If you want to find a museum that tells everything about the
Arctic, from the production of ice cream to a story about the
properties of ice, then you definitely need to visit the Museum of
Artistic Exploration of the Arctic named after A. A. Borisov. The
development here means a slightly different plan: in an artistic
sense, that is, the creation of paintings that described the life of
the North, because the main exhibition of the museum is "The Artist
of eternal Ice". The main material for this exhibition was a
collection of works by Alexander Borisov, who created about 400
works.
The museum itself is located in an 1897 building. The
main feature is that this monument is two floors higher than one of
the main buildings of the city, and in those days the construction
of such buildings was prohibited. The mystery will remain for
centuries — how exactly a resident of Arkhangelsk, E. K. Plotnikova,
was able to obtain permission to build such a house.
Already at
the end of the 20th century, the building was transferred to the
Museum of Fine Arts, but for quite a long time it was in a preserved
state, as it needed to be restored. Restoration work is still
underway, despite the fact that the Museum of the Artistic
Development of the Arctic named after A. A. Borisov currently has a
variety of exhibitions.
Already at the end of the 20th
century, the building was transferred to the Museum of Fine Arts,
but for quite a long time it was in a preserved state, as it needed
to be restored. Restoration work is still underway, despite the fact
that the Museum of the Artistic Development of the Arctic named
after A. A. Borisov currently has a variety of exhibitions.
And the expositions here, I must say, are wonderful: the work of the
first artist, who is rightfully considered responsible for the
artistic development of the Arctic, he created images depicting the
snows of the Far North. Five more halls complement the paintings:
the first one deals with Arctic exploration, polar expeditions — the
artist also participated in one of them. Maps of polar routes,
photos and videos, as well as navigation devices — everything that
was connected with the development of the North. I must say that
Borisov's work is not the only one here: his neighbor was the oldest
artist of the North, Ilya Konstantinovich Bylk, the second painter
who visited the Far North with brushes and paints. Temporary
exhibitions are held in the fourth and fifth halls.
Tours of
the museum are not limited to this. There is a workshop at the
museum where you can do paper plastics, learn how to knit sea knots
and try yourself as a researcher of the Far North. And for kids, a
master class is regularly held in the museum premises, where
everyone can make ice cream.
Opening hours: 10:00 — 17:00,
day off is Tuesday. The website.
In 1994, the city authorities transferred the trading house to the
Arkhangelsk Museum of Fine Arts (Since 1994, the Museum Association
"Artistic Culture of the Russian North").
The building has been
mothballed for many years.
In 1997, restoration and restoration
work began, which continues to this day.
In 2002, the first
exhibition "The Artist of the Polar Ice" dedicated to the work of
Alexander Borisov opened in the renovated premises.
In 2008, the
museum was given a new name — the Museum of the Artistic Exploration of
the Arctic.
The Moscow company "Museum-Design" took part in the
development of the exhibition.
The author of the museum's art
project is Alexander Nikitich Konov, Honored Artist of the Russian
Federation, Museum Design Studio (Moscow). The project manager is M. V.
Mitkevich, Director of the Museum Association. Scientific supervisor —
E. I. Ruzhnikova, Deputy. Director of the Museum Association for
Scientific work.
The museum is located in a trading house built in 1897, which is part
of the architectural complex "Shingarev-Plotnikov City Merchant Estate".
The museum building is a two-story brick building with a carriage
house attached to it.
Since 2013, work has been underway on the artistic design of the
exhibition.
To date, the following halls are functioning:
"Borisov's foreign trips", the hall is dedicated to the exploration of
the Arctic, polar expeditions, of which Alexander Alekseevich Borisov
was a participant. The hall presents maps of polar routes, models of
ships, photographic materials, navigation devices and other exhibits
related to the Arctic theme.
Workshop in Krasnoborsk (thanks to
the financial support of Severalmaz OJSC)
"Nenets decorative and
Applied Art", dedicated to the culture and art of the Nenets people.
The hall is dedicated to the work of one of the oldest artists of
the North — Ilya Konstantinovich Vylka.
Several halls are
reserved for temporary exhibitions.
The museum also houses a
Center for Social Innovation in the field of culture.