman who tried in vain to save
her wealth is striking - a fold, encolpion crosses, icons, a necklace.
In 1993, archaeologists discovered this priceless treasure and today it
is presented for public viewing.
The second floor of the museum
is decorated in a traditional style. During the reconstruction, the
original painting of the vaults with medallions and images of Vladimir
Monomakh, Andrey Bogolyubsky, Vsevolod, Alexander Nevsky and bright
floral ornaments was restored. It presents the history of Vladimir from
the beginning of the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th.
The exposition of the museum touches on the all-Russian history. Here is
a section on the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century,
a valuable exhibit of which is a rare icon depicting the murder of
Tsarevich Dmitry in Uglich; sewn from the fur coat of Prince Dmitry
Pozharsky.
The section devoted to the Petrine era contains
materials about Peter's associates associated with the Vladimir region,
and a rare portrait of Peter's first wife, Evdokia Lopukhina, who was
exiled by him to the Intercession Monastery in Suzdal.
A separate
topic is the material about a native of Vladimir land, the discoverer
M.P. Lazarev, as well as a model of the Mirny sloop and a sextant of the
early 19th century. The period of the reign of Alexander I, his reforms,
including the abolition of serfdom, and judicial reform are covered in
detail.
The section on the flourishing of the industry of these
places in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries delights
with the multi-colored fabrics made at the local textile factories,
porcelain and crystal dishes produced by M.S. Kuznetsova, Yu.S.
Nechaev-Maltsov, a variety of products from non-ferrous metals of the
plant Kolchugina A.G.
The period of the reign of Nicholas II is
widely shown here. The announcement of the coronation of the emperor and
the menu of the gala dinner for this occasion are displayed, as well as
exhibits that tell about the visit to Suzdal and Vladimir by the
imperial family in May 1913. One of the interesting exhibits of the
section on the February Revolution is a chest with dishes and silver
coins, which was buried in the turbulent revolutionary times by the
Suzdal merchant Zhilin, and was found at the site of his house only in
1983.
The Historical Museum gives visitors the opportunity to
learn something new about our history and at the same time see authentic
objects of spiritual and material culture of different times.