S.D. Erzi House Museum

The collection includes photo documents, personal belongings of S. Erzi, works of his students E.I. Moroz, A.A. Sachs, M.I. Nefedov; objects of Mordovian folk art, costume of Eryzyanka XIX century, samples of embroidery, wooden and ceramic utensils, loom. At the entrance to the museum is a monument to S.D. Erze by sculptor A.Nenasheva.

The villages of Bayeva are peasant Dmitry Ivanov and his lawful wife Maria Ivanovna. Receptors: the same village peasant Ivan Stefanov and peasant Stefan Avdeev wife Pelagey Ivanovna. The sacrament of baptism was performed by the priest V. Alekseev with the henchmen A. Snegirev and P. Troyanov. (Record of the baptism of Stepan Nefedov (Erzi) in the Metric Book of the Church of Pokrov of the Most Holy Theotokos and St. and Wonderworker Nicholas in the village of Akhmatovo, Ardatovo district of Simbirsk province, in the homeland of Stepan’s mother, Maria Ivanovna).

Stepan Nefedov (Erzya) was born on October 27, and baptized on October 31, 1876 (November 8 and 12 of the new style).

The village of Baevo - the birthplace of the great master S. D. Erzi - the beginning of all beginnings. Here formed his character and worldview. In the future, this influence determined a lot in his work. Despite the hardships and hardships, until the last days of his life, he carried a special warmth in his heart about the years of distant childhood and youth. He often remembered and told about the Sursky expanses, the Bayev Villages, and Alatyr...

(N. Golovchenko. From the article “Alatyr period”).

In the "Toponymic Dictionary of the MASSR" we read: "Bayevo (Baenbue) is an Erzyan village in the Ardatov district. Located on the river Ladyga. In the “List of settlements of places of Simbirsk province” (1863) Baevo is a state-owned village of 89 courtyards of the Alatyr district. Established no later than the sixteenth century.” Now it is a rich strong village with beautiful wooden houses. Almost in its center there is a branch of the S. D. Erzi MRMA - the memorial house-museum of S. D. Erzi, opened for the 100th anniversary of the birth of the master, in 1976.

At first, the museum of the sculptor was located in a small corner of the local school, later it was placed in a tiny house covered with straw and resembling the hut of the Nefedovs. The real house-museum of S. D. Erzi is located in a good house, built not far from the place where the Nefedovs hut stood. It is a type of wooden hut characteristic of Mordovian villages. It consists of one living room (9×7 meters) with senium. On the facade of 6 windows with casings decorated with blank carvings. In October 1991, a monument to S. D. Erze was erected at the entrance to the museum. The author of the monument is the Moscow sculptor, Honored Artist of Russia Aldona Nenasheva. The exposition of the house-museum acquaints the viewer with the life and work of the master on the basis of documentary and photo materials relating to certain periods of the biography of S. D. Erzi. A significant part of the exhibition is represented by enlarged black and white photographs of S. D. Erzi himself and color photographs from the famous works of the master. The exposition is complemented by the works of students S. D. Erzi – E. Mroz, A. Sachs and M. Nefedov, the nephew of the sculptor. In some cases, personal belongings of S. D. Erzi, samples of materials with which he worked, books about the biography and work of the master are presented. The exposition brings to life objects of Mordovian decorative and applied art: the Erzyan costume, samples of national embroidery, bets and other household items create the atmosphere of life of the Erzyan peasant family. The head of the branch of S. B. Ladyashkina conducts lecture and excursion work with schoolchildren, warmly welcomes guests who come to worship the native land of the great sculptor.