In the grip of oblivion: why Pogorelovo Gorodishche never got the Pushkin Museum

Larisa Bravitskaya, actress, screenwriter, writer

But first, a little background.

A.S. Pushkin, working on the history of the Pugachev rebellion, collected information about the Rzhev merchant Dolgopolov, a participant in the Pugachev rebellion. At that time, writers took literary activity seriously and were engaged not only in writing, but also in painstaking research work.

So, in 1826, in search of material about the merchant Dolgopolov, Pushkin came to Pogoreloe Gorodishche. He informs about this in a letter to Nikolai Raevsky, where, in particular, he mentions the letter of gratitude from Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, found by the poet in Pogoreloe Gorodishche.

From this letter, Pushkin unexpectedly learns about the fate of his ancestor Gavrila Pushkin, who in 1617, due to the threat of the Poles seizing the posad, burned all the township fortifications and thus went down in history.

This is where the proverb ends. I turn to the main part of my story.

Four years ago Boris Arkadievich Diodorov and his wife Karina Stepanovna Filippova-Diodorova learned about this story.

Boris Arkadievich - People's Artist of Russia, professor. Illustrated more than 300 books, including the works of H. K. Andersen, S. Lagerlöf, S. T. Aksakov, I. S. Turgenev, L. N. Tolstoy and others. In Denmark he was awarded the honorary title "Ambassador of Andersen in Russia"...

Karina Stepanovna - actress, poet. One of the founders of the Sovremennik Theater. Songs performed by Pugacheva, Tolkunova, Kobzon, Shulzhenko, Kristalinskaya, Zykina, etc. were written on her poems.

At that time, each of this married couple was 82 years old. In addition, Karina Stepanovna is bedridden with a serious illness, her legs are amputated, her arms do not function, she is almost blind.

But what a thirst for life has survived in these two old Moscow intellectuals! How much energy and desire to create, create, give, give!

An amazing married couple - not just fans of Pushkin's work. They know everything about Pushkin.

Taking part in the excavation of the history associated with Pushkin and Pogorelov Gorodishche, touching the “legends of deep antiquity”, the Diodorovs got the idea to create the Pushkin Museum directly in this place and call it “The Road to Pushkin”.

And the old people began sleepless nights, looking for money, paperwork ... This idea was complicated by the fact that the distance from Moscow to these places is not close, and the age is old, and the health is weak.

"But the museum is, first of all, exhibits!", - rightly you will notice.

Yes, a museum is an exhibit.

So, the Diodorovs parted without regret with the objects of the Pushkin era that belonged to them. These are furniture, armchairs, sofas, chests, shelves, interior details, rare documents, books, rare details of the life of Pushkin's time, a collection of sculptures, rare miniatures - female portraits of the 18-19 centuries, the death mask of the poet ...

When the old upholstery was restored and replaced with a new one for the museum, they found a crumpled, almost decayed letter, which mentions the name of Raevsky: it was about his admission to long-term service. And this letter also added to the exposition of the museum.

As a result, the enthusiasts Diodorovs collected and presented to the future museum in Pogoreloi Gorodische more than 500 rare rarities that any of the capital's museums can be proud of.

And now the fun begins. And obscene.

The local administration did not find anything better than to allocate a large room in the local House of Culture for a unique collection of rarities, and on August 11, 2018 to solemnly announce the opening of the Road to Pushkin Museum.

I think you have enough imagination to imagine the level of the rural House of Culture.

The room allocated for the museum was not only not guarded, but not even properly locked. Some of the exhibits have disappeared. Then, in September of the same year, two more rooms were allocated for the Museum in the Exhibition Hall of the city of Zubtsov.

Thus, the unique collection was divided.

Karina Stepanovna dies in 2019. Boris Arkadievich remains alone, but he does not abandon the idea of creating the Pushkin Museum. He considered it a duty of honor to open a museum in memory of his beloved wife.

Boris Arkadyevich Diodorov invested everything that he had in the future museum, and this is not only his personal collection of paintings and antiques. In 2019, Diodorov was awarded the Prize of the President of Russia, which he also donated for the creation of the Museum.

At the request of Diodorov, friends-architects also developed a project for the Museum in order to build a building and put it together, to unite the scattered collection.

I want you to understand: we are not talking about millionaires, not about rich people, but about simple pensioners - donors who have decided that the time has come to save the most beautiful page of Russian history and revive it from the ashes.

But Diodorov ran out of money. Moreover, Boris Arkadyevich is already 86 years old, and he is seriously ill.

And what about the local authorities, to whom a married couple of elderly Moscow intellectuals came four years ago and, bowing low, said:

“Take a rare collection as a gift. Take the architectural project of the building of the future Museum. We don't need anything in return! "

So, the Governor of the Tver Region Igor Rudenya did not show any interest in the museum project.

Accordingly, the business circles of the province are in no hurry to invest in it.

Even developed and paid for by B.A. Diodorov, the site of the museum - none of the locals bothered to continue, and the site was blocked.

At the same time, Pogoreloe Gorodische, where Pushkin once found a letter confirming that some of his ancestors fought on the Lithuanian border;

Burnt Settlement, where part of the events described in "Boris Godunov" takes place;

Burnt Settlement, associated with the name of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, who gave this name to the settlement;

The burnt settlement, the first chronicle mention of which is found in the chronicle of 1144 "The entire hill and the churches of St. Elijah" is recorded in the Novgorod chronicle;

Burnt Settlement, which played a turning point in the battle for Rzhev in 1943 - Not included in any tourist routes!

Today Pogoreloe Gorodishche is a lost estate, a destroyed hospital, mountains of rubbish, dullness, dirt and dismal devastation. One bright spot is the Ilyinsky Church, which has survived and is still active. But this, as you know, is not at all the merit of the governor and the “city fathers”.

The exposition in Zubtsovo is closed. The creation of the Museum has been suspended. The site is down.

So, the Museum "The Road to Pushkin" in the village of Pogoreloe Gorodishche (Zubtsovsky district of the Tver region) may never appear.

What are the options? Who and what should do so that a great idea and efforts of enthusiasts do not go to dust?

I do not know. But I know that there is a government that is engaged not only in repairing the sewage system and assimilating budget funds, but also - I want to believe! - "by questions of Pushkin".

BTW

From the address of the director of the State Museum - Reserve A. Pushkin "Mikhailovskoye", Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation G. N. Vasilevich to the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin:

The Road to Pushkin Museum needs help. He needs a permanent building that could house the unique items of the museum collection. We need the support of the authorities, without which the full existence of the museum is impossible in our Fatherland. So it was in Pushkin's time, and in our time.

Supporting the initiative of the creator and citizen Boris Diodorov is not an act of mercy, not charity! The museum is a test of maturity, state viability, love of the Fatherland. In the twenty-first century, thanks to Boris Diodorov and Karina Filippova, a new Pushkin Museum was born and exists, which for everyone who is loyal to Russia is a way of actively manifesting love for the Motherland and their own to the people "

Honored Artist of Russia, Director-Assistant of the Art Theater of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov, Professor N. L. Skorik:

“The museum created by the People's Artist of Russia Boris Diodorov is impossible to appreciate. It can only be protected, because its exhibits are priceless. In them - Pushkin, in them - the lofty concepts of honor and beauty, in them - the warmth of the great Russian province, in them - the disappearing intelligentsia, in them - our Russia! "

Director of the State Museum of A.S. Pushkin, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation E.A. Bogatyrev:

“The State Museum of A. S. Pushkin joins all figures of science, culture and art who responded with their participation and kind word to the birth of the Museum “The Road to Pushkin”.

"Residents of the Zubtsovskiy district also hope for this. The declared object of tourist attraction of the district must not be lost. It must be supported and developed", - writes the local newspaper "Zubtsovskaya Zhizn".