The Arkhangelsk Regional Museum of Local Lore is one of the
oldest museums in the North - it was opened on January 1, 1837. The
exposition of the museum is located in two buildings: mainly - the
department of nature, five exhibitions on history, in the museum and
exhibition complex "Gostiny Dvor" - four exhibitions, a concert and
lecture hall, an exhibition and sale of handicrafts.
The most
interesting collections: on archeology and ethnography of the
peoples of the North, history and culture of the region from ancient
times to the present, the development of the Arctic, shipbuilding,
ancient Russian and decorative and applied arts, numismatics and
bonistics, natural science collections, including mineralogical.
Today there are about 170 thousand exhibits in the museum funds.
The richest collections of the museum in a concentrated form reflect
the peculiarities and diversity of northern nature, recreate the
vivid history of the region from ancient times to the present day,
the depth of time and the drama of its fate.
The history of the Arkhangelsk Regional Lore Museum, one of Russia's
oldest museums, dates back to 1837. It began with the formation of the
first museum collections as part of an "Exhibition of the province
creations" in Arkhangelsk. This initial exhibition, organized under the
decree of Emperor Nicholas I, showcased 94 objects of natural,
historical, and ethnographic significance. The primary aim was to
highlight local industries and handicrafts, fostering regional
competition and introducing provincial peculiarities to the imperial
family. These early collections were initially stored in a room of the
Welfare Board and later moved to the civil governor’s house in 1840.
The museum's public debut occurred in 1844 during the visit of Grand
Duke Konstantin Romanov. The collections gained further prominence when
they were displayed at the 1850 agricultural exhibition in Saint
Petersburg, organized by the Imperial Free Economic Society. A
significant expansion followed Emperor Alexander II's visit in 1858,
after which control shifted to the Arkhangelsk Public Library. In 1861,
the museum was reassigned to the Statistical Committee and renamed the
Museum of the Statistical Committee. This period marked the introduction
of scientific management and an annual allowance of 200 rubles. By 1863,
the collection had grown to 804 objects, and the museum opened to the
public. Further acquisitions came in 1865 from the Board of Public
Property.
In December 1897, it was transformed into the Town Public
Museum, securing permanent premises in the town hall and an additional
200-ruble funding allocation. This era laid the foundation for the
museum as a key cultural institution in the Russian North, focusing on
regional artifacts and history.
Soviet Era and Expansion
(1920s–1930s)
Under Soviet rule, the museum underwent significant
changes. In 1920, it was reorganized as the Northern Regional Museum,
incorporating valuable collections from the Eparchial Archives of the
Arkhangelsk Church-Archaeological Committee, the Fishing Industry Museum
of the Far North, and the Museum of the Russian North Research Society.
By 1927, it absorbed the Revolution Museum, which focused on the
revolutionary movement in the North, and was officially renamed the
Arkhangelsk Regional Lore Museum.
Notable figures during this period
included Konstantin Reva (1917–1927), an archaeologist and ethnographer
who led the institution through its early Soviet transition; O.
Valyushis (1929–1930), who founded the Revolution Museum and established
a branch on Mudyug Island; and Vyacheslav Tonkov (1930–1936), a
historian who specialized in Arkhangelsk's urban history and Nenets
folklore. These leaders helped expand the museum's scope to include
revolutionary artifacts and ethnographic studies of indigenous peoples.
World War II and Post-War Challenges (1940s–1950s)
During the
Great Patriotic War (1941–1945), the museum remained operational despite
severe hardships. It continued to collect military-related objects and
conducted educational programs both on-site and in military hospitals.
In 1941, some staff members were deployed to the near-front zone on the
Kola Peninsula. Tragically, three employees—artists Vladimir Yachnik and
Nikolay Uzky, and chief keeper Petr Vasiliev—lost their lives in the
conflict.
The museum building was bombed twice in 1942, leading to
the evacuation of its main collections to Solvychegodsk for safekeeping.
These were returned in 1944 as the war neared its end. The post-war
period focused on recovery and rebuilding, with the museum serving as a
symbol of cultural resilience in the region.
Growth Through
Expeditions and Branching (1950s–1980s)
From the 1950s to the 1960s,
the museum embarked on systematic expeditions that significantly
enriched its holdings. These efforts targeted prehistoric and medieval
archaeology, national costumes, handicrafts, household items, tools,
technical artifacts, and natural history specimens. A notable town
expedition in 1960–1961 gathered materials on the development of
sawmills, while collections from the 1970s–1980s emphasized urban
culture and daily life.
As the methodical center for regional
museums, it played a pivotal role in establishing branches and
affiliates. These included the State Museum-Reserve “Solovky,” the
Severodvinsk Town Museum, museums in Kotlas and Krasnoborsk, and the
Arkhangelsk Museum of Fine Arts (opened in 1960). Current branches
encompass the Mezen and Pinega Local Lore Museums, as well as the
Literature-Memorial Museum of Fyodor Abramov in Verkola.
Major
expositions were developed in the late 20th century, with a key one
opening in 1976 at 2 Lenin Square, which operated until 1990. In 1981,
the museum was assigned the Arkhangelsk Merchant Yards (Gostiny Dvor),
the city's oldest stone building and a federal historical monument. An
exhibition for Arkhangelsk's 400th anniversary opened there in 1984,
followed by museumfication planning from 1986 and restorations beginning
in 1996.
Modern Developments and Collections (1990s–Present)
Development of the Merchant Yards continued from 2009 to 2014, with
expositions placed in restored 17th-century Russian chambers and
18th-century halls. In 2007, the early 18th-century Novodvinskaya
Fortress—Russia's first seaside stone bastion—was added to the museum's
holdings. Ongoing work includes emergency prevention, archaeological
excavations, restorations, and a summer military-historical tourist
route.
The museum has a long tradition of participating in
exhibitions since 1850, both domestically (in Moscow, Saint Petersburg,
and Nizhny Novgorod) and internationally (in Bergen, Berlin, London, and
Paris), often earning prizes. It celebrated its 180th anniversary in
2017, positioning itself as the region's largest museum-cultural and
tourist center. That year, it hosted events for the IV International
Arctic Forum at the Merchant Yards.
Today, the museum's collections
total approximately 300,000 objects, representing nearly half of the
region's museum holdings. Rarities include the 1570 Gospel by Vasily
Tyapinsky, belongings from Willem Barents' 1598 expedition, personal
items of historical figures like Peter the Great, Tsarevna Sofia,
Metropolitan Philaret, Patriarch Nikon, Mikhail Lomonosov, and John of
Kronstadt. Other highlights feature Kholmogory bone carvings, Old
Russian needlework, an 18th-century “Berlin” carriage associated with
the Brunswick family, a 1918 English “Mark V” tank, a 1957 tram
carriage, a 550-million-year-old stone plate with Vendian fauna
imprints, minerals, documents, photographs, and numismatic items.
In
the contemporary era, the museum emphasizes research, exhibitions,
conferences, and seminars, with strong international ties, particularly
to Scandinavian countries like Norway. It is part of the Barents Region
museum network and contributed to the 2018 IX Russian-Norwegian Culture
Forum. Modern initiatives incorporate multimedia technologies and
interactive spaces, annual regional museum director meetings, the 2018
“Open Museum” forum on International Museum Day, and an annual “Museum
Studies” retraining program. Its mission is to evolve into a high-tech,
image-building center while preserving local traditions, supporting
Arkhangelsk as the historical heart of Pomorland and a gateway to the
Russian Arctic.
two lower floors in a
multi-storey building on Lenin Square
historical and architectural
complex "Arkhangelsk Gostiny Dvor" on the embankment of the Northern
Dvina
monument of federal significance "Arkhangelsk Novodvinsk
fortress", located in the Maimaksan district of Arkhangelsk, 20 km north
of the city center
The beginning of the formation of the collection of one of the oldest
museums in Russia - the Arkhangelsk Museum of Local Lore - was laid in
1837 at the "Exhibition of Works of the Province", organized by decree
of the Governor I. I. Ogaryov.
Today, the museum's funds include
265 thousand items that comprehensively reflect the historical, cultural
and natural identity of Pomorie - this is almost half of the entire
museum collection of the Arkhangelsk region. Among them are unique
mineralogical, natural-science, documentary, numismatic and photographic
collections, the richest collections of objects of material culture.
Of particular value are the unique collections of ancient Russian
sewing, tempera painting, handwritten and early printed books, carved
bones from Kholmogory, folk art objects, archaeological materials and a
mineralogical collection, a slab with prints of the Vendian fauna -
there are only two similar 550 million year old slabs in the world: one
is in Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and
the other - in the Arkhangelsk Museum of Local Lore. Both were
discovered on the Winter coast of the White Sea.
Individual
rarities are of worldwide importance: Tyapinsky's Gospel of 1570; a
collection of objects from the wintering of Willem Barentsz in 1598;
things that belonged to the most august persons, statesmen and public
figures of Russia - Peter I, Princess Sophia, Metropolitan Filaret,
Patriarch Nikon, Mikhail Lomonosov, John of Kronstadt ...
In
addition to the collection of the museum, which began to be collected
back in the 19th century, about five thousand archeological objects from
all over the Arctic coast of Russia were transferred to the funds by the
employees of the Marine Arctic Complex Expedition (MAKE) led by
Professor Pyotr Vladimirovich Boyarsky.