Description of the attraction
On the shore of Lake Lumbolka, well-known in the region, in Monchegorsk, in a cottage built of wood, there is the Museum of the History of the City. The museum building was built in 1937 according to the unique project of the architect from the city of St. Petersburg I. K. Guriev, originally as a private house of V. I. Kondrikov - the first manager of the famous Kolstroy trust. Fate decreed that in the spring of March 1937 Kondrikov was repressed, and his house became one of the very first cultural institutions in the city of Monchegorsk. Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, it was the so-called House of Amateur Creativity, which housed a huge number of studios and a circle, an orchestra, a choir and a theater. After some time, graduating high school students studied in this house, as well as a canteen, a dormitory for school teachers, an orphanage and a music school.
Since 1980, the Monchegorsk branch of the regional museum of local lore began its work in the building of a previously existing manor private house. During its rather long existence, the building has been rebuilt more than once, for example, stoves have disappeared, a small extension has appeared, but most importantly, the interior design of the building and its layout have changed dramatically. Only the staircase, made of wood, with figured balusters, as well as the ornamental beginning of the balustrade, remained completely intact. The very first museum exhibition began its work on November 3, 1980.
Starting from January 1, 1981, the museum funds numbered about seven hundred different and interesting exhibits in their own way. At that time, the Museum of the History of the City was a branch of the Regional Museum of Local Lore in the city of Murmansk. In the first year of its cultural activity, the museum was visited by more than two thousand people.
Today the historical museum of the city of Monchegorsk has about 4.5 thousand storage units, which are located on 164 sq. m. area intended for exhibitions. More than 200 excursions, 90 events, 60 lectures and about 20 temporary exhibitions are held here every year. There are approximately ten thousand visits annually.
The permanent exhibition is presented in four small rooms, each of which has special zones where you can independently obtain additional information on the exhibition on display. The museum exposition is divided into four parts: "City in a beautiful tundra" (the beginning of the development of the city and its construction), "Nature and Man" (flora and fauna of the Monchegorsk region), "Military hard times" (Monchegorsk during the Great Patriotic War) and "City at the turn of the century”(the city of Monchegorsk in modern times).
The History Museum has a Club of Monchegorsk History Lovers (KLIM), as well as a School for Young Guides. The museum offers a specially designed program designed for pupils of educational preschool institutions, as well as students of elementary grades of general education secondary schools, which is aimed at developing children's interest in visiting museums.
At the moment, the building of the museum belongs to the important monuments of regional and architectural significance. In 2000, it was transferred to municipal maintenance. We can safely say that the museum is a cultural and educational center that actively popularizes the culture and historical development of the Kola Peninsula. Here you can get acquainted in detail with the most interesting collections, order excursions around the city and the museum at a convenient time, as well as lectures and interactive classes. Among other things, there is an exhibition and demonstration complex equipped with the most modern multimedia equipment.
