Tula Museum of Local Lore is a place where you can learn the history of this ancient Russian city and get acquainted with the most interesting collections collected during archaeological and ethnographic expeditions that have been carried out on the territory of the region over the past 100 years.
History
Tula Museum of Local Lore was founded on May 18, 1919. It was on this day that the first post-revolutionary large-scale art and history exhibition opened in the city. It presented a collection of the Chamber of Antiquities, organized in 1880 by Nikolai Ivanovich Troitsky, a teacher at the local theological seminary. In addition, the townspeople were able to see collections of paintings and arts and crafts, nationalized from the noble estates of the Tula province.
In 1927 the exhibition changed its status and became known as the Tula Museum of Local Lore. After 5 years, this cultural institution was transferred to the building, which it still occupies today. In 2013, they became a branch of the GUK TO "Association"Historical, Local Lore and Art Museum of Tula". In the same year, large-scale repair and restoration work was carried out there, after which the exposition appeared before the audience in a new modernized form.
Building
Tula Local History Museum occupies a mansion built in 1799. At one time it belonged to the merchant of the 3rd guild I. Beloborodov. At that time, this building was one of the largest and most luxurious in Tula. It had a mezzanine and a residential part, consisting of two floors. The windows on the facade of the house are decorated in the Baroque style. The vegetal forged ornament of the railings and supporting columns of the stairs is consonant with their decor. Outside, the building is painted yellow and is one of the main architectural decorations of Sovetskaya Street.
Exposure Description: Hall of Ancient History
Seeing the expositions begins by climbing the stairs to the first hall of the Tula Museum of Local Lore. Minerals and ancient organisms found on the territory of the city and the region are presented on three large stands. The greatest interest among visitors is the huge mammoth tusk. Then they are offered to see fragments of ancient dishes covered with interesting ornaments, and various women's jewelry, many of which would not refuse to be worn by modern fashionistas.
You can also see cash treasures there. They are not as ancient as the bones of prehistoric giants, but have also been hidden from prying eyes in the ground for many centuries.
Household items of Tula residents
Silent witnesses of any eraare handicraft products that people used in their daily lives. In the museum you can see, for example, carved door handles, copper candlesticks, old clocks, scales, which were widely used in merchant shops. And of course, the famous Tula samovars are presented there. They are symbols of the city along with weapons and Tula gingerbread.
In the local history museum of Tula, you can also see the little things that local women of fashion have used over the past two centuries.
Gingerbread and toys
This delicacy, known far beyond Tula, glorified not only local bakers, but also wood carvers. For several centuries they have been creating boards for "printing" such products. In the museum you can see the best examples of these works of native Russian arts and crafts, which have a wide practical application.
In the same hall visitors can see Filimonov's toy. Brightly painted clay horses, portly merchants in magnificent dresses, cockerels, young dandies, etc. are displayed in the windows. They delight the eye and make you want to buy such a trinket that keeps the warmth of the hands of the potter who made it.
Ethnographic Hall
Recordings of performances of folk groups are heard in this room. Under such accompaniment, it is even more interesting to consider the outfits of the "ladies-peasant women" of the 19th century. There you can also see such a traditional piece of furniture for any peasant house of this period as a weavingmachine, next to which stands his constant companion - a spinning wheel.
In that hall there are dishes for s alt, on which it is written: “Porridge is our mother!”, an originally painted chest, etc.
The room itself is decorated with original paintings created by St. Petersburg decorators and artists who depicted scenes of peasant life on them.
Education Hall
At all times, progress has been the result of knowledge that a person has acquired in various ways. If in ancient times the main source was the practical experience of previous generations and their own, then in the future they began to be taught in educational institutions. It is their history on the territory of the Tula region that is dedicated to the hall where exhibits are exhibited relating to the activities of parochial schools and gymnasiums.
Hall of Nature
This part of the exposition is dedicated to the flora and fauna of the region. Young citizens are very fond of visiting here, as they can see animals at close range, many of which you will not see even in most zoos. The pride of the exposition is a collection of insects, when looking at them, one immediately recalls Korney Chukovsky with his famous "Fly-Tsokotuha".
Hall dedicated to the history of Orthodoxy
The exposition dedicated to religion is located on the ground floor of the museum. There you can see the cassocks and festive vestments of priests, icons in precious frames, etc. Visitors are invited to learn about the ascetics who preached the Word of God in these parts and about those who remainedfaithful to his convictions during the years of persecution of the Orthodox Church.
Temporary exhibition hall
Tula Museum of Local Lore is trying to keep up with the times. Along with the permanent exhibitions described above, temporary exhibitions are regularly held there using the latest museum technologies for presenting exposition material. In particular, recently in the museum one could see exhibits dedicated to the Battle of Borodino. It was designed as a board game: you had to roll the dice and make moves by rearranging the chips.
The exhibition dedicated to ancient and more modern weapons aroused great interest among the townspeople. It featured not only dummies and reconstructions, but also real chain mail and swords.
Tula Museum of Local Lore: reviews
Those who have visited this cultural institution, as a rule, are satisfied and full of impressions. Especially a lot of praise is voiced by visitors to the exposition with weapons and armor, which are exhibited in the halls dedicated to the history of the region in the Middle Ages. There is also a lot of weapons found in the process of searching for the remains of Soviet soldiers who died heroically in the battles for the Motherland during the Second World War.
As for the shortcomings of the museum, the main criticism is directed at the lack of exhibition space, due to which the exhibits are placed in close quarters. At the same time, many people like the atmosphere of an old noble mansion and its interiors, which have retained the appearance inherent in the houses of the provincial nobility in the 19th century.
How to get there
HistoricalLocal History and Art Museum in Tula is located at the address: st. Sovetskaya, d. 68. You can get there by public transport to the stop "street Sovetskaya". Bus N 16, trolleybus N 10, as well as fixed-route taxi N 16, 10, 4M go from the railway station, buses N 28, 18 and fixed-route taxi N 18 from the bus station.
You can get more detailed information by calling the numbers listed on the official website of the institution.
Working hours
Tula Museum of Local Lore is open from 10:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, from Tuesday to Friday. On Monday, Saturday and Sunday you can view the exposition from 10:00 to 18:00. Please note that there is a sanitation day on the last Wednesday of each month and visitors are not allowed to enter.
Now you know what is interesting about the local history museum of Tula, the photos of which are presented in this article. If you find yourself in this ancient Russian city, then be sure to look there to see interesting exhibits and learn more about the inhabitants of this region, skilled gunsmiths and excellent bakers.
