DECEMBRIST MUSEUM

In 1832-1836, at the end of forced labour, the exiled Decembrists obtained permission to settle in different parts of Siberia. Two noble families, Volkonsky and Troubetskoy, meeting in Irkutsk, influenced the culture and politics of the city. In the charming houses of Volkonsky and Troubetskoy, one can admire the luxurious rooms and authentic objects testifying to this episode of Russian history. The house of Sergei Volkonsky, the Decembrist, was originally built in 1838 in the village of Uriq, but after the purchase of a piece of land in Irkutsk opposite the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, it was moved there. The high society of Irkutsk came to the literary and musical evenings, balls and masquerades that the family organized. The museum telling the story of this great family was opened to the public in 1985 after an 11-year restoration. Not far from the Volkonsky House is the former hotel of the exiled colonel Sergei Troubetskoy, who moved to Irkutsk with his family in 1845, first on a rental basis, then they had a large house built with a façade decorated with carved wood, which also became a high point of public life in the 19th century. The museum was opened in the Troubetskaya House in December 1970 where the exhibition tells the story of the Decembrists' life in the baguettes and exhibits furniture, embroidery made by Princess Troubetskaya and paintings by her daughter.