State Literary and Memorial Museum of A.N. Radishchev

The State Museum of A.N. Radishchev was opened on October 28, 1945 in the village of Upper Ablyazovo (now Radishchevo village) of the Kuznetsk district of the Penza region. The idea of opening the A.N. Radishchev Museum in Ablyazov was born during the Great Patriotic War and belongs to the villagers themselves. Since 1975, the museum is a member of the Association of State Literary and Memorial Museums of the Penza region.

The exposition complex of the museum consists of the literary exposition “The Life and Work of A.N. Radishchev”, located in the building of the former Zemstvo school, and the exposition “From the Upper Ablazov Chronicle”, located in the family Savior-Transfiguration Church – the only surviving monument of the estate.

The literary exposition is open on the day of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of A.N. Radishchev’s book “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow”. In the first hall of the exhibition is a story about the ancestors and family of the writer. In the second hall, the story of the years of study and service of A.N. Radishchev continues. Visitors can see ancient engravings and lithographs with views of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Leipzig - places where the writer visited and lived. The third and fourth rooms tell about the creation and printing of “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow”, the arrest and sentence to death, replaced by a Siberian exile, an attempt to start a new life ... and the death, which is still debated whether it was a suicide or a fatal mistake.

The church was built by the great-grandfather of the writer G.A. Ablyazov, consecrated in 1736. In the family crypt of the church are buried the parents of A.N. Radishchev, brother Mikhail, the youngest son of the writer Athanasius. From the last two graves preserved tombstones. In 1974-1977, 1984, the church was restored. In the main temple, works on the restoration of fresco painting have been completed. Since 1991, its premises have been used together with the church community. In 1990-1993 was restored a large bar house Radishchev on the analogues of the estates of the XVIII century.

Every year in July, the traditional Tikhvin Fair takes place on the territory of the museum.