Arkadak Museum of Local History

The museum occupies a separate two-storey building in the city center, built in the second half of the XX century. In bright and spacious halls with an area of about 400 square meters there is an exposition and exhibitions. The museum has a variety of clothing and photo documentary collections, unique exhibits. The funds, numbering more than 8 thousand units, contain materials on the history and culture of Arkadak and Arkadak district.

These are household items of the peasantry and intelligentsia, dishes, rare photographs of the early twentieth century, front letters, documents, a large collection of coins and paper money, paintings by local artists and many other valuable things. Among the most ancient exhibits are a mammoth tusk found in the village of Red Banner, a Savromat sword and others. Of particular historical and cultural value is the old furniture: the table of the first postmaster of the Arkadak district Larionov, chairs from the estate of General Raevsky, located in the village of Rostashi, the table of the manager of the distillery of Prince Vyazemsky. Rogov forestry, where the prince’s forest house used to be, gave the museum a magnificent wardrobe.

In the halls of the museum, visitors get acquainted with the history of the region, learn a lot of interesting things about the past of the Arcadak land. Stationary exhibitions are exhibited: “The economy and life of peasants of the late XIX - early XX centuries”, “The charm of the past days” (from the history of life and life of the intelligentsia of Arkadak village of the late XIX - early XX centuries), “Let us bow to those great years” (Arkadak district and Arkadak people during the Great Patriotic War), “Old apartment” (interior of the apartment of the late 1950s - early 1960s), “Arkadak today” (economics and culture of the district at the turn of the century). The art gallery of the museum exhibits paintings by local artists.

The subjects of lectures and excursions are diverse and cause constant interest among visitors. Museum staff organize traveling exhibitions, accompanying them with lectures in the villages of the district. Traditional meetings from the cycle “Evenings in the old apartment” are held. They invite noble countrymen, members of labor dynasties, veterans of war and labor.

On the basis of the museum for younger schoolchildren there is a circle “Flower-Semytsvetik” and an Orthodox lecture hall “Let the soul worry”. The Museum of Local Lore conducts a lot of work to promote a healthy lifestyle in close cooperation with the Center for Social Protection of the Population, district departments of education, culture and cinema, with the House of Culture and the library.

Arkadak residents are rightfully proud of their museum – a treasure trove of centuries-old history of the region.