House-Museum of I.I. Golikov

The house-museum of Ivan Ivanovich Golikov (1886-1937), who was an honored artist of the RSFSR, as well as the organizer of the Artel of Ancient Painting, was opened in mid-1968. Golikov in the city of Paleh was called furious, because he especially loved to write everything that would allow him to show his exciting and extraordinary temperament and violent expression - "Hunting", "Troika", "Battle". Elena Vladimirovna Melnikova was appointed head of the museum.

Ivan Golikov sought recognition, going a difficult way, because the most important thing of life – lacquer miniature – a complex and painstaking work. Before the revolution, the artist was a sharecropper, which practically did not distinguish him. In the period when icon painting became less popular, Ivan Ivanovich traveled from city to city, decorating theatrical scenery and drawing posters. But he knew that was not his true calling. Soon his life business appeared quite by accident, when in Glazunov's workshop he found baths made of papier-mache. On these samples, he wrote two compositions in gold on the bottom under the titles “Adam in Paradise” and “Bear Hunting”. In the Artisanal Museum, his works were very interested, and soon they were awarded a Diploma of the first degree.

Golikov Ivan Ivanovich was able to organize the Artel of Ancient Painting in the winter of 1924. It is known that Golikov’s wife was an incredible beauty, as well as a quite famous singer. The house-museum kept all things in their usual places - as it was during the life of Ivan Ivanovich. Six children were brought up in the family, so they had to sleep on the books. Preserved and old dishes, represented by a grip, copper samovar and plates.

In one corner in an unusual gilded carved salary is the kiot, an antique spring bed linked to the gaze of a hook. As for clothes, you can see the most ordinary peasant shirt or squirrel.

Not only the lacquer miniature was the favorite thing of a true master. Ivan Ivanovich Golikov was engaged in book graphics. According to the proposal of A.M. Gorky, an academic publication of one of the most remarkable monuments of ancient Russian literature, namely “The Word about Igor’s Regiment”, was designed. Huge efforts and titanic work were invested in this project, because the artist had to rewrite the Old Russian text by hand, after which he created about ten miniatures illustrating the events of the Word, with the largest number of illustrations presented on one of the museum stands.

The excursion program of the museum includes a detailed story about the preparation and painting of the boxes. The exposition presents all the items that are necessary for creation – it is semi-finished products made of papier-mache, special paints or egg tempera prepared by hands in small wooden barrels, different brushes and a wolf fang, with which the surface of the products was polished in order to make the gold shine. Presented semi-finished products that are coated with varnish with a white background. On a large stand posted photos, while one of them depicts Ivan Ivanovich with the popular in Palekh singer Efim Vikhrev.

In the second small room the master worked directly. Here you can see all the objects necessary for painting: paints with brushes, a special “globus”, which was intended to focus the light beam, a handyman. On the wall is a portrait of Golikov, painted by the artist Kharlamov, which was done shortly before the death of the master of lacquer miniature. On the right wall hangs a self-portrait of Ivan Ivanovich’s son Yuri and a portrait of his wife. It should be noted that there are no potential exhibitions in the museum, but only an exposition basis.

The main activity of the museum was the popularization of Palekh art, as well as fruitful work with artists. The museum carries out exhibition, educational, scientific activities. In addition, painstaking work is being done to create conditions suitable for the storage and safety of collectible items.