The 26th March of 2007 on the basis of Bulgakov Foundation’s (president Valentina Dimenko) collection of memorial objects, handed as a gift to the Russian Government, was founded the first Russian National Bulgakov Museum in so-called “naughty apartment” (“nehoroshaya kvartira” - Moscow, Bolshaya Sadovaya str. 10, ap. 50)
Accomplishment of the given objective demanded presence of memorial objects, their examination and inclusion in the non-state part of Museum fund of the Russian Federation.
In 1991 on Andreevsky spusk 13 in Kiev was opened M.A.Bulgakov's Literary-memorial museum (Dom Turbinyh). My close cooperation with the museum in 1990 - 2000th, in particular with its first director Anatoly Konchakovsky, in a number of fields - organizational-sponsoring, publishing-sponsoring and repair-restoration activities, led to the creation of Bulgakov Foundation and contact with nieces of the writer and a number of Bulgakov researchers from different countries.
Activity was conducted in following basic directions, namely - gathering of memorial objects related to life and works of Bulgakov, and in parallel the solution of organizational matters on establishment of a museum in Moscow.
In the course of many years a huge spadework was realized – creation in October of 1995 with support of Moscow Government of the International Bulgakov Foundation in Moscow; creation of an initiative group headed by Bulgakov's nieces; submitting applications to State institutions, gathering signatures in support of the museum in the Central House of Litterateurs, the State Literary Museum, references in mass-media, mobile exhibitions, Bulgakov’s relatives speeches with an appeal to open a writer’s museum in Moscow.
In parallel with organizational questions, exhibits for the future museum were collected. Preliminary Bulgakov's nieces (Elena Zemskaja, Varvara Svetlaeva, Natalia Kolybanova, Irina Guseva) handed lists of Bulgakov materials from their family archives for the Foundation’s collection. Also a number of Bulgakov researchers, museum workers and other connoisseurs of the writer’s works joined in (Galina Panfilova-Shneyter, Boris Myagkov, Anatoli Konchakovsky, Michail Shaposhnikov, GalinaVelikovskaya, Galina Kriuchkova, Jurii Kriukov, Nikolay Popov, Victor Losev...).
Foundation’s members carried out work on revealing Bulgakov memorial objects from different sources – Moscow Chekhov’s Arts Theatre, Stanislavsky's Museum, Museums at Stanislavsky, Bahrushin and Vahtangov theatres; private collectors from Kiev, Moscow, St.-Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Oryol, Kursk…
Over 500 of collected memorial objects related to Michail Bulgakov life and
works had to be studied, classified, described and recorded according to the
law. For this purpose it was required to make an examination, and the Foundation
addressed in writing to the director of the State Literary Museum Natalia Shahalova.
There was appointed a commission of experts led by Elena Mikhailova, the deputy
Director for Scientific work, where also entered Mikhail Shaposhnikov –
the head of Russian Silver Age Literature Department (and a Bulgakov’s
friend great grandson), Galina Velikovskaya – the head of Scientifically-methodological
Department. Every little helped, so Liudmila Mardyanova, an expert of the State
Literary Museum Storage Department, held consultations with the Foundation’s
principal keeper Julia Volobueva; Scientifically-methodological Department organised
for the Foundation’s members a special training program on the basis of
the State Literary museum; Elena Mikhailova headed a Scientifically- methodological
council giving expert estimation of the Foundation’s collection.
On the basis of the conclusion of the commission of experts Bulgakov Foudation’s
collection got registered as non-state part of Museum fund of the Russian Federation,
“representing historical and cultural value and museum importance”.
It should be noted that thanks to big understanding and high qualification for
the Culture Ministry specialists part, the collection was registered in a very
short term (Federal Agency on Culture and Cinematography order ?472, 03.08.2005,
signed by Mikhail Shvydkoy).
A wide audience got access to the collection at several exhibitions, including
in
Ukranian cultural Center in Moscow (30th November – 18th December 2005)
and Pushkin House in Petersburg (1st June – 1st August 2006, "Michail
Bulgakov-Kiev-Moscow-Eternity"), having big resonance in mass-media and
society that resulted in positive responses to my proposals to create a national
Bulgakov museum in Moscow.
In the course of a year it was carried out work on museum’s legal position and issue of the order ? 514-RP, 3.26.2007, «About creation of Moscow State institution of culture “Mikhail Bulgakov Museum” in Bolshaya Sadovaya str.10, ap. 50»
On May 15th 2007, on Bulgakov birthday, it was given a press conference in the museum with the participation of Romuald Krylov-Iodko, the head of Moscow Central Administrative District Culture Department, Lidia Garnak, Elena Zemskaya, Marietta Chudakova, Inna Mishina, Anatoly Smelyansky, Valentina Dimenko, Mikhail Shaposhnikov..., where the creation of the museum was officially announced.
In March, 2008, 517 memorial objects were oficially handed to the Museum, signed by the Foundation president Valentina Dimenko and the Museum director Inna Mishina.
Among them it would be desirable to mention:
- From Bulgakov family Kiev apartment (where the writer was born) - a Bulgakov’s
father (1859-1907) photograph from Andreevsky spusk 13, 1907; a sachet for handkerchiefs,
belonging to Bulgakov’s mother; a casket, a framework for photographs;
Bulgakov's dictionaries – German-Russian, English-Russian, French-Russian;
books from the writer’s library: A.N. Guilyarov, Philosofia v yeya sushestve,
znachenii, istorii (Philosophy in thee essence, value, history) 1918; D.N. Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky,
Sobranie sochineniy Vol.2: Ivan Turgenev (Collected works), 1923; Henrik Ibsen,
Polnoe sobranie sochineniy (Complete works), 1909; V.F. Pereverzev, Tvorchestvo
Gogolya (Gogol’s creative work), 1928 etc.
- From Pokrovsky family (Bulgakov’s uncle Nikolay Pokrovsky (1868-1941),
a prototype of professor Preobrazhensky from the «Heart of a Dog»)
– a big desk 1880th; Nikolay Pokrovsky’s pince-nez, 1920th; a porcelain
plate by “M.S. Kuznetsov”, a copper candlestick, a slop basin for
a medical room, a green glass vase; Pokrovsky and his relatives original photos,
including in Prechistenka apartment 1920th etc.
- A set of original photos, relating to the family of another Bulgakov’s uncle Andrey Barhatov (1880-1930), is important
- Of particular interest are original photographs of Mikhail Bulgakov and his sisters – Nadezhda Zemskaya (1893-1971), Elena Svetlaeva (1902-1954), Varvara Karum (1895-1954), Vera Davidova (1892-1973), and their daughters – Varvara Svetlaeva (born in 1929), Elena Zemskaya (born in 1926), Irina Karum (1921-2004) – 1910-40th
- Of hand-written materials the most considerable are typewritten copies of Bulgakov manuscripts: «A theatrical novel» (A Dead Man's Memoir), 1930th; plays - «The last days» (Pushkin), 1934-35 and «Mad Zhurden», 1932; «Ivan Vasilevich», 1935 (comedy)
Of doubtless value are:
- Elena Bulgakova two autographs (1893-1970, the writer’s wife) - her letters to Bulgakov's sister Elena Svetlaeva and her husband Mikhail Svetlaev;
- Nadezhda Zemskaya (Bulgakov’s sister) tutorials from Guerie's Higher Women's Education Courses in Moscow: her degree work «Rukopisny ornament XVII...» (Hand-written ornament of the XVII...) under the direction of Vasily Schepkin; Nekrasov essay, plans, lists of materials, etc.;
- The beginning of Elena Svetlaeva (Bulgakov’s sister) Candidate’s work «Hozhdenie Bogoroditsi po mukam» (The Virgin road to Calvary);
- Postcards - including from Nikolay Bulgakov (1898-1966, Bulgakov’s brother in emigration, who graduated from Medical faculty of Zagreb University (Croatia), becoming subsequently a world-wide scientist) to his sister Vera Bulgakova (in marriage Davydova)
The handed collection has a great potential for new exhibitions, realization of scientific studies and surely for creation of a constant exposition in the National Bulgakov Museum in Bolshaya Sadovaya str., 10.
We would deeply appreciate, if you contact us for any grammar, lexical or other
mistakes fondbulgakov@rambler.ru
@2006