Duchovshchi Historical and Local Lore Museum

The Duchovshchi Museum was founded in May 1985 on a voluntary basis as a museum of the Great Patriotic War. Its opening was timed to the 40th anniversary of the Victory. In 1991, the museum was granted state status. In 2000, a unified museum system was created, combining the Duchovshchi Museum, Prechistenskaya Art Gallery and 8 school museums of the district. Since that time, employees have faced new tasks: to work on preserving the funds of school museums and art gallery and coordinate all areas of museum work in the district.

The museum fund has an extensive structure, which presents all areas of cultural heritage: fine, local history, military, archaeological, etc. There are unique exhibits dedicated to the scientist P.K. Kozlov, a native of Dukhovshchyna. The materials about the statesman of Russia G.A. Potemkin are replenished. The funds have collections of items belonging to the famous countrymen of the spiritual land: the writer V.I. Ardamatsky, the innovative teacher S.T. Shatsky and others.

The central museum has decorated halls dedicated to the history of the city and the district, Russian life, the period of the Great Patriotic War, the partisan movement, famous natives of the district, collections of banknotes of Russia and other states, materials on a healthy lifestyle, local wars (Afghanistan and Chechnya), various photo exhibitions about the history of the city and the district, about the Smolenskoe Poozerye national park.