Museum-reserve “Gorki Leninskie”

Museum-reserve “Gorki Leninskie” is one of the few places where you can see personal belongings and manuscripts of Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin, the ideological mastermind of the October Revolution that destroyed the Russian Empire. Here, in the luxury of an old noble estate, Vladimir Lenin, Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, spent the last years of his life. The memorial estate is located in the village of Gorki near Moscow. From Moscow you can get here by bus or by rail, the trip will take less than an hour.

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Video: Gorki Leninskie

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Highlights

The Gorki Leninskie Museum is located in an extensive forest park with a hilly landscape. The reserved territory occupies more than 300 hectares. Exhibits are placed in the central manor and other buildings. In total, the estate has 4 exposition locations, including an ethnographic exhibition of pre-revolutionary peasant life of the XIX-XX centuries in an old farmhouse on the territory of the village.

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On Saturdays the museum organizes musical evenings, theater performances. Weekend programs are offered, exciting quests that can be held with the whole family. Those who like to cook will appreciate cooking master classes. There is a cafe at the museum. Recently in Gorki was built a hotel for tourists.

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History of the Museum-Reserve “Gorki Leninskie”

The history of the country estate in Gorki dates back to the 18th century, when a stone mansion of the noble family of Spasitelev was built here. Throughout the 19th century, the estate was owned by families of aristocrats, generals and large industrialists.

In 1909, the estate was acquired by the noble family of Spasitelevs.

In 1909, the estate was acquired by the widow of businessman and philanthropist Savva Morozov, Zinaida Grigorievna, who inherited a substantial fortune. Soon she married the Moscow town governor, General A. A. Reinbot. The mistress commissioned the famous Moscow architect Fyodor Shechtel to rebuild the country house. In the estate was a collection of paintings, sculptures and other works of art.

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In 1921, the Gorki estate became the country residence of Lenin. Thanks to this, the Morozova estate avoided looting and destruction, and in the park with centuries-old trees, felling was prohibited. After the death of the leader in the estate for more than 20 years lived his closest relatives – sister Maria Ilinichna and brother Dmitry Ilyich with his family.

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Since 1949, the memorial museum-reserve “Gorki Leninskie” has been working here. Tour guides claim that this estate is the only Russian estate of representatives of the high society of the empire, which has survived to us without any changes and rebuilds – from door handles to bedroom sets and bathroom equipment.

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Walking through the reserve

The museum estate is surrounded by a large landscaped park cut through by intersecting paved alleys and dirt paths. On a steep slope you can go down to the river Turovka. Man-made cascade ponds have been created here. Two pavilions are built on the elevated areas in the depth of the park, from where you can enjoy panoramas of the surroundings.

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The central alley leads to the parade square in front of the facade of the main manor house. Two wings are also located here. An orchard is planted near the house and flower beds are laid out. The facade of the manor is decorated with an ornate colonnade marking the entrance. After the restoration carried out in 2016, posters, mourning wreaths, slogans and other elements of Soviet propaganda were removed from the premises.

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Carved furnishings with gilding were hidden under cloth covers for many decades, so that visitors to the “Goroki Leninskikh” did not have red thoughts about the luxury surrounding Ilyich and his family. Now the draperies have been removed, thanks to which the interiors have returned to the authentic look given to them in 1910 by order of the millionaire Morozova. Painted porcelain sets and crystal were put in the dining room, the walls were again decorated with elegant decorations and paintings. The rooms are decorated with antique vases and antique clocks, mirrors and bronze chandeliers. A winter garden and a summer terrace are open to visitors.

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In 2016, about half a kilometer from the manor was erected a mock movie town. There they installed decorations of the streets of a provincial town of the XIX century. You can recognize this entourage in episodes of the TV series “Devil Hunt”, “Anna the Detective.”

Selected exhibits

In 1987, the building of the Lenin Museum was erected in the park. Six halls display documents, photographs, posters and other exhibits telling about the first years of Soviet power (1917-1924). Near the museum there is an alley with monuments to Lenin. Several busts of Joseph Stalin also stand here.

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In one of the buildings in the park in 1995 recreated Lenin’s living quarters and office, located in the Senate Building of the Moscow Kremlin. All the furnishings here are authentic. Items from the meeting room of the Council of People’s Commissars, the first government of the new country, were also moved here. The equipment of the government telephone switchboard was installed in a separate room. The library collected by Vladimir Ilyich and members of his family has more than 40,000 books and magazines. Of particular value are the editions with gift inscriptions by the authors.

In the memorial garage it is curious to examine the Rolls-Royce car purchased for Lenin in 1922. This hybrid car can be said to be the first SUV in Soviet Russia. For snow travel, the rear wheels were replaced with elastic tracks, and wide skis were attached under the front wheels.

In an old hut, preserved in the village of Gorki, you can see an exposition of items of peasant life of the beginning of the last century. According to local legend, in 1921, in the upper room of this house, Lenin outlined to the peasant Shulgin a plan for the electrification of the country, known as the GOELRO project. Indeed, this village soon became one of the first in Russia to have electric lighting.

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Practical information

The museum exposition in the memorial estate “Gorki Leninskie” is open for visits every day, from 09:00 to 18:00. On Monday and Tuesday the museum accepts only organized groups of visitors. In summer, staying in the park of the mansion is allowed until 23:00, in the fall-winter period – until 21:00. A single ticket to see all exhibitions costs 500 rubles. There are sightseeing tours, you can join the group for 1000 rubles. To remote locations excursionists are taken by bus.

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For walks in the vast park visit-center of the reserve offers bicycles for rent. Renting a bike for adults will cost 300 rubles/hour, for a teenager – 250 rubles/hour.

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On the territory of the reserve guests will find the hotel “Estate Gorki”. The hotel has 46 rooms with all amenities. The range of prices for accommodation – 1900-4500 rubles per day.

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On the birch alley of the homestead park tourists will find a cafe. From 09:00 to noon here serve a comprehensive breakfast (from 140 rubles). From 13:00 to 21:00 you can have a full dinner, paying 350-450 rubles per person. The menu offers a good choice of hot dishes, salads, desserts. It is worth to try the specialty salted meat “Usadebny” (270 rubles), rustic pate with croutons (240 rubles), pancakes with salmon (390 rubles), beef stroganoff in Gilyarovsky (650 rubles).

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How to get there

From the metro station “Domodedovskaya” to the village of Gorki runs bus number 439. Flights are performed daily from 06:20 to 23:45. The distance is 37 km, travel time is 50 minutes, the fare is 28 rubles. You need to get off at the stop “Experimental base.”

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You can also get to Gorki by electric train going to the airport “Domodedovo”, or to Kashira, Mikhnevo, Stupino, Barybino.

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Suburban trains depart from the platforms of Paveletskiy railway station from 04:42 to 23:56. Travel time – 43 minutes, the cost of a ticket – 104 rubles. Get off at the stop “Leninskaya”. From the platform to the museum “Gorki Leninskie” runs local bus number 24. Ride to the stop “Outpatient clinic.”

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