Address: Moscow, st. Bakhrushina, 31/12
Foundation date: 1894 year
Coordinates: 55 ° 43'54.5 "N 37 ° 38'16.6" E
Content:
One of the most famous museums in Moscow is dedicated to the acting profession and the history of the theater. The unique collection was founded thanks to the Russian merchant and benefactor Alexei Alexandrovich Bakhrushin. Today the museum bears his name and is very popular with inveterate theater fans. At any time of the year, many Muscovites and tourists come to the beautiful building of the late 19th century.
Theater Museum named after A.A. Bakhrushina from a bird's eye view
How the idea of the museum was born
Bakhrushin was a great connoisseur of theatrical performances and a very successful entrepreneur. He owned several factories that produced fabrics. The wealthy industrialist and merchant was so successful in his business that he was awarded medals and an order.
Bakhrushin had a good education. He was an ardent admirer of the talented artists of the Maly Theater and a regular at the Bolshoi Theater. Over time, under the influence of his brother, the entrepreneur became interested in collecting and began to buy old posters, rare theatrical souvenirs and photographs of performances and actors. Gradually, this passion turned into a second profession.
In May 1894, Bakhrushin showed the already expanded collection to his closest friends. She made such a strong impression that in the fall Bakhrushin presented his collection to a wider public. Since that time, the history of the unusual theater museum began.
First collections
The founder of the museum collection traveled a lot across Russia and Europe, and every time he was interested in private collections. The entrepreneur spoke passionately about his hobby, inspired the actors, and they donated their "treasures" to him free of charge.
This is how the personal belongings of Yuzhin, Lensky, Ermolova, Fedotov, Chaliapin, Sobinov, Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko got into the museum. Once, during a meeting with Bakhrushin, the famous Russian actress Glykeria Fedotova presented the museum with the gifts she kept, which she had received throughout her long life.
At the beginning of its existence, the museum was literary and theatrical. The literary department kept the originals of works written by Pushkin, Knyazhnin, Sumarokov, Griboyedov, Gogol, Ostrovsky and other famous Russian authors. The founder of the museum managed to collect over 1000 rare manuscripts.
In the halls, the personal belongings of the actors, Varlamov's dressing room and furnishings from Komissarzhevskaya's room were exhibited. There was a collection of ballet shoes and gifts — beautiful congratulatory addresses and ribbons, luxurious jubilee wreaths and offerings for benefit performances. Of particular pride were the portraits in the form of engravings, drawings, lithographs and photographs of actors.
Office of Alexey Alexandrovich Bakhrushin
In addition, a collection of theatrical trumpets and binoculars was exhibited in the halls. In the section dedicated to music, the creator of the museum kept Russian gusli, kobza from Romania, mandolin from Europe, flute from China and trumpets from Africa. The original collections of the epic are so magnificent that they were shown at the World Exhibition, which took place in the French capital in 1900.
The fate of the museum in the last century
In 1913, Bakhrushin transferred the rights to his museum to the Academy of Sciences, and he himself began to work on his Board of Trustees. By 1917, about twelve thousand rare exhibits were kept here.
When a sharp turn in the history of Russia took place, all of Bakhrushin's enterprises were nationalized. It would seem that a complete disaster has come, but the theatrical collection did not perish. Lenin appreciated the merchant's organizational talent and appointed him director of the museum for life.
At first, few people came to the museum halls - only 300-400 people a year. Then life in the country began to improve, and interest in the acting profession revived. People went to the museum to get acquainted with the biographies of their favorite actors. By 1949, the number of exhibits had grown to 314 thousand, and by the end of the 20th century, their number had increased to a million.
A. A. Bakhrushin lived until 1929. He died at the age of 64 while remaining in the position of director of the museum. Until the last days, the indefatigable collector took care of the unique collection and replenished it with new exhibits.
Museum today
Today, as at the very beginning, the museum is housed in a mansion that belonged to its founder more than 100 years ago. The picturesque building was built in 1896 according to the project of the Russian architect Karl Gippius. It houses over 1.5 million thematic exhibits. These are antique furniture, interior items, stage costumes, programs and posters, rare books and photographs.
The museum has several departments. In addition, 10 independent branches have been opened in different parts of the city. These are house-museums, studios, workshops and apartment-museums of famous actors and directors. Since 2011, the museum staff have been publishing books on the history of theatrical art.
The Bakhrushin Museum belongs to the old museums in Moscow, which have survived almost unchanged. The museum building was added on and expanded only in the 1937-1938s. At the same time, the restructuring was very careful. The old collection gathered in the museum has not suffered at all over the years, and this is very much appreciated by professional art critics and theater lovers.
Useful information for visitors
The doors of the museum are open to guests from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 20:00. The ticket office closes half an hour earlier. Admission for adults costs 300 rubles, the reduced rate is half the price (2018). Tickets are sold to the main building, branches, performances and Christmas trees.
Excursions
Museum expositions can be viewed on their own, but it is much more interesting to walk through the halls accompanied by an experienced guide. What excursions can I see at the museum?
The staff offers a sightseeing trip where you can learn about the creator of the museum and the most interesting exhibits. For children, excursions "We are going to the theater" and "The story of the ballet shoe" are organized. Tourists really like thematic excursions, which tell about the portraits kept in the museum, as well as walking tours around Zamoskvorechye and Kozhevniki.
How to get there
The museum is located in the house number 31/12 on Bakhrushin street. It is very close to the Paveletskaya metro station.
