Museum of the Yaroslavl City History — local history museum initiated a quarter of a century ago by the active Yaroslavl citizens for residents and guests of the city. The museum unites three buildings within the city space, two of them are located in the «Historical Centre of the City of Yaroslavl» area — the UNESCO world heritage property. All buildings are within walking distance from each other, the walking route between them allows to feel the atmosphere of the historic city and explore the architectural monuments of various eras.

City History Museum: city through time.

Museum of the Yaroslavl City History named after Vladimir Izvekov is facing the Volga Embankment - one of the most picturesque places of the city in a building with an extensive history spanning over 130 years, known today as house number 17. This mansion of the late XIX century was the house of a reach merchant Vasily Kuznetsov and it was built in a fashionable eclectic style under the influence of modern infrastructures. This building absorbed the best features of the urban past era estate. Two-story enfilade, stucco with floral and musical ornaments on the ceilings of three spacious halls, curly cornices with lion heads on building facades - all this immerses in the history of the place.

During its history, the space of the house was divided both into either spacious rooms, or compact apartments, several areas were used as hospital wards, as well as museum halls. Being part of the city’s history, the building reflects historical events. Today it houses the exposition «Ten centuries of the history of Yaroslavl», covering all the times of the city — from its foundation to the beginning of the 21st century.

In the first hall, covering the history of Yaroslavl during 11th-15th centuries, the central place is occupied by a scale model, recreating the view of the city seven centuries ago. The next hall is dedicated to the XVI-XVII centuries of the city history: here you can see the smallest details of the XVII century Yaroslavl church fresco, tiles with authentic local ornaments, warriors' weapons and equipment, household complex with original XVII century belongings. The third hall shows the XVIII - the first half of the XIX century city, the formation of Yaroslavl as the capital of the province, the creation of the first Russian national theater, changes in the urban environment.

The next hall tells us about the industry developments in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries: Yaroslavl. The merchant capital of the Upper Volga region, the city dwellers are enterprising and using technical innovations. The next hall is dedicated to the " XX century: Trauma and Triumph”: July 1918 disaster, global city destruction, the stages of its further restoration and development, labor valor of Yaroslavl citizens during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. The period of the second half of the XX - the beginning of the XXI century is represented in the last hall, the interiors and artefacts of the era, which are rapidly disappearing from our lives.

In 1998, when the City History Museum was opened, the internal premises and facades of the building were repaired and restored. At the same time the courtyard was arranged and the front entrance to the museum was opened from the side of the Volga Embankment. A few years later a long administrative part corridor was equipped, connecting the building of the former estate and the former coach house. The last one during the Soviet times was used for medical needs of the hospital located in the building of the estate, nowadays an exposition «From the History of Yaroslavl Medicine» is located within these walls with their own medical history. Exposition occupies three halls and is the only one in Yaroslavl region that covers all major periods of local medicine development. The first hall tells about the accumulation period of medical knowledge from antiquity to the 17th century, quackery and curing illnesses in monasteries. The central hall immerses in the XVIII — early XX century period — first city pharmacies and hospitals appeared during this time. Specially developed route of the exposition leads us to the topic of Yaroslavl medical trainings nowadays. The third hall covers the XX century Soviet period.

Museum is named after its first director - Vladimir Izvekov (1935 - 2021), Honorary Citizen of Yaroslavl, who made a significant contribution to the creation and development of Yaroslavl culture. The museum collection includes 30,000 items related to everyday life, socio-political, economic and cultural life of citizens from antiquity to the present days. Fund exhibits are displayed at temporary exhibitions.

City Exhibition Hall: space of creativity

City Exhibition Hall named after Nikolay Nuzhin is housed in a building dating from 1995 located on one of the central streets of Yaroslavl. This residential building harmoniously fits into the architectural style of Svoboda street, as well as examples of modernist and eclecticism architecture. Exhibition Hall windows are decorated with modern stilled forged grilles. The interior of the hall is inconsistent — every new exhibition creatively transforms the 150 square meters exposition space according to the author goals. The Exhibition Hall is named after the jewellery artists Nikolai Nuzhin (1954-1999), it is him we should thank for the realisation of City Exhibition Hall.

Literary Museum: a place from the past

Maxim Bogdanovich’s Museum is located in a one-story wooden house built in the modernist style in 1908, preserving the taste of those times. Museum is housing Tchaikovsky Street, 21 — right in the center of the city and is standing out in the general building composition of the street. The house was part of a small city estate and belonged to the family of the titular consoler V. Rzhevsky. An interesting story happened in this building: when the development of Tchaikovsky Street was adjusted in the mid-1980s, the house was moved from the even side of the street to the odd side. Due to the needed restoration Museum retained its memorial spirit and special atmosphere, despite the fact that the layout has partially changed and the building lost its outbuildings. The inner space of the three halls is perceived as an atmospheric and cozy place from the past. During the pre-revolutionary period, the classic of Belarusian literature Maxim Bogdanovich (1891 — 1917) lived in the house for several years with his family, got inspired and wrote his works. The internal exposition is immersed in this period and recreates the atmosphere and environment of those years.