When you travel to Russia- especially when you take a trip to St. Petersburg- there are lots of museums and historical sites that you can visit on your tour to Russia; each one of those places has something significant to show you, even if you don’t expect it. Sometimes, the smallest museums in St. Petersburg have a million words inside them, such as the State Museum of Theatre and Music. Though it’s a small museum, it’s the central headquarter of another four theatrical museums in St. Petersburg.
The State Museum of Theatre and Music locates near the Alexanderinsky Theatre, which is an excellent place for people who have decided to see a Russian drama on their tour to St. Petersburg to visit the museum before the performance begins. The museum has only three halls, and you only need to spend one hour inside, but don’t let the size of the museum fool you because it has lots of fascinating items.
We at the Star Travel Group suggest our tourists who are curious about theatre and music to visit this museum or its branches because each one of them can educate them about Russian art, culture, music, theatre, opera, and other kinds of performing art, such as Russian Ballet. There you can also learn about the story of prominent people and the history of Russian art in general.
The State Museum of Theatre and Music
The State Museum of Theatre and Music locates on Ostrovskogo Street and has lots of interesting items inside its collection, including set designs, costumes, playbills, and other significant artifacts. You can also find several items that belonged to some of the greatest names in Russian drama and ballet history, such as Anna Pavlova, Leon Bakst, Kazemir Malevitch, and Boris Kustodiev in the collections of the museum. We at the Star Travel Company recommend a visit to this museum to all the theatre lovers and fans of Russian performing art.
Museum of Music
The Museum of Music locates in the Sheremetev Palace, which was one of the main cultural centers of St. Petersburg in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Sheremetev family had their serf theatre troupes, which made them able to create some of the top dramas and operas of the time in their house. The Sheremetev Palace locates a few blocks away from Nevsky Street on Fontanka River embankment, which means you can visit it on your tour to Russia and throughout your visit to the Nevsky Prospect. The Museum of Music has loads of significant items inside its collection, including an exhibition about the previous owners of the palace, including the five generations of Sheremetev Family; a collection of musical instruments, including instruments made by western masters and Russian artists; a collection of unique musical instruments belonged to the Romanov family, and a collection of instrument belonged to some of the well-known composers of Russia, such as Glinka and Tchaikovsky. The Sheremetev Palace also houses the Memorial Museum of Anna Akhmatova, which you can visit on your tour to Russia.
Chaliapin Memorial Apartment
Feodor Chaliapin was one of the most significant figures in Russian opera and world theatre, who had left Russia in 1922 and joined some of the top opera companies of the world to make his mark in the history of theatre. You can visit his memorial apartment on Graftio Street during your Russia tour plans. The Chaliapin Memorial Apartment has its existence thanks to Chaliapin royal secretary and good friend Issai Dvorishchin, who sadly died during the Second World War due to starvation in an attempt to save the Chaliapin house and its items. The small museum of Chaliapin currently has loads of items and artifacts related to the famous opera singer, including photographs, letters, set designs, costumes, show bills, posters, portraits, and other significant things. The restoration team had also re-created the Chaliapin’s dressing room in Mariinsky Theatre beside the original plans of the house from when Chaliapin had lived in it. You can visit all of these items and rooms on your tour to Russia.
Rimsky-Korsakov Memorial Museum
Rimsky-Korsakov Memorial Museum is another branch of the State Museum of Theatre and Music that locates on Zagorodny Prospect, and you can visit it during your travel to Russia. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a naval officer who later became one of the most significant composers of Russia in the 19th century and had helped the Mighty Handful to write their name in the history of Russian art. He, who was the youngest member of The Five, had worked with several significant artists of Russia, including Chaliapin, and his house was one of the main cultural centers of St. Petersburg. After the efforts of three generations of the family, his memorial museum finally opened in 1967. You can visit this museum on your trip to St. Petersburg and learn about the life and career of probably the greatest member of the group the Five. The reconstruction team had renewed some of the rooms to their original plans from when the artists himself had lived there, including the dining room, the study room, the main hall, and the drawing-room. Besides these rooms, you can also witness some of the artifacts related to the artists, such as his musical instruments, including his famous piano and other significant items. Many tourists who have a soft spot for theater and music would love to visit this museum on their St. Petersburg Tour.
The Samoilov Family Museum
The Samoilov Family Museum, despite the name, has mainly focused on one of the most prominent members of the artistic family, Vasily Vasilyevich Smoilov. He was one of the top drama artists of Russia, who had lots of memorable performances on the Alexanderinsky Theatre stage. In this museum, you can find multiple artifacts about the Samoilov family, including the portrait hall; fascinating items that belonged to the family member, such as personal possessions, furniture, costumes, and set designs; a collection of paintings that Vasily had painted himself, and many other interesting items that you can visit on your tour to Russia. The museum has also dedicated a hall to the history of Russian ballet, which might be interesting for people who want to see a Russian Ballet performance on their Russia tour.
We at the Star Travel Company recommend our travelers visit these museums if they’re interested in how Russian Theatre has developed throughout the years and who were the most prominent characters in that history. Though all of these museums have some fascinating items to exhibit for people who travel to St. Petersburg, none of them are included in Tour to Russia program by default; so if you want to visit each one of them, you need to inform you Russia tour manager beforehand. We also recommend our tourists visit our weblog to learn more about the other Russia attractive places, the best places to see Russian ballet, and tips on how to travel to Russia.
