Museum and educational center named after Leo Tolstoy opened in Kazan
Museum and educational center named after Leo Tolstoy has opened today in Kazan. Honorary guests of the event were the Acting President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin, Minister of Culture Ayrat Sibagatullin and others.
Museum and educational center is located in the former manor-Dedeva Gortalova where in 1841-1845 an outstanding writer and thinker Leo Tolstoy lived. The main manor house is a cultural heritage site of national importance. The museum opens as a modern museum institution of a new type of interactive exhibitions and a broad educational function.
In December 2014 it was decided to transfer a historic building in management of the secondary school №39 with deep study of English. Kazan Tolstoy scholars were puzzled by this turn of events. From that moment on, as the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatartsan decided to create a museum of Tolstoy in Kazan, the employees of RT National museum have been working out the variant of concept for its filling and development. Later, on behalf R.Minnikhanov the concept has been revised to enhance educational function. And, as it turned out in the process of elaboration of a new concept, it was right decision.
As the authors of the concept, including Doctor of Philology, Tolstoy scholar Lia Bushkanets , museum’s activities is based at the junction of formal and informal education, self-education, and the best achievements of modern pedagogy and creativity, interaction of school and museum. Its purpose is to promote creative heritage of humanistic ideas and teaching experience of Leo Tolstoy. The concept was supported by experts of Tolstoy Museum-Estate "Yasnaya Polyana." On the complex reconstruction of the manor it has been allocated more than 130 million rubles from the budget of the Republic of Tatarstan . The study of archival documents, memoirs, reminiscences of Tolstoy’s contemporaries, field studies have allowed the restorers to carry TSNRU historical reconstruction of the interiors of the main house and outbuildings, which in the XIX century maintained manor’s life.
Today, the guests of honor of the holiday in favorem of the opening of a museum and educational center named after L.N.Tolstoy were met by folk songs and dances. Rustam Minnikhanov visited the wings of the main house of the estate, where the pottery, wood carving workshop, recording studio, and a group of short-stay students, which will host a variety of workshops.
In the main house according to the autobiographical works by the writer the interior rooms of Tolstoy brothers and aunt P.I.Yushkova have been recreated which acquaint visitors with object-world of aristocratic household of the estate culture of Kazan of the first half of the XIX century. Biographical exhibition "L.N. Tolstoy and Kazan", and the electronic exposition "Life and work of Leo Tolstoy "are milestones of his biography and creativity.
Carefully having inspected the museum and educational center, and giving instructions to the heads of the republican ministries to consider passage children from school to the center, to make it as comfortable as possible, Rustam Minnikhanov addressed the gathering.
He noted that the opening of the center takes place on the eve of the Republic Day and said that it was not by chance decided to create not just a museum, but an educational center. "We attempted some changes our attitude to this, given that here is the school № 39 is located , we have tried to combine museum and school. And today we see that it was right decision. Children should not just visit the museum, but also engaged in handicrafts here, to study folklore, works by Leo Tolstoy "- said R. Minnikhanov. The leader of the Republic stressed that this pilot project will be implemented in the future in other areas.
"It is important that we educate the younger generation in traditions that we need to save," – said R. Minnikhanov. He thanked for the work by architects, builders, representatives of the school, the National Museum of the Republic, the city administration, stressing that Ilsur Metshin from the very beginning supported the idea.
Next, a greeting letter to the center from the great-grandson of Leo Tolstoy, Russian presidential advisor for culture, Vladimir Tolstoy was read out. "Such a center of spiritual education is the best monument to Leo Tolstoy," - noted, in particular, in his letter.
It should be noted that the activities of the Museum Center is based on a combination of school and adult education, self-education, and the best achievements of modern pedagogy and creativity, interaction of school and museum, and will be aimed at promoting the creative heritage of humanistic ideas and teaching experience of Leo Tolstoy.
IA "Tatar-inform"