Music and Time Museum, Museum in Yaroslavl, Russia.

The Music and Time Museum is a private museum in Yaroslavl, housed in a former merchant's estate on the Volga embankment. Its collection includes bells, clocks, musical instruments, irons, samovars, music boxes, gramophones and old records, and most items are kept in working condition. The complex also contains a porcelain museum and a samovar museum.

The museum was founded by John Mostoslavsky, an illusionist and collector who gathered its objects over a lifetime. It opened in November 1993 as the first private museum in the Russian Federation; before that, lacking a legal framework, the collection was held on the books of the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve. After his death, his sons took over its management.

The museum feels more like walking into a private home than visiting a formal exhibition, with objects arranged in a personal and informal way. The gramophones and records on display reflect how music was experienced in Russian homes during the 20th century.

The museum is in the center of Yaroslavl, close to the Volga embankment, making it easy to visit as part of a walk through the old town. Guided tours are available and worth considering, since many objects are easier to understand with some explanation.

Some of the gramophones on display are still functional and are played during guided tours, so visitors can hear what early recordings actually sounded like. This makes the visit a listening experience, not just a visual one.