Chukovsky House Museum: excursions, history
The Chukovsky House-Museum has been hospitably welcoming its visitors for decades. Even during his lifetime, the poet complained that readers were not familiar with all facets of his work. The exhibitions presented in the museum make up for the lack of information about the life and creative work of the writer that has existed for many years. Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky appears before visitors not only as but also as a publicist, literary critic, serious critic, translator, journalist,
Dacha address
The house-museum of Korney Chukovsky is located in the holiday village of Peredelkino. This place in the Moscow region is well known not only to residents of the capital, but also to any citizen who values the country’s literary heritage.
It was in this village that many famous people lived and worked, whose work spanned the period from 1930 to 1990. It is not surprising that Peredelkino is often called a writers' summer cottage.
One of the houses in the holiday village was occupied by Korney Ivanovich and his family. Subsequently, the Chukovsky house-museum was organized here. The location of the famous dacha is known to many today. In the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, in the village of Peredelkino, on Serafimovicha Street, in house No. 3, we are still happy to see guests today.
What does the interior of the house tell you about?
When creating the Chukovsky house-museum, its employees tried to make sure that the writer’s dacha preserved the warmth with which it was always filled during the life of Korney Ivanovich.
For this purpose, many of the writer’s personal belongings, furniture, and interior items have been preserved in the museum. Books on the shelves, paintings and graphics on the walls, and other objects in the apartment’s furnishings indicate the connection between the owner of the dacha and many talented contemporaries.
The Chukovsky House Museum still preserves a reminder of true friendship. Ilya Repin, Alexander Blok, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Alexander Kuprin, Alexander Solzhenitsyn and many other famous representatives of the Russian intelligentsia were among the writer’s circle of acquaintances and friends.
The poet's attitude towards children
The house-museum of K.I. Chukovsky stores many things, descriptions of which can be found in works for children - a black water jug, a model of a miracle tree. Children who came to visit the writer recognized these objects, which always caused them indescribable delight. And the writer lovingly preserved the things that became so famous thanks to his works, most of which have been revered by children for many decades.
Chukovsky’s attitude towards the younger generation was also special. The writer always happily received little guests in his home. In the last years of his life, such meetings became regular. Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky loved to talk with children, he arranged games with them, read his works aloud. On the territory of the dacha there was a place where they lit a fire and arranged all sorts of fun around it, had intimate conversations or just dreamed. Children from all over the village gathered for such events.
The house-museum of Korney Chukovsky in Peredelkino has preserved the tradition of holding “bonfires” to this day. This event is held at the museum annually in the fall and spring, and children from different parts of the country come to it.
Writer's family
The Chukovsky House Museum in Peredelkino carefully preserves materials relating not only to the life and work of the poet himself, but also to his family. And she was big and very friendly. Maria Borisovna Chukovskaya is the writer’s faithful companion. Korney Ivanovich was grieving the death of his wife, with whom he had lived together for 52 years.
The writer's two eldest children followed in their father's footsteps and were also involved in literary activities. The house-museum of K.I. Chukovsky should owe much to the writer’s daughter, Lydia Korneevna. It was thanks to her that the situation that existed during her father’s life was recreated here. She received the first visitors to the museum. She had to show firmness and perseverance when the dacha was threatened with closure.
Boris, the writer's youngest son, died during the war against the fascist invaders, and his daughter Maria died in childhood. The Chukovskys took the loss of their children seriously.
Later, the family was replenished with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom Korney Ivanovich and his wife happily hosted. The Chukovsky house, as already mentioned, was always full of children.
Democratic views of the writer
It is a well-known fact that Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky was an adherent of democratic views even in those times when they were not welcomed by the country’s government or political party. This was also the reason for strained relations with colleagues.
The confrontation was so serious that shortly before his death, Chukovsky compiled a list of the names of writers who were not supposed to attend his funeral.
But the house in Peredelkino has always been open to people with progressive views. For example, Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn lived for a long time at the Chukovskys’ dacha. Here he was given an office where the writer worked. The museum exhibits also tell about this interesting fact.
Chukovsky House-Museum. Excursions and exhibitions
Since 1994, the dacha where Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky lived received the status of a branch of the State Literary Museum. It was closed here in 1996. Since then, the writer’s house regularly receives visitors.
Museum staff provide guests with the opportunity to choose thematic excursions, lectures and other events. They have developed special programs for schoolchildren, students, young children and their parents. Materials from lectures and museum exhibitions introduce visitors to the writer’s work and his attitude to literature. During the excursions, you can learn about the history of the creation of popular works, hear many instructive stories from the life of the writer, and gain new knowledge about Russian literature.
Visiting the writer
The house of Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky awaits its visitors every day, except Monday. You can find out more about the museum’s work schedule, the topics of excursions, lectures, and festive events on the official website of the State Literary Museum. Information on the cost of entrance tickets and other services is also provided here.
To get to the writer’s dacha, guests and hosts of the capital can use railway transport. The electric train departs from Kievsky station and goes to Peredelkino station.
On the way from the station to the museum, visitors will have time to enjoy the beauty of the pine forest and breathe in its aromas. And the excursion prepared by the museum staff will become an unforgettable event in the lives of children and adults.