Museum The Bezhetsk Museum of Literature Legacy and Local Ethnography. (Part 1)

Hello dear visitors to the Bezhetsk Museum of Literature Legacy and Local Ethnography. Our museum is a branch of the State Multi-site Museum of Tver Region. We are pleased to welcome you to the exhibition “History of Bezhetsk Region from Ancient Times to the Present”

 Our Museum is located in the historic town center and is housed in the former public school building. The Museum was founded by Nikolay Sverchkov who was the nephew of the Russian poet Nikolay Gumilev. Early October 1973 marked the birth centenary of the Russian writer Vyacheslav Shishkov who was born in Bezhetsk. Then, on October 5, 1973 our Museum received the status of a state institution. Throughout the years, the Museum has presented exhibitions dedicated to the musician Vasiliy Andreev, the founder of the Russian folk instruments orchestra, and the writer Vyacheslav Shishkov, the author of the novel “The Gloomy River” (“Ugryum Reka”). In the village of Gradnitsy not far from Bezhetsk there is also a literary museum called the “House of Poets”. The exhibition there is devoted to the memory of the poets Nikolay Gumilev and Anna Akhmatova, as well as their son, the famous Russian historian and ethnologist Lev Gumilev.

With our audio-guide you can experience the highlights of the exhibition “History of Bezhetsk Region from Ancient Times to the Present”. The exhibition is presented in a one-storey historic building, which is a listed monument. It was built in the early 1880s and was originally intended as a public library. The first exhibits on display are items found during archaeological excavations. These include a unique women’s headdress called volosnik trimmed with Italian gold lace. Tools for agriculture and flax cultivation, household items, clothing, samples of crafts are also showcased. They demonstrate economic and cultural specificity of Bezhetsk peasants. Additionally, there are shop and fair-trade goods, a model of the Bezhetsk railway station, a view camera, and photos by the local photographer Petr Druzhinin, which help recreate the town’s atmosphere. Family portraits and items from estates provide insight into the lives of Bezhetsk nobles.

The development of banking played a significant role in Bezhetsk’s economy around the 1900s. The exhibition features the layout of the State Bank manager’s office, which was located in the former house of the respected citizens of Bezhetsk, the Nevorotins.

Photographs of demonstrations, leaflets, documents, and newspapers printed in the Bezhetsk printing house showcase crucial events during the First World War and the Revolution of 1917.

Authentic items and records demonstrate how Bezhetsk residents defended their town at the front and worked in the rear during the Great Patriotic War. The exhibition concludes with materials about the modern life of the region.

Welcome to our museum!