What will surprise Sergiev Posad: Toy Museum!

Russia has long been famous for folk home-made products, an important place among which were toys. "Funny" goods were made of wood, papier-mache, from clay and other material. Most of all, Sergiev Posad toys were in demand.

From Moscow it's easy to give

Sergiev Posad is located only seventy kilometers from Moscow. This small but beautiful town is included in the Golden Ring of Russia. An excursion there will bring pleasure to many travelers, especially if they set out on a journey with their children. Sergiev Posad's sights are very interesting , the Toy Museum among them is not the last place.

Of course, in the first place this Russian town is known to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in which the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh are buried. It is to this holy city that it owes its existence. In 1340, as a monk, he founded a small abode, lost in the woods. Around the monastery monastery began to arise small settlements. Over time, one of the largest monasteries of Russia was formed here. By the decree of Catherine II in 1782 individual settlements were connected to the city, which was named Sergiev Posad. During the years of Soviet power (1930-1992), the city had another name - Zagorsk.

Art crafts flourished

Bogomolets flocked to the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra from all over the world. This contributed to the development of various crafts in the surrounding villages. Products of folk craftsmen were in demand. Particularly attracted to the pilgrims toys, carved out of wood.

There is a legend that the beginning of this business started and the first toy was cut by the abbot of the monastery Sergius of Radonezh. Bogomolets bought Trinity toys for their children.

Among the pilgrims who came to pray in the Lavra were Russian tsars, their children also did not disdain wooden toys. "Funny" cars with horses, wolves, spoons, brothers - all this was in the collection of royal children. Therefore it is not surprising that the Sergiev Posad Toy Museum is now famous.

The beginning of time

At the beginning of the creation of the museum was Nikolai Dmitrievich Bartram, an artist, teacher and art historian. He comes from the Kursk province. Health did not allow Nicholas to finish the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. But he was carried away by the creation of toys and created a workshop in his native estate, where many remarkable products were made under his guidance and his drawings.

Over time, Nikolai Bartram began to study the history of the creation of toys, and then his personal collection appeared. He traveled through many centers of handicraft industry in Russia and from everywhere brought interesting finds.

In 1904 ND Bartram settled in Moscow and soon began to manage the art department of the Handicraft Museum, where he again created a workshop. However, until the moment when the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad appeared, there was still a lot of time left.

From personal collection to the museum

Even when moving to Moscow, Nikolai Bartram had a significant collection of toys. In subsequent years, it not only replenished, but also expanded due to household utensils, folk costumes and even architectural toys.

Since 1910, the artist caught fire with the idea of creating a museum of toys. He hatched various plans, did projects and sketches. And in 1918 in Moscow the Toy Museum really opened. At first he was located in Bartram's own apartment and occupied four rooms. All the exhibits were divided into 4 sections: puppet theater toys, folk toys, entertaining books and educational games.

The collection of the museum was constantly replenished, there were not enough places in the artist's apartment. In 1924, the museum moved to a separate building - the Khrushchev-Seleznev estate, which was located on Prechistenka. The popularity of the Toy Museum in those years was inferior only to the Tretyakov Gallery. In addition to the fact that there was a remarkable collection of toys, which, incidentally, could even be touched by hands, the museum staff worked with children. Innovative methods, which they used in their work, attracted children and their parents there.

Nikolai Dmitrievich Bartram led the museum until his death, which happened in 1931.

Sergiev Posad Toy Museum

Why, after the death of Bartram, the museum was moved beyond Moscow, it is difficult to say. Perhaps, after all, it was Sergiev Posad that was always famous for toy crafts. And today there is a factory for the production of toys.

First, the museum's funds for a long time wandered through various buildings, but in 1980 he was finally allocated a separate room, moreover, in one of the most beautiful corners of the city Sergiev Posad. The Toy Museum is located near the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, on Volokusha mountain, in the old building of the former commercial school. This red brick mansion was built on a hill above a picturesque pond. He himself is a landmark of the city of Sergiev Posad. The Toy Museum stores over 30 thousand exhibits in its walls. These are toys of different peoples not only in Russia but also in the world.

The first matryoshka is also here

It is difficult to say what is most attractive in this museum: products of the XVIII-XIX centuries or modern masterpieces. Here is a peasant girl in a kokoshnik, and here are painted ladies, hussars, vanka-vstance and Barbie dolls. Eyes run away! One of the first Russian dolls, which is stored in the museum, has an age of at least a hundred years.

In the collection of the museum there are favorite toys of the heir Nicholas II, Tsarevich Alexei: models of cars, steamships, locomotives, airplanes. And also a unique kit, delivered to him from France, containing several games: dominoes, lotto, checkers, serso, ping-pong and others.

The products of the masters of the village of Bogorodskoye, which is located under the town of Sergiev Posad, are admired admiringly. The toy museum allows not only to examine these wooden products, made mainly from limes, but also to see how the simplest mechanisms (button, ballast, slats) bring them into action.

Today in the Sergiev Posad Museum there are several expositions, among which the most important one is the Russian Folk Toy. Then followed by "Russian and Western European toys of the XIX - early XX century", "Christmas and Christmas toys", "Children's portrait." There is also an exposition "Toy of the East".

If you are in doubt about whether or not to visit the Toy Museum (Sergiev Posad), the photo expositions will help you make the final decision. By the way, the museum operates a toy store, so home from the trip you can bring interesting souvenirs.

Back in childhood for a short time will allow you to visit the city of Sergiev Posad, Toy Museum - the main reason for that.