Khvalyn Local History Museum

Khvalyn Museum of Local Lore is one of the oldest museums in the Saratov region. It was created in 1919 on the basis of a private collection of archaeologist, ornithologist and local historian Mikhail Alekseevich Radishchev, great-grandson of the writer A.N. Radishchev. The exposition of the museum is located in 2 buildings. One of them is a two-storey brick mansion Mikhailov-Radishchev, built in the style of provincial classicism in the early XIX century by the project of Andrei Voronikhin. Here is the department of history of the region, reflecting the history of the region from the primitive communal system until 1917. There is also a permanent exhibition "Russian Tea Party". Among the exhibits, which has a collection of Tula samovars of the XIX century from tavern to "selfish", a ceramic samovar of the XVIII century, made by Vinogradov's factory in the amount of only 120 pieces; tea and candy boxes of Khvalyn, Saratov, Astrakhan confectionery factories; tea dishes and gingerbread boards with children's, ritual, festive themes.
The department of nature of the region is located in a new building and surprises with colorful dioramas recreating scenes from the animal world and views of the surroundings of the city. There is a rich, more than 200 units, collection of stuffed local birds and animals. Almost all the exhibits of this collection were created in the Moscow taxiderm workshop of F.K. Lorenz in the 1890-1910s by order of M.A. Radishchev himself. In addition, in the nature department you can see stuffed birds of Central Asia exotic for the Khvalyn Territory and a collection of sea shells and corals. Part of the famous Sosnovo-Mazinsky bronze treasure is stored here. The department also has paleontological, botanical, ethnographic and other collections, a collection of Old Believer icons and old printed books of the XVII - XIX centuries, transferred from the Cheremshan monasteries.
The museum opens exhibitions: "The Earth is a diversity of worlds", which reflects the world of insects, birds, fish, reptiles and animals: nests of wasps, stuffed bees carpenter, bears, sparrow nests, rook, tits remez, ostrich eggs, pigeon, peatails, elk horns, stuffed hedgehog fish, sterlets, swamp European turtles; the world of tropical plants from the Radishchev collection: coconut, cocoa cassia, cocoa beans, fruit of bread. The exhibition "Life and Fate of Medem" is dedicated to the dynasty of the counts of Medem and their estate Alexandria, located on the territory of the Khvalyn district. In several windows there are photos: old and modern, authentic and reshot from home albums. The exhibition "In the friendship of peoples - the unity of the nation" reflects the history, culture and life of the peoples of the Khvalynka region: Mordvas, Chuvash, Tatars and Russians. Visitors can see the national clothes of each nation, household items: slacks, treats, a spinning hoop made of a solid piece of wood, kalfak - head decoration, Tatar Kumgan, tukhyu - Chuvash headdress, Saratov harmonica with bells, various pottery products collected in the Khvalyn district. The Old Believers had a great influence on the development of Khvalynsk, which are represented by the following subjects: the Old Believers’ word of mouth complex of the early XX century, binding accessories for old printed books of the XIX century. The exhibition "Museum in Faces" will acquaint you with the biography of outstanding figures who have made a great contribution to the development of the museum.