Aleksandrovsk Museum of Local Lore
The Museum is situated in a building, which is as an architectural monument of regional significance. When it was conveyed to the Museum (2003), the building was in a very poor condition. The stuff of the Museum considers saving the cultural monument its main achievement. The first director of the Museum – Yuri Valentinovich Polovnikov – tackled the problem very enthusiastically: despite there were no money in the local budget to be spent on restoration of the monument, the director invited attention of the district government to the Museum with the help of his proactive stance. Nowadays the building is in safety from decay: heating, water and electricity supply are conducted, the interior of the building is renovated, and about 5.000 people are visiting the monument annually. On 18th May, 2006 the Museum was already exhibited before the public.
On 18th May, 2006 the Museum was awarded a diploma of the first degree on the III Transregional public open contest “Museums of the year. Eurasia – 2008” in category “Municipal district museum – 2008”.
Short historical information:
On one hand, architecture is a monument of material culture; on the other hand, pieces of art reveal the mental outlook of the period they were created at with the help of the specific language. Many architectural monuments are used as museums (of local lore, historical, memorial etc.)
The historical and cultural building “Shop” (was built in XIX century by merchants on a share basis) accommodates the Aleksandrovsk Museum of local lore. The building for the Museum wasn’t selected randomly. First, it is situated in the historical centre of the city on the Anikiev Hill and the history of this building is closely connected to the history of the development of Aleksandrovsk district. Secondly, it is a spectacular example of “personal self-expression” in architecture (the building was created by the order of the merchant Kropachev and his son). Thirdly, this historical monument is especially architecturally and artistically valuable.
The shop was named “The red shop” of the merchant Kropachev. The building has been constructed in three stages: in 1862 was built a high building part (the height of the walls was about 5m); in 1886 the northern and the western parts were added (they were lower than the high part); in 1900 the eastern part was covered and technical documents were issued the same year.
The building is embodied in eclecticism, which was distinctive for Russian city planning of the middle XIX – beginning XX century.
The exhibition hall demonstrates fund and portative exposures on different subjects (changing exhibits).
The small historical hall is named “At the origins of Aleksandrovsk land” (static exhibition). Here you can learn a lot about new about Aleksandrovsk district in times of the Stroganovs, the Vsevolozhskiys, and the Demidovs (the noblemen who were developing small villages and cities of the Perm region); the Babinov road (was the only practicable route from Europe to Siberia until the construction of the Great Siberian Road in 1735) which lies on the territory of the district; the Lunva lithic mines (according to legend, the mines’ name consist of two roots: LUN – day and WA – water; also, another legend says that they were named after the merchant Lunyov).
An ethnographic hall is going to be opened. There you will have an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the past: to get acquainted with the life and household of peasants of XIX century and to visit a peasant’s hut.
Address: str. Svobody, 98, Aleksandrovsk
Tel.: +7 (34274) 3-37-37