EXCURSION «LITERARY AND MUSICAL SALON OF PRINCESS ZINAIDA VOLKONSKAYA»

The Nikolai Ostrovsky Museum invites you to an excursion «Literary and Musical Salon of Princess Zinaida Volkonskaya», which will introduce guests to one of the most famous women of the XIX century. Guests will walk through the building on Tverskaya Street, built by architect Matvey Kazakov at the end of the XVIII century and learn about the life of its inhabitants.

The excursion «Literary and Musical Salon of Princess Z.A. Volkonskaya» takes place in the interiors of the hall, decorated in the traditions of the era of the first third of the XIX century. Guests will walk through the building on Tverskaya Street, built by architect Matvey Kazakov at the end of the XVIII century, and learn about its famous inhabitant — Princess Zinaida Volkonskaya. One of the most educated women in Russia, she wrote poetry and prose, composed music, and had a voice of rare beauty. In 1824- 1829, its literary and musical evenings were attended by the most talented and outstanding people, among whom were Evgeny Baratynsky, Adam Mickiewicz, Alexey Verstovsky, Joseph Genishta, the Vielgorsky brothers and others. Alexander Pushkin was a frequent guest here and in his poem called the lovely hostess «the queen of muses and beauty». Guests will find out what games were played in the princess’s salon, with whom she was friends, who most often visited her salon, how Zinaida Volkonskaya decorated her house, what she wore and what she loved most from her wardrobe.