Postal Station (Aksay)

Postal Station (Aksay)

 

Location: Chapaev Street (Улица Чапаева) 264

Constructed: 19th century

 

Description of the Postal Station

Postal Station is a small one storey white building that was constructed in the 19th century. It is situated in the historic city center adjacent to the Aksay Military History Museum. In addition to the main caretaker house Postal Station also has the hotel building for guests, carriage house, a well and a gazebo for relaxing. Aksay Postal Station is less famous for its architecture, but for people who once passed through these lands. This included Griboedov, Lermontov, Leo Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, Pushkin and many other famous historical figures. The exposition of the Postal Station in Aksay contains a collection dedicated to horse- drawn transport used by the mailing service in Russian in the 19th century. Additionally there are numerous original items from the 19th century that were commonly used at the time.

 

Description
Part of the Aksai Military History Museum. The museum cooperates with educational institutions, organizations and enterprises of the city. For visitors, lectures are given on the history of the city and the Don region, excursions and various events are held.

Postal station is an architectural complex of residential and commercial buildings located in the center of the city of Aksai near the former crossing of the Don River. The museum has several permanent exhibitions held in the museum building.

The museum recreates the appearance of a typical post office from the 19th century.

On the territory of the museum are located:
the postmaster's house,
hotel building,
well,
carriage shed and
gazebo for relaxation.
The station is a cultural heritage site of Russia.

Exhibitions
The central exhibition of the Museum "Post in Aksai" acquaints tourists with the history of the village post office. The post office operated here already in the 18th century and was the prototype of modern bus stations. Stagecoaches and carriages were received here around the clock. The interior of the post station has been recreated in the museum building.

There are permanent exhibitions on the territory of the museum:

the exhibition "Ancient Chronicle of Aksai", which presents fossils and remains of ancient plants and animals, as well as archaeological finds from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Middle Ages, found in the Aksai River basin.
in the building of the carriage shed and in the courtyard, a collection of horse-drawn vehicles of the late 19th - early 20th centuries is exhibited - bogies, sleighs, carriages, phaetons and chaise.

Holidays
Every year, on the first Saturday of June, a "Pushkin holiday" is held at the post station in honor of A. Pushkin's visit to the village of Aksayskaya in 1820 and 1829.

History
The museum has been operating since 1992.

Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Alexander Griboyedov, Lev Tolstoy, Alexey Tolstoy, Nicholas I, Alexander I, Alexander II, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Raevsky, exiled Decembrists and other prominent figures of the Russian Empire passed through the Aksai post station in different years.

In 1985, near the current entrance to the museum, the Crossing monument was unveiled, which is a military truck on an inclined pedestal. Anti-aircraft guns are installed on a pedestal next to the truck. The monument was erected in memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War. In 1941-1943, the village of Aksayskaya was twice occupied by the German fascist invaders. There were fierce battles here. In 1942, the anti-aircraft battery of the 3rd division of the 485th artillery regiment covered the evacuation of the city's residents through the Don.