Looking at this not very ordinary house, you just want to remember the fairy tale “TeremokIt was here where the famous Russian artist Ilya Yefimovich Repin was working, being inspired and writing for a long time. The Museum-estate of the painter “Zdravnevo” is located in the vicinity of Vitebsk and is of great historical, architectural and artistic value.  

The museum house was opened for visitors in 1988 at the former place of Repin’s estate. Today it belongs to Vitebsk Local History Museum. 

 The Museum-estate of Ilya Repin in “Zdravnevo”: the history

The great artist decided to buy this manor for the money earned from the sale of the well-known paintings “Bargemen on the Volga” and “Zaporozhian Cossacks”. Repin spent a lot of time and made every effort to improve the estate and the adjacent territory. Especially for this he created drawings and projects due to which the house changed a lot and gained an artistic appearance and its unique style. Since 1892 and for almost a decade the artist had been creating here a great number of his famous works. It was this manor house in which he painted “Duel”, “Autumn Bouquet”, “Belarusian” and many others. The artist’s father, Yefim Repin, was buried near the estate close to the village Sloboda.  

The Museum-Estate of Ilya Repin in Belarus in our time

The manor house, which is now a Museum, safely keeps within its walls the watercolors, icons and drawings of the artist, which he was diligently painting for the Church in the village of Sloboda.   Here you can also see his personal belongings: letters, books and photos. The exposition also includes the ancient furniture of the 19-20th centuries, household items reflecting the life of Repin’s family, and some local archaeological finds. After visiting the museum guests like to walk along the linden alley which once was planted by Ilya Repin himself.

The Museum consists of a restored manor building (here is siplaied the main part of the memorial exhibition), the house with outbuildings, wh ere the manager of the estate lived and worked, the main exhibition hall and a restore cellar. By the way, the project of the new museum complex belongs to the talented Belarusian architect P.Krokholev who based his work on the surviving drawings of Repin and the recollections of those who had once been here. 

In the early 20^th century Repin left his house near Vitebsk later here lived his daughter Tatiana. But in 1930 the girl as well left the family nest and for a long time the estate was empty. Unfortunately, military developments are absolutely ruthless to wooden buildings so that the manor of Repin was completely destroyed in the forties of the last century. 50years later the house was restored and turned into a Museum of the life and work of the Russian artist.

You can visit the house-museum of the great artist during the excursion

Nowadays this calm, quiet and picturesque place is included in almost all excursions across Vitebsk.  Here you can rest from the urban bustle and enjoy the fresh air, but also to get acquainted with the works of the great Russian artist Ilya Repin.

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