I was 100% sure my daughter would love the Museum of the Social Estates of Russia, but boy, was I wrong. After visiting the Glasunov Gallery, I felt like I'd just gotten a breath of fresh air, but my daughter seemed completely unimpressed. At least here, I could look around without worrying about accidentally gazing at something that would make my eyes bug out from the kitsch or despair.
Compared to the other places, this museum seems pretty harmless, cute, and kid-friendly.
But to make it really interesting, you need to make each exhibit tell its own story. This museum's not just about the exhibits; it's about the story behind each one. I think that's what makes it so engaging.A few interesting facts about peasants:
They wore one set of clothes for the whole family. Winter clothing, like fur-lined boots and coats, was expensive, so not everyone could afford it.
AddressVolkhonka St, 13, building 2The museum is located in the city center, just a few minutes' walk from Kropotkinskaya metro station. The entrance is in the inner courtyard.
I was glad to find out that I could buy a combined ticket for both the Glazunov and this museum. Just be aware that visiting on museum week isn't the best idea - both museums are packed, and you'll struggle to find your way around without any guidance. We ended up here on our second attempt, as the queue outside was massive, rain or shine.
The cost of the adult combined ticket is 700 rubles. Kids with a Moscow Card can get in for free.
Another way to enjoy the exhibits without paying a thing is to get an Active Citizen ticket online. I tried this four times, but unfortunately, all four attempts failed - the place was mobbed when we arrived.
I think we'll be back here when my daughter starts learning about Russian history in school. For now, the only thing that really caught her eye was the mansion itself - it's truly stunning. The high ceilings, columns, and chandeliers are all impressive.
She wasn't really interested in the bathrooms of the wealthy and the peasants, though. I think she saw it as just a matter of personal style - some people like to dress up, while others prefer to keep it casual.
I've gotta say, no matter how much we talked about it, she just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that being a peasant or a noble is not a choice.
The Museum of Estates in Russia is divided into thematic zones. It's super tidy, well-organized, and you can breeze through it in one go.
I've read some people say the Museum of Estates in Russia is the most beautiful Museum of Moscow that nobody knows about. But if you think that, you've probably never been to a historical museum...
The walls, ceiling, and floor in the Museum of Glazunov were starting to remind me of Twin Peaks scenes. I looked at the photos online and just had to see it for myself. And yeah, it's pretty jarring in some places – it's like someone took a sledgehammer to your eyeballs.Usually, I'm all for visiting one museum per day. I don't know about you, but I find that after a while, I'm still thinking about what I saw, reading up on it. But this time, we visited two, and I wouldn't say we were exhausted or anything.
The first floor is all about the nobility, the second is about the clergy, and the third is dedicated to the peasants. They even have a model of a peasant hut.
In each of these scenes, they really tried to recreate the daily life of a specific social class.I wanted to show her the daily life of peasants, and this scene actually does it in a pretty polished way, so there's no harsh contrast.
You can see fancy dresses, carriages, and expensive jewelry in many museums, so I wanted to show her the contrast.
And then she said to me, 'Yeah, peasants lived pretty normally. They got paid (with a bundle of sticks, haha), came home, ate, and then went back to their own garden to eat.'
I mean, in a kid's mind, peasants are like downshifters on a chill, living on fresh air, playing eco-toys. They're bearded dads and moms, always enjoying sunsets and sunrises, growing their own gardens. They get tired of gardening, so they go pet rabbits or sheep. They put bells on their horses, hop in a sleigh, and off they go. It's not life, it's a fairy tale. And the food? Homemade, of course.
I have to say, the part about the peasants really stood out to me. I loved looking at the intricately carved door handles and spinning wheels - they even had real sleds on display!
It was also cool to compare the peasants' outfits from different regions.
I also really enjoyed the collection of spinning wheels.
If I ever decide to build a cabin on the edge of the forest, I'd definitely decorate it with those beautifully crafted spinning wheels.But, to be honest, I don't have a strong desire to come back here a second time. It's a nice, harmless museum that's perfect for school kids on a field trip with their history teacher.
For us, visiting museums is more about having fun than it is a chore. I'm sure that even if we just walk around the exhibits and look at what catches our eye, we'll remember it later and maybe even learn something new.
I've gotta say, I've used it to make presentations for school projects, and it's so much more fun to create a presentation with your own photos and thoughts instead of just copying and pasting from the internet. We've used the weather forecasts multiple times a year, and that's been super helpful.