Description of the attraction
The only ethnographic museum in Kamchatka is located in the village of Esso, the Bystrinsky national region. The Bystrinsky District is included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. The mission of the Bystrinsky Ethnographic Museum is to restore the traditions and culture of the peoples of Kamchatka, acquaint tourists with the history and ethnos of Kamchadals.
The building of the museum was built in the style of Old Russian architecture of the 17th-18th centuries and looks like a Cossack prison, on the territory of which are presented: an exhibition hall, a defense tower and a clerk hut, which organically fit into the architectural ensemble of the museum.
The museum has collected and carefully preserved exhibits of the material and spiritual culture of the small peoples of Kamchatka. An interesting exposition of carved sculptures on mythological themes of the natives of Kamchatka is located in the open air.
The museum is constantly developing and replenishing with exhibits, so in 2003 a Koryak semi-underground dwelling of the 19th century was built here, and in 2005 a Koryak booth appeared on the territory. The Koryak dwelling is an unusual structure, the only one in Russia, with its forms reminiscent of a flying saucer from a science fiction film. The seaside Koryaks (nymylans) of the Kamchatka Peninsula lived in such buildings until the beginning of the twentieth century. The dwelling was recreated on the basis of research materials of a member of the Jesup Ethnographic Expedition (1897-1902) V. Iokhelson.
The main exposition of the museum, which reflects the past and present of the Evens (Orochel Lamuts), rituals, beliefs, peculiarities of clothing, food, and dwelling arrangements, is presented in the clerk hut of the 17th – 18th centuries. The Evens arrived in Kamchatka from Siberia in the 40-50s of the 19th century. All ethnographic items were collected by museum workers during expeditions to the taiga camps of the Evens.
Exposition sections:
- shamanic attributes;
- material and spiritual culture of the Evens;
- musical instruments;
- the natural and animal world of the Bystrinsky district.
The excursion is accompanied by a slide film, you can take a picture in national clothes against the backdrop of the Even marching yurt.
In the exhibition hall, tourists will be introduced to the works of Kamchatka and Magadan craftsmen working in the traditional style with bone, fur, beads, wood, and will also be offered to buy souvenirs as a souvenir. Concerts of national groups can be ordered on the territory of the museum. Dances and songs of ensembles "Nurgenek", "Nulgur", "Oryakan" will delight you with their amazing color and primitiveness.
The exposition of the museum acquaints not only with the ethnos of the peoples of Kamchatka, it shows us what life should be like, in which harmony and love for Nature, the Earth, and each other rule - artless, simple, natural and pure.
