Marc Chagall House-museum in Vitebsk

It can be stated for sure, that none of the Belarusian artists is so well-known throughout the world as Marc Chagall. His canvases decorate the prestigious world galleries, they are placed in the most famous private collections, go under the hammer of the famous auctions at fabulous prices. Thanks to Marc Chagall, his love to Vitebsk, which the artist had kept at his heart even to his death, was known in every corner of the Earth. Vitebsk is captured in practically all of the artist’s canvases. True admirers of one of the best world painters should visit the House-museum of Marc Chagall in Vitebsk on Pokrovskaya Street.

Marc Shagall and Vitebsk: the connection of great artist with Belarus

Marc Chagall is one of the most famous representatives of avant-garde painting trend, who besides his beloved wife Bella depicted queer small houses, flowery side streets, tiny churchlets in his pictures. His endlessly favourite city on the Dvina can be discerned in them. Vitebsk became the main subject of the artist’s works.

The history of creation of Marc Chagall House-museum in Vitebsk

Marc Chagall came into this world on Peskovatik Street in Vitebsk region, and then his family moved to Pokrovsakya Street, where the future genius spent his happy young years. The artist subtly and lovingly told about his serene childhood in autobiography “My life”. The brick house of Marc Chagall was built next to the wooden house of the artist’s father. Besides these two houses, the Chagalls possessed two outhouses, a shed and a shop. It is sad that the wooden buildings haven’t preserved. During the Second World War, the brick building was damaged a little, but it was miraculously left whole, preserving to the present day. Chagall left the Soviet Union in 20’s of the last century, and his works were under secrecy in USSR for decades. Only after the Soviet Union had been abolished, it became possible to create the House-museum of Marc Chagall.

Marc Chagall House-museum opened its doors in 1997 in Vitebsk. This important for the whole world event was timed to 110-th birthday of the great Belarusian countryman. In the same year, the wooden house was restored as well, and the presentation of the original monument to the great Chagall took place in a cosy yard. 

The exposition of the House-museum of Mark Chagall in Vitebsk

The House-museum of Mark Chagall is an artifact of the genius’s life, starting fr om his personal things and closing with the first sketches, in which a fanciful style, that conquered the whole world had been discernible at that time already. The atmosphere of the time passing by is rendered in all the details in the House, and the interior was created due to a laboruios work of Chagall’s pictures specialists, which he had created thousand kilometers away from the family seat. The museum halls naming directly coincides with the names of the rooms. Thus there are both “Kitchen” and “Boys’ room”, and “A red room” in the house. The second block of the museum is called Marc Chagall Art Centre, wh ere reproductions of his works and original graphic works are kept.

 “Are you happen to come from Vitebsk?” With such a question the elderly artist met the guests in his French apartment. Chagall captured cherished Vitebsk in his most famous pictures, expressing his love in them. And decades later this city loved him back. Marc Chagall House museum in Vitebsk is a direct proof of it, and you can see it with your own eyes. Just book one of our fascinating excursions across Belarus:

1.9 Holiday in Minsk and Vitebsk, 4 days,
BL7-SPB All of Belarus in 7 days (by bus from St. Petersburg).