House-museum of I.I. Shishkin

The house-museum of I.I. Shishkin is the country's only museum dedicated to the famous landscape painter. Visitors get into the atmosphere of Russian merchants’ everyday life of XIX century, where Shishkin passed his childhood and youth. Exposition of the museum consists of two sections – memorial section and art gallery – and occupies two floors. On the second floor there is a room of the artist and his workshop.

Outstanding Russian artist, the unique master of Russian landscapes Ivan Shishkin was born on 26 (13) January 1832 in the town Elabuga of Vyatka province in a large not rich family of merchants. Majestic natures of the native land, venerable forests that lie along the banks of Kama were source of constant interest for him since childhood. In his parents' home, where the artist spent his childhood and youth, now there is a memorial House-Museum of Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin. Exposition of the museum is placed on the first and second floors of a two-storey stone house, situated on the high bank of the river Toyma.

Memorial Section.

On the first floor there is a front suite of rooms that creates a beautiful view (big and small living rooms, father's study), as well as a dining room and pantry. Here the atmosphere of merchant everyday life of the XIX century is restored. On the second floor there is a workshop and artist’s room. Art gallery is placed in two halls, it contains original paintings and drawings of Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin.

Large living room.

Large living room has a dominant place in the house. It is furnished with mahogany furniture of 30-40-ies of the XIX century. Paintings of artist’s friends V. Ryazanov, A. Guinet, P. Vereshchagin, A. Kiselev hang on the walls. People of different interests and views met here: merchants Staheevy, industrialists Ushkovy, artists I. Osokin, K. Goon, brothers Vereshchaginy, E. Oznobishin, famous cavalry maiden N.A. Durova.

Small living room.

Family had fun and whiled away long winter evenings in the small living room. Here they read books and newspapers, discussed city’s and hunting news, did needlework, played cards and checkers. Elegant furniture, fancy trinkets, oval mirrors, chandeliers give the room a cosy look.

In the decoration of the room there are musical instruments – harmonium and guitar. The elder brother Nicholas played, improvised and sang well. He was the soul of literary and musical evenings in his house; sophisticated urban society sometimes gathered here.

Shishkin’s father cabinet.

The artist's father, Ivan Vasilyevich Shishkin, a merchant of the 2nd guild sold bread. Above his desk there is his portrait made in 1862 by Vereshchagin. Below there are photos with images of family members: the wife Daria Romanovna, daughters Alexandra, Anna, Ekaterina and Olga.

Ivan Vasilyevich was a man of wide range of interests. Several years running he was elected as city mayor, has developed the project and for his own money built wooden water supply. He renovated ancient Bulgarian tower of Devil's fort. He participated in the excavation of discovered by him Ananyinskiy burial ground, for this he was elected as member-correspondent of Moscow Archaeological Society. Ananyinskiy burial ground is shown on son’s picture that hangs on the wall in his office.

On the desk there is a book of I.V. Shishkin "History of Elabuga" dated 1871 with an inscription on the title page: "In memory of my kind and charitable fellow citizens". Having noticed his son’s passion for art, Ivan Vasilyevich supported him, began to order art books, biographies of famous artists.

Dining room and pantry.

In the dining room and pantry all implicitly obeyed the mother, Daria Romanovna. Refectory cares, serving dishes and tea lay down entirely on her shoulders. She watched over the observance of all religious and family celebrations. At the pantry there is an old cupboard, washstand, brass samovars and other kitchen utensils. In the middle of the dining room there is a large dining table at which all family members gathered during weekdays.

In a corner there is the icon of the Saviour. To the right – a small china cabinet with glasses. A small stove bench with white and blue tiles. On the wall there is a clock with cuckoo and quail brought from Makarevskaya fair. "Almost half of the city" came to the windows of dining room to listen to its "singing". From the lower hallway stairs leads to the second floor by steep narrow internal staircase, where the rooms of the artist, his studio and art gallery are situated.

Living room of Ivan Shishkin.

In the house reconstructed after the fire of 1850 Ivan chose for himself two small rooms – in one he lived, in the other he kept the sketches. Interior of living room was restored by his drawing "View of the room in Elabuga" (1850's). To the right there is a wide wooden bed, to the left – chest of drawers, a chair, a trunk with scrappy rag rug, made by artist's sister. Drawings hang on the wall – artist’s self-portraits that survived the fire.

Picture Gallery.

Graphics hall..

Graphics has a special place is in the works of Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin. For a long life, he created thousands of drawings, one thousand of etchings, sixty eight lithographs, thirty-nine zincographies. The artist has achieved great success in etching. He began studying engraving on copper (etching) in painting college in 1853. But he got especially passionate in the early 70's, having entered the Society of Russian engravers who worked on copper with strong vodka. One of the most successful works of this period is "Hunter in the swamp".

In the collection of the museum there are more than 50 original etchings by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin. The exhibition includes only fifteen, among them "Clouds over the grove", "On the forest bound ", "Fern", "Spruces in Shuvalov’s park", “Field" and others that are authentic masterpieces of engraving art. Those are wonderful examples of true and meaningful image of native wildlife.

Hall of painting.

Collection of original paintings of I.I. Shishkin is small, it is of intimate character and is composed mainly of works of the initial period. The earliest is the picture of "Harvest". Here are a few sketches made during the visit to Elabuga in 1861. They are “Hut", "Mill in the field", "White hall"," Small minaret", where he paid tribute to romanticism. Further realistic period is represented by works of 70-ies: "Birch grove", "Stream".

In the 80's and especially in the 90’s soft soulful lyrics is felt: in the picture "At the dacha" everything is permeated with living sunshine and joy of life. Works of I.I. Shishkin, collected in the House-Museum in Elabuga are just a small part of his artistic legacy. Many of the great artist's works are in major museums over the country and the world.