“Spiky fir-tree eyelashes over the blue eyes of the lakes,” the poet Ryzhov described Karelia in such a figurative and romantic way in the poem “Karelia will dream for a long time.” In collaboration with A. Kolker, they created a soulful song with the same name, performed for the first time by the unforgettable Maria Pakhomenko. The land of blue lakes, dense forests captivates the imagination with the beauty and richness of nature.

National Museum of the Republic of Karelia

The oldest museum institution (1871) in the northwestern part of Russia is located in the old city center, in the former buildings of the Olonets administration. The buildings themselves are monuments of urban Karelian architecture, its first samples.

All natural, cultural and historical aspects of the unique region are reflected in 22 exposition halls. The exhibition “Natural features of Karelia” introduces in the most detailed way all the diversity of animate and inanimate nature.

Of great interest are the exhibitions “Stone Chronicle. Archeology of Karelia. Here, for example, granite slabs with hieroglyphs left 8 thousand years ago are presented. A detailed history of the development of Karelia in (9th-20th centuries) is presented in the sections “Northern border”, Petrovsky factories”, “City-factory”, “By the highest decree”.

Pictures of the life of provincial Petrozavodsk appear before the visitors of the exposition “Provincial capital”, which reflects the life of the townspeople of the early 20th century. There are play rooms for children and families, where costumed role-playing games are organized, interactive classes are held.

Children can play with objects of Karelian-Finnish life, national toys. In the vicinity of Petrozavodsk there are 2 museum branches: the Marcial Waters Resort and the Sheltozersky Museum of Veps Ethnography.

Industrial History Gallery

In the very center of Petrozavodsk, among the historical sights of the city, there is the building of the former OTZ polyclinic (Onega Tractor Plant). In 1967, a museum of the industrial history of the capital of Karelia was opened in it.

Now the institution, being its successor, is called the Industrial History Gallery. If it seems to someone that her visit is of little interest, then this will be a delusion. Here, both children and adults will not be bored, tracing the entire path of the industrial formation of the republic from the Petrovsky Plant to the crisis of the 90s.

This institution is especially relevant now, in the era of the dismantling of many industrial enterprises. In the 1st hall, interactive models of workshops of the Petrine era were created, and the technological process of casting cannons was presented. The expositions reflect the industrial development of the city in tsarist times. Demonstrated samples of guns.

The equipment of the 2nd hall is dedicated to the formation of Soviet industry. The first wooden tractor created at the plant enjoys great attention. The stands contain materials that introduce the factory traditions, with the outstanding people of the enterprise.

In addition to demonstration expositions, a scientific and technical hall has been organized. Physical experiments are carried out in it, visitors can test various mechanisms and devices.

Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia

The historical building of the end of the 18th century, which once housed a men's gymnasium, today houses a solid cultural institution – a repository of masterpieces of painting.

The architectural monument has been used for various establishments for many years. The Museum of Fine Arts was organized in 1960, taking as a basis a collection of works from the local history museum of the republic.

Assistance in replenishing the fund was provided by all the major museum formations in the country. Today, the institution's collection contains almost 12,000 art exhibits, and the library fund contains 17,000 documents.

The whole spectrum of fine arts, embodied in beautiful works, is reflected in museum exhibitions. Here are the works of ancient Russian icon painters, artists of the 18th-19th centuries, applied folk art of Karelia, canvases by Western European masters.

Famous paintings are exhibited in the halls: “The Crucifixion of Christ” by Vasnetsov, “Landscape with a River” by Polenov, “The Head of Christ” by Kramskoy, etc. Pearls of icon painting of the 16th-18th centuries collected in Karelian villages are presented. Among them are “Assumption”, Saints Eustathius and Tryphon, “Saturday of All Saints”. It is impossible not to admire the work of master woodcarvers – bas-relief icons of the 17th-19th centuries.

Museum of Precambrian Geology

The geological and stone chronicle of the development of the Earth reveals its secrets in the most interesting institution founded at the Karelian Institute of Geology in 1961 – the Museum of Precambrian Geology. The period (about 3.8 billion years) when organisms imprinted in sedimentary rocks appeared on our planet is called the Precambrian. The idea to create exhibition expositions arose from the employees of the institute when a solid collection of rocks collected during field expeditions had accumulated.

Now the fund of the museum, located in 2 halls, stores more than 3.5 thousand rock samples. The kaleidoscopically colorful world of stone and mineral formations cannot but delight. In the lower hall (1st floor) relief samples and Quaternary deposits of the Karelian layers are presented. Looking at the colorful exhibits, one can trace the evolution of life on Earth.

The collection of minerals, stromatolites, natural stone of Karelia for architectural purposes is unique. The visual objects here are the floor lined with stone mosaics, granite stairs, tables made from processed natural blocks.

House of Kuchevsky

On the Neglinskaya embankment there is an architectural monument of the first half of the 19th century. – House of Kuchevsky (1827). This example of an old wooden building of the city is interesting for its architectural identity. But the personality of the former owner of the house also deserves attention.

He was a well-known political and public figure of pre-revolutionary Karelia, in charge of forestry affairs. Kuchevsky's house today is the object of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve. The building until 1979 was located on the street. Kuibyshev, and then it was transported to the district of historical buildings and restored in an authentic form.

The central facade of the 1-storey building overlooks the street. Kuibyshev. It is built in the form of a cross, the main part of which is a parallelepipid. A mezzanine is attached on 2 sides, with loggias decorated with 6 wooden columns and an openwork fence made of carved balusters. The main entrance is designed as a platform under a 2-pitched roof.

The 2nd entrance is located on the east facade. The walls of the house are sheathed on the outside with a grey-colored board. Authentic panel doors, a wooden staircase with carved balusters have been preserved inside. The appearance of the house is in harmony with the white-trunked birch trees surrounding it.

Maritime Museum “Polar Odysseus”

A visual history of the era of wooden shipbuilding appears before the visitors of the unique institution “Polar Odysseus”. In it, visitors get acquainted with copies of various sailing ships participating in sea expeditions across the World Ocean. And modern “odysseys”, enthusiasts of the Marine Club, created back in 1986, sailed on them.

The club began with the 1st wooden boat “Polar Odyssey” (1978), on which engineer V. Dmitriev made his first voyage on the lakes and rivers of Karelia. Other sailors followed suit. In 1986, they united in the research club of sea travelers “Polar Odysseus”.

Today the club has become a major maritime historical and cultural center (MTsIK). It has its own shipyard, which has already built more than 40 wooden sailboats. All of them can be seen in museum expositions opened in 1994.

It is very interesting to learn the history of travel on the waves of each ship. The museum contains the richest material of scientific and historical significance. The main exhibit here is the boat “Saint Nicholas”, an indispensable participant in all festivals and holidays. The goal of the MCICA organizers is to reach the international level of yachting and sea tourism.

Center of Military Glory

It would be surprising if the city that inherited the name of a military factory that produced cannonballs and cannonballs did not have a Center of Military Glory. People come here to get acquainted with the history of military equipment, with the exploits of the defenders of Karelia throughout the centuries of its existence.

The expositions reflect all the wars in which Russia participated. Various artifacts, installations, stands tell about the glorious military pages of the republic. They began in 1704, when the first cannon was cast at the Petrovsky factory for participation in the Northern War.

Among the museum rarities found on the defensive lines, there is a sample of the first Russian helmet. It is made of steel, from which spade bayonets were made. Several types of protective helmets are presented, including the first Soviet and French ones.

Attention is drawn to a piece of a tree trunk with a Mosin rifle bayonet ingrown into it. In total, 12 types of these weapons are stored in the exposition. The stand of the same name reflects the trench work of soldiers. Homemade lighters, cigarette cases, soap dishes, cartridges testify to the talents of craftsmen who are waiting for battle in the trenches. Newspapers of the war years, reports, documents of soldiers excite the soul, forcing them to feel a sense of gratitude and patriotism.

Tatiana Kalinina's doll house

A multi-talented Karelian artist created the 1st private art gallery, calling it “Doll's House”, in 1999. This is really a warm homely corner where amazing characters live.

Fantasy and the hands of the artist created extraordinary puppet creatures endowed with unique charisma. It is impossible to leave here, looking at the representatives of the world of fairy tales, myths, legends, books and cartoons for a long time.

The gallery consists of 3 halls and workshops where miracle dolls are “born”. The master used a variety of natural and synthetic materials in the most unexpected ways, working on the collection since 1992. Each of her offspring has its own character, manner, habits and seems alive, thanks to the talent of their creator.

Guests are greeted by a portrait of Kalinina, where she is depicted together with a Pushkin doll made for a play about Tsar Saltan. In the 1st, Fairytale Hall, the Lukomorye Oak, the Apple Tree with rejuvenating apples “grow”.

Almost all the characters of Pushkin's fairy tales live in this nice house: Tsar Saltan, the Swan Princess, Koshchei the Immortal, the scientist Cat, etc. The installations “In the vastness of Kalevala”, inhabited by Brownies, Leshims, Vodyanys, Dvorovs, and Ships, are very interesting.

There are also previously unknown persons created by the imagination of the craftswoman: Topuriki, Diviki. In the 2nd hall, the author's works of puppeteers are demonstrated. The constantly updated collection is represented by dolls of different genres.

Museum of Military History

A cultural and historical institution dedicated to the military fate of Karelia was created by a group of enthusiasts with the funds raised (2017). These are members of the Russian Officers public organization, who have collected almost 1,000 exhibits over 3 years.

The purpose of creating such an institution is the implementation of the patriotic education of young people, a tribute of gratitude and eternal memory to the fallen soldiers. Lessons of Courage, classes in local history, various meetings are held here. Recently, museum expositions were placed in a new building, on the street. Zaitsev.

Among the main exhibits is the returned Red Banner, lost in the Soviet-Finnish War. Each item exhibited here is the result of a painstaking search, so each of them is unique.

Soldier uniforms, personal belongings, camping teapots, bowlers, shell boxes, commander's satchels “paint” a complete picture of military life. An old accordion with a sailor cap evokes thoughts about the dead sailors. In the form of an installation, a soldier's dugout made of round logs is presented. When visiting an institution, a feeling of gratitude to its organizers arises.

Children's Museum Center of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve

Founded in 1994, the complex institution DMC (Children's Museum Center) at the Kizhi Museum unites more than 50 cultural and educational institutions. Its goal is to involve children and youth in the preservation and study of the cultural and historical heritage of the Karelian Republic, its natural resources.

The DMC of the Kizhi Museum is actively involved in the educational process of schoolchildren, uniting the creative efforts of 150 museum employees, teachers and parents. Every year, more than 2 thousand children of different ages, starting from the age of 4, participate in the projects of the center.

For example, for kids 3-4 years old, an educational program “Introduction to the Object World” has been developed, which is regularly improved. Preschoolers (5-6 years old) are immersed in research on the topic “Home” in a historical aspect.

Primary school students are engaged in the problem of “Museum and Culture”, revealing the relationship between these concepts. During the holidays, various competitions, they begin to understand the important role of museums in preserving the traditions of national culture. Schoolchildren of the middle classes get acquainted with the “Urban Studies”, presented in evolutionary development from antiquity to the present day.

Seminars, festivals and conferences on the topic of the material and spiritual culture of the Karelian peoples are held for high school students. There is a Summer University on Kizhi Island, with a cultural and educational program for student youth and adults.

In the summer, a museum and ethnographic school opens here, in the projects of which more than 3 thousand children from Karelia, Russia, Finland, Belarus and Lithuania have already participated. Today, the Fund for Creative Children's Works contains almost 3,000 items.

Karelian farmstead

The highlight of the trip to Karelia, of course, will be a visit to the ethnographic museum-estate “Karelian Compound”. It is located in the village of Uzheselga (4 km from Petrozavodsk). Although construction and repair work continues here, tourists have something to see and something to be surprised at.

Coming here, you make a kind of journey through time, you are transported to the Karelian antiquity, you get acquainted with the national rural traditions. It is interesting to observe the process of development of the estate, to participate in the events held there.

“Karelian Compound” is a complex of 8 buildings, each of which reflects some side of folk life. How nice it is to be in the interior of a wooden Karelian hut of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This is how the house, stylized as a Karelian hut, is decorated: homespun rugs, embroidered curtains, benches, a chest, bunches of dried herbs.

There is a house-museum in the estate with guided tours in an interactive form. In the Visitor Center you can get information about a variety of tourist destinations and services. In the Workshop, where they restore exhibits and produce handicrafts, visitors learn national crafts.

Acquaintance and reconstruction of ancient rituals and technologies takes place in the House-Laboratory. And in the Gambling House, folk amusements, nursery rhymes and entertainment are organized.

The cultural center prepares musical and poetic retro programs, arranges folklore holidays. In the Traktir with an antique-styled interior, they are treated to national dishes, wickets and pies with tea.

Shungite Center

As the Baltics are proud of amber, so Karelia has the right to be proud of the fact that in its bowels there is a unique mineral shungite, which is more than 2 billion years old. The healing properties of shungite, which cured nun Martha (mother of the first Russian Tsar Romanov), have long been known.

The Shungite Center presents a detailed history of amazing shungite rocks. The expositions introduce a wide range of their use in industry, medicine and science in their early days. Visitors will learn about the limitless prospects for the use of this truly invaluable natural material in all areas of development of the republic and the country.

The task of the Shungite Center is to popularize the stone and its derivatives. Here visitors will learn about the antibacterial properties of the mineral, the ability to absorb electromagnetic radiation, which is very important in the age of computers and cell phones.

The hall presents materials telling about the development of the Zazhoginsky shungite deposit (so far the only one in the world). Of great interest is the exhibition of souvenirs made from shungite raw materials: figurines of animals and birds. The center is located in a beautiful modern building on the Varkaus embankment in Petrozavodsk.

Bringing Down the House

Want to walk on the ceiling instead of the floor, see the furniture hanging overhead, or splash around in a ceiling-mounted bathtub? Such an incredible adventure awaits you when you visit an unusual attraction for the whole family – Upside Down Houses.

It is located in Petrozavodsk, on the street. Trade unions. The internal area of the building is 100 sq. m divided into 6 rooms. Their unusualness is that the floor and ceiling in them have changed places, creating an inverted space.

There is a bedroom, a nursery, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom – all rooms are furnished accordingly. The 6th room is gravitational, where everyone can experience the feeling of weightlessness. The guests of the Changeling House try to prepare breakfast in the kitchen, where a table with utensils and chairs “hang” overhead.

If desired, they can lie on a bed floating in the air, take a shower in an upside-down bath. Everyone leaves here only with positive emotions.

Museum of the History of the Locomotive Depot

On the initiative of the chief technologist of the locomotive enterprise of Petrozavodsk, Gennady Laptev, the Museum of the History of the Locomotive Depot was opened in 2013. The main exhibit of the institution was the ER steam locomotive, built back in the 30s.

A carefully restored steam locomotive that transported military cargo in 1941-45 was installed in a place of honor. ER is the only one on the North-Western Railway that has completely preserved all its component parts.

For 200 sq. m museum area installed 600 exhibits. They were selflessly collected by members of the depot's working collective. The whole history of the railway business in Karelia, from the appearance of the private Olonets railway in 1916 to the present.

Here are locomotive parts of different eras, drawings, technological projects. The process of evolution from a steam locomotive to an electric locomotive can be observed by considering thematic expositions.