State Literary Memorial Museum of I Kolosa. Yakub Kolas Literary Museum
In accordance with the decision of the Executive Committee of the Minsk Regional Council of Deputies dated May 22, 1969, protocol No. 10, a museum of Y. Kolas was created in the Verkhmenskaya school.
Museum features:
first feature our museum - showing exactly that period of time, which is associated with the activities of Yakub Kolas at the beginning of 1906;
second feature Museum - partially ensemble method of construction of the exposition was used. The interior of a teacher's room in a rural house, where children's classes were held, was created;
third feature b - a combination of museum and theater. During the tour, with the help of young artists, the museum becomes a stage platform, where episodes from the works of J. Kolas are shown.
By the opening of the museum, sculptor Sergei Ivanovich Selikhanov, People's Artist of Belarus, presented a plaster sculpture of Yakub Kolas, one of three options for creating a monument to the poet on Yakub Kolas Square in Minsk.
Section of the exposition "Childhood"
Akinchitsy… Rural house under birches with small windows. Here, on November 3, 1882, Konstantin Mikhailovich Mitskevich (Yakub Kolas) was born. Father, Mikhail Kazimirovich, served as a forester for Prince Radzivil. The first study was at home. My father hired a "dyrektar" (a rural boy who graduated from elementary school) for 3 rubles. Then - at the school of the village of Mikolaevichi.
Sections of the exposition "Years of study"
1898 - 1902 - years of study at the Nesvizh teacher's seminary. Here, the future poet devotes a lot of time to books. He writes himself, mostly in Russian.
Verkhmensky period
In 1902 - 1906 Konstantin Mikhailovich Mitskevich teaches in the village of Lyusina, Gantsevichi district, and the village of Pinkovichi, Pinsk district. For participation in "revolutionary" propaganda among the peasants, he is transferred as a "punishment" from the Pinsk region to the Verkhmensky public school in the Igumensky district of the Minsk province.
On January 18, 1906, Konstantin Mikhailovich Mitskevich (J. Kolas) takes over the Verkhmensky Folk School from the former teacher Trofim Nikitovich Sertun-Surchin.
At the school, despite a serious warning, he continues to be active in politics. He is in correspondence with teachers, his countrymen and friends, former seminarians. On June 9 - 10, 1906, he takes part in an illegal teacher's congress, for which he was fired from the Verkhmensky public school.
This period is described in the trilogy "On the Rostans" (part "Verkhan").
Nikolai Stepanovich Minich from the village of Prokhodka was the prototype of Grishka Minich from the trilogy.
Sections of the exposition "Where do I always live..."
In 1912, Yakub Kolas met a young teacher at the Pinsk railway school, Maria Dmitrievna Kamenskaya. On June 3, 1912, she became the wife of the poet. They had 3 sons: Danila, Yuri, Mikhail.
Yakub Kolas has always taken an active life position. He was a poet, writer, teacher, scientist. He lived an interesting, eventful and so necessary life for people.
In August 1956, Konstantin Mikhailovich Mitskevich died in his office at his desk.
Combination of museum and theater
The museum organizes thematic exhibitions of children's creativity, books dedicated to the writer, poet and teacher Yakub Kolas. It has become a tradition to hold a photo exhibition "Across the ears of corn".
Literary Museum of Yakub Kolas is rightfully one of the cultural centers of the Smolevichi land. This is a meeting place for creative people, writers, artists, journalists, teachers.
On the occasion of the 121st anniversary of the birth of Yakub Kolas, the museum was presented with a painting by Ales Tsyrkunov "Yakub Kolas near Verkhmeni".
Ethnographic corner
In order to preserve local folk traditions, the museum has created an ethnography section, the exhibits of which are also used as theatrical props in preparation for excursions, class hours, literary holidays, and school themed evenings.
Honorary guests of the museum
- Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko;
- Mikhail Konstantinovich Mitskevich, son of Yakub Kolas (2002, 2003, 2007);
- deputies of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus (2004);
- CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Borisovich Rushailo (2006);
- Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan U.E. Utambaev (2002);
- numerous foreign delegations from Poland, Holland, Russia, Japan, England, Italy, Germany (2000 - 2013).
Entries in the Book of Honored Guests
WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT THE LITERATURE MUSEUM
The Yakub Kolas Literary Memorial Museum is a museum whose exposition is dedicated to the life and work of the outstanding Belarusian poet, prose writer, playwright, publicist and teacher Yakub Kolas (Konstantin Mikhailovich Mickiewicz, 1982-1956).
About the museum
The Yakub Kolas Museum was founded in 1956 and opened to the public in 1959. The museum is located in the house where the national poet of Belarus Yakub Kolas spent the last years of his life. A two-story wooden house and a 0.4-hectare garden adjacent to it are located on the territory of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
The museum exposition is located in 10 halls, two of which (a study and a bedroom) contain the original interior of the Kolas house. Among the exhibits of the museum are personal items, historical documents and photographs, manuscripts and books.
Information for tourists
Working hours: Monday - Saturday from 10.00 to 17.30; Sunday is a day off. The cash desk is open from 10.00 to 17.00.
Ticket price: for adults - 20 thousand Belarusian rubles, for students - 14 thousand Belarusian rubles, for children - 10 thousand Belarusian rubles; for the privileged category of citizens, admission is free.
On the last Saturday of each month, admission to the museum is free for everyone.
Telephone: + 375 17 284 17 02
How to get there: walk from the metro station "Academy of Sciences". The museum is located behind the main building of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Official site: www.yakubkolas.by
Yakub Kolas is a nominal classic of Belarusian literature of the 20th century. I will say right away that I do not like Kolas' books - all the problems raised in them have long crumbled and withered along with the system that gave birth to it. Or even earlier. Or even it did not exist at all, this problematic.
In short - all Kolas' books are about peasants and about the village. Even when he wrote about the city, it still turned out to be a villager's book about the village. He did not know how to write about anything else and did not want to. Endless dull wooden huts, a gray and uninteresting life, homespun shirts and rotten potatoes, endless misfortunes of honest working people "fall under the yoke of the pans". For you to understand, it's about as if the entire history of the United States is reduced to the life of African-American ghettos. Then the endless partisans began, speaking in quotations from the reference book of the young Chekist.
For this, he received a bunch of titles and awards and died in a warm bed. And this at a time when Kafka and Joyce, Thomas Mann and Bertrand Russell were creating. When sparks fell from under the literary anvil, forging a new understanding of what a person is.
However, let's not talk about sad things. Be that as it may, Kolas still remains a prominent figure in the culture of Belarus, the central square of the capital and the street on which the house with my Minsk apartment stands are named after him. Let's just see how "dzyadzka Yakub" lived in the fifties.
03. Kolas House is located in Minsk, near the Academy of Sciences. In the early fifties, it was the outskirts of the city, and now it is the most that neither is the center - the city has grown strongly in an easterly direction. The house was built by the architect Georgy Zaborsky; the same one that designed many buildings in Minsk in the fifties. The house looks quite recognizable and interesting.
05. Walk around the house. To the left of the entrance there is a cellar - "lyadounya".
07. To paraphrase a well-known aphorism - "You can take your grandfather out of the village, but you can never take the village out of your grandfather."
08. Behind the fence you can see a simpler building, where the children and relatives of Yakub Kolas were moved after his death, making a museum out of his house. For some reason, it seems to me that they began to design and build this house during the life of Yakub, right in front of the window of his office - but more on that later.
09. On the reverse side, the Kolas House looks like this.
11. Let's look inside. The house begins with a hanger (I recalled the proverb about the theater), on which the original copper hooks are still preserved. Unfortunately, this is one of the few original details left in the house - especially on the ground floor.
12. This is the view from the hallway. On both sides of the shooting point - two walk-through rooms. Directly - something like a former kitchen. Now in the Kolas house there is an exposition of the museum, made in the best Soviet traditions - to throw away everything real and leave the ideologically correct. There was no bathroom or kitchen left in the house - as you know, Soviet writers do not pee or eat, but only constantly think about the fate of the people, the world revolution, and write and write.
13. Here, for example, the door. Personally, it is much more interesting to me than the endless collections of works by Yakub Kolas, exhibited around. What was behind her? What did real life look like in the house? I can look at the book in the store. Why did they throw out the old pen and screw on a Chinese gold-plated one, bought for $ 2 at the Household Goods on Logoisk Trakt?
14. Books under glass. On the right, by the way, is an excellent illustration in the traditions of Belarusian book graphics, but still, books do not belong here. Bring back the Kolas kitchen, I want to see where he had breakfast every day.
15. Let's look for more original parts. Here, for example, is a stucco plinth. I don't know if he was here in the fifties.
16. The door frame is definitely original. Maybe a little tinted during the renovation.
17. Let's go to the second floor, there are more interesting original pieces left. Ladder. Under the ceiling - a typical lamp of the fifties (I have the same one at home, left from the previous owners of the apartment), to the right - the doors to the large balcony-terrace, straight ahead - the doors to the office and Kolas's bedroom (we'll look there), to the left - the doors to the front part of the house. Let's go there.
18. On the second floor, the original parquet of the fifties has been preserved. Yes, just like that - not very high quality, uneven. The joints between the rooms "got" from the remains. When walking, the parquet creaks. By the way, on the ground floor, under the modern gray carpeting, the same parquet was left - old and creaky.
19. Living room. The original furniture remained here - Kolas brought it, it seems, from somewhere in the Baltic states, and already at that time it was antiques. The furniture, in my opinion, is rather tasteless.
20. Despite the rather presentable appearance, the house smells of a poor village - the smell of dampness and mice. I don't know why.
21. Under the ceiling in the living room - a lurid socket.
22. TV. I don't know if Kolas watched it. At present, only one frame remains from the original TV set of the fifties, inside of which there is a horizontal "cube" - already also old.
24. Modern double-glazed windows were inserted into the old window frames. It's good, they left the pens.
25. Dining room on the second floor. Reminds me of a typical Minsk apartment of the fifties.
26. The furniture here is nicer than in the living room.
28. Door handle. This is real life - a video with which the door was closed. Most often, it fell inward - and it was necessary to knock out an elastic band on the door frame so that the door closes tightly. The screws are also very remarkable - they often did not twist, but were hammered - once and for all.
30. Typewriter. This is still a pre-revolutionary model, to which the Belarusian letter "u is not warehouse" is added. An eloquent text was typed on paper - about the wise policy of the Communist Party, the Soviet people, blah blah blah. And this at a time when Elias Canetti... well, let's not talk about sad things.
24. Bookcase. I will not comment on the choice of the writer's books.
24. Clock on a bookcase. In general, there are quite a few clocks and several barometers left in the room - this produces a rather strange and mysterious impression. And I think I figured out this riddle. Sitting in the office of his new house and now and then looking at the clock, so quickly counting the time, the already very elderly Yakub Kolas realized that this house was not built for him at all - but for the future museum named after him. In which ideologically faithful guides will tell about his life.
25. I know what Kolas felt when he sat down at a new desk in his office every day. Books are no longer expected from him, poems are not expected; there is a kind of ban on transformations - he must remain a "Belarusian writer about the village." Nothing more needs to be written.
26. Life is lived. You live in a museum of your own caution, spinelessness, loyalty. Those who were different are lying in the ground with their heads laid out. You survived, you're better than them. Really, Jacob? asks the owl-press-weight.
27. I do not know what Kolas answered his conscience.
28. The last door remains. The door to the writer's bedroom is a small walk-through room from the office. It leaves an amazing impression - a small room lurks in the farthest corner of a huge house. The ceiling is lower than in the rest of the house. In the corner is a small, almost teenage bed. At the foot of the bed is the door to the lavatory, to the left of the door is the stove.
Everything is very reminiscent of a small room in a village house.
29. A portrait of a son and a barometer hang on the wall. It seems to me that it was in this room that Kolas felt comfortable. He recalled the days of "Nasha Niva" - when there was still neither the USSR, nor titles and regalia, nor the daily need to write about successes at the sowing field, nor the nervous duty to answer daily calls from a "benevolent organization."
He reminisced about life without the golden cage.
30. I woke up, looked at the ceiling and thought, thought.
30. And on the chair is the writer's briefcase...
Over the last four years of his life in the new house, Yakub Kolas did not write a single new book.
Today we bring to your attention a report from the State Literary and Memorial Museum of Yakub Kolas in Minsk, which in 2014 celebrates its 55th anniversary. This is really a wonderful piece of history in the heart of the capital - thank God, not affected by the "new-fangled" trends, when double-glazed windows are inserted into the windows instead of wooden frames and the walls are repainted ... Here you feel amazing: the thought does not leave that the owner will come out and say hello.
In the house where the museum is now, the national poet of Belarus Yakub Kolas lived for the last 11 years of his life. Museum visitors pass through the same doors through which the poet passed, look into the same mirrors and can sit on the same bench. 
Maria Kazakevich, head of the museum's department, said that the house was built according to the project of Georgy Zaborsky in 1952 as a gift from the government of Belarus for the 70th anniversary of Kolas. By the way, immediately after the Great Patriotic War at the end of 1944, the poet settled in this place in a small wooden house, to which a stone extension was made in 1947. On the third day after the death of the poet, a resolution of the Central Committee for Commemoration of Yakub Kolas was adopted, one of the points of which was the creation of a museum. On December 4, 1959, the Yakub Kolas Museum opened its doors to the first visitors. Now here you can see the 4th exposition in a row, which is divided into two parts: on the first floor - literary and documentary, and on the second - memorial. 
The most interesting exhibits are always photographs and personal items. For example, you can see the bell that Yakub Kolas used at the beginning of 1906 when he worked as a teacher at the Verkhmenskaya school. But the violin that belonged to Yanka Mavr - he and Yakub Kolas were not only friends, but also matchmakers: the youngest son of Kolos married the daughter of Mavr. It was Mikhail Mitskevich who donated the violin to the museum. 
In the first room we see items that were used by children in the late 21st - early 20th centuries when they went to school: a slate board (analogous to a modern tablet) and a linen bag in which school things were stored. It is no coincidence that a collection of Krylov's fables lies nearby, whose works are studied at school. This was one of the favorite authors of Yakub Kolas, who wrote his first poems precisely under the influence of Krylov's fables. 
A watch that belonged to representatives of three generations of Mickiewicz: Yakub Kolas, then his brother and nephew. 
The snakeskin bag was purchased for Yakub Kolas' beloved wife Maria Dmitrievna in Vilnius around the 1940s. An interesting story happened with the silver glasses that were presented to Kolas for the 25th anniversary of his family life. The glasses were kept in a safe, but in the first days of the war a bomb hit the house, and then an acquaintance of Kolas buried the safe in his garden. When the safe was dug up after the war, the cups were slightly deformed, damaged by fire, but intact. 
Yakub Kolas raised three sons. The middle son Yuri, unfortunately, died at the beginning of the war. He was fond of trap shooting, was a master of sports and a hunter, participated in various competitions. The double-barreled shotgun, which can be seen at the exposition, was purchased by Kolas for Yuri. But for the youngest son Mikhail, who was fond of photography, the poet bought a German camera. - Mikhas Mickiewicz loves to shoot today- continues the head of the department of the museum. - An exhibition of his interesting photographs was recently organized.
A silver cigarette case, which was presented to the people's poet by the Belarusian government on the occasion of his 60th birthday (1942). Only at the end of his life, Yakub Kolas gave up such a bad habit as smoking. Receipts that testify to the kindness and compassion of Yakub Kolas. In the post-war period, the poet provided material assistance to many who addressed him, and many letters were sent to the people's poet... 
- We strive to make our museum more modern and use new tools, - Maria Kazakevich continues the tour and points to a large touch screen - a multimedia complex "Man. Epoch. Time". - Using the complex, you can see those materials that were not included in the exposition, test your knowledge of the work of Yakub Kolas in a quiz, take a virtual tour of the places of Kolas, make postcards or a CD with your own reading of the poet's works as a keepsake.
In one of the exposition halls, the only virtual book in Belarus "Poetic Kolasiana" is placed so far, leafing through the pages of which you can get acquainted with the lifetime editions of the poet, illustrations for works, excerpts from performances and films. 
But in this hall, museum staff jointly show children puppet shows, which are very popular with young viewers. Now there are 5 puppet shows in the repertoire, and a few more interesting fairy tales are on the way. 
It seems that nothing was left without our attention on the first floor - then we move on and go up to the second floor, where the living room, dining room and the heart of the museum are located - the poet's study. 
The living room was always noisy and crowded: everyone who looked into the poet's house was received here. In this living room, by the way, Kolos celebrated his 70th birthday. 
In the exhibition you can see gifts that friends and acquaintances made to the poet, for example, a picture from the Azgur family, which was painted by the wife of the famous sculptor Zair Azgur, Galina Gorelova. 
And here is the grand piano, which celebrated the centenary, acquired by the poet's daughters-in-law. Kolas himself did not play it, the instrument he owned was the violin. 
The oldest exhibit, probably, is an antique chandelier made of bronze and crystal - the same age as Kolas: she is 132 years old. 
Also in the exposition you can see one of the first Temp TVs, however, the poet himself did not like to watch TV, he liked to listen to the radio more. 
People in this hall are very fond of taking pictures during weddings: young people say that they like the cozy homely atmosphere. A sound installation has been made in the living room: numerous recordings have been preserved in the museum's funds, and it will probably be interesting for visitors to hear the voice of Yakub Kolas, who reads his poems. Recordings of the voices of Petrus Brovka, Maxim Tank, Grigory Shirma, singer Larisa Aleksandrovskaya have also been preserved... The dining room during the life of Yakub Kolas was on the first floor, but in the updated exposition it was placed on the second. At this large table, the whole family would surely gather every day to discuss various events, share plans for the next day... 
Many gifts were given to Yakub Kolas: here is a towel from the children from the orphanage in Chausy. 
The poet's study and bedroom, where he spent most of his time, are located in the oldest part of the house, which was added in 1947 to a small wooden house. 
Kolos rose very early, at 6 o'clock in the morning, and always went to work in his farmstead. When he was younger, he sawed himself, cleaned the snow, looked after the flowers. He, a country man, liked all this very much. Relatives recall that Yakub Kolas made scientific experiments: he planted barley and wheat near his estate, followed the plants. Kolos liked to say: "There are two things that cheer me up: a well-written verse and the rain that fell at noon." The poet was very worried when there was a lot of rain or drought, which interfered with the harvest. 
A trophy typewriter, but Yakub Kolas himself did not print on it, and until the end of his life he wrote only with a pen, using ink. A secretary was hired to reprint the poet's manuscripts. In this house, Yakub Kolas finished writing the trilogy "On the Growing", the poems "Rybakov's Hut" and "On the Ways of Freedom". 
Memorial corner in the courtyard: 4 oaks were planted by Yakub Kolas in honor of his three sons and himself. Unfortunately, the birch, planted in honor of his wife, has recently dried up. 
Entrance fee in 2014: Schoolchildren - 6000 Bel. rubles Students - 8.400 Bel. rubles Adults - 12.000 Bel. rubles Excursion service in 2014: Pupils, pupils, students - 12.200 Bel. rubles Adults - 12.200 Bel. rubles Other services in 2014: Free entrance for single visitors - the last Saturday of each month. Days of free admission for all categories of citizens: November 3 - Yakub Kolos Memorial Day May 18 - International Museum Day Free entry to the museum in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Museums and the Museum Fund of the Republic of Belarus" is provided for: - Veterans of the Great Patriotic War; - military servicemen; - Disabled people of I and II groups; - Orphans. Pre-registration for excursions is carried out by phone (017) 284-17-02. Museum address: 220072 Minsk, st. Academic, 5 The material was prepared by Julia Theron.
The translation of the material into English is on the website
