Alexander Pushkin Museum Flat
The name of Russia's greatest poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) is known throughout the world. The Russian people revere everything that is connected with his name, and the Pushkin memorial places are looked after with love and care.
This museum is one of the most popular, bringing to life many of the chapters of Pushkin's life.
Pushkin came here in autumn 1836 and moved into a flat on the ground floor. Its layout was typical for an 18th century aristocrats' house, the rooms being arranged one after the other in enfilade. Each room had its own individual purpose, its style and its décor.
The museum covers seven rooms- the pantry, the dining room, the drawing room, the bedroom, the nursery, the hall and the study. Here there are portraits of Pushkin including the last portrait to be painted during his lifetime by Ivan Linyov and a portrait of Pushkin's wife by Alexander Brullov as well as portraits of his friends.
Among the special relics there are the waistcoat, which Pushkin was wearing when he was shot in the duel, a medallion with a lock of his hair and a death mask of the poet.
Pushkin's study is of particular interest. It has been restored to look exactly as it did in Pushkin's lifetime. There are several items that once belonged to Pushkin including his writing desk and armchair, a bronze inkstand, a goose-quill pen, a walking stick with a button from Peter the Great's coat set into the knob, and a wooden casket edged with iron.
In the library, which contains some 4 000 volumes there are classics of world literature and books on geography, history, astronomy, economics and chess, books in fourteen European and oriental languages.
Pushkin spent much of his time in his study, it was here that he finished his novel The Captain's Daughter and worked on his History of Peter the Great.
On the fateful day of his duel with George Dantes on January 27, 1837, in which Pushkin was mortally wounded, he was brought to his flat and two days later Russia's greatest poet died.
To visit the house of Pushkin and to see things that were part of his life is a deeply moving experience.