Dostoevsky Memorial Museum
It is a reflection of the Soviet authorities' ambivalent attitude to the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky - they condoned his early dabbling in radical politics and abhorred his mature religious nationalism - that a memorial museum was only established in his native city in 1971, ninety years after his death. However, thanks to his international reputation and to innovative management, this small apartment museum goes from strength to strength, attracting large numbers of Russian and foreign visitors.
The museum is located at 5, Kuznechny Pereulok, next to a historic food market and a few minutes' walk from the landmark Church of the Vladimir Icon, where the writer and his family used to worship. Dostoevsky had briefly rented lodgings in the building in his youth, and returned with his family in 1878, residing there until his death in 1881. The heart of the museum is a reconstruction of the Dostoevsky family home carried out in the late 1960s and based on the original architect's plans and the recorded reminiscences of the writer's peers.
The rest of the museum houses an atmospheric display - renewed in 2009 - devoted to Dostoevsky's literary life, as well as temporary art exhibitions. Attached to the museum is also a small theatre used to host conferences, poetry readings, and performances by some of the most respected smaller drama companies in St. Petersburg.
| Location: | 5/2, Kuznechny Pereulok |
|---|---|
| Metro: | Vladimirskaya, Dostoyevskaya |
| Telephone: | +7 (812) 571-4031 |
| Open: | Daily from 11 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5:30 pm. Wednesday from 1 pm to 8 pm. Last admission is at 7:30 pm. |
| Closed: | Monday |
| Website: | http://www.md.spb.ru/ |
| Admission: | Adults: RUB 200.00. Children: RUB 100.00 |
| Photo and video: | Free |
| Accessibility note: | Not suitable for wheelchair-bound and motion-impaired visitors (no elevator/lift) |
