Sergey Merkurov House-Museum

The Sergey Merkurov House-Museum is housed in a 19th-century residential building and contains approximately 3000 items from the works and personal life of the renowned Soviet sculptor. The collection includes sculptures, personal belongings, and an extensive archive documenting Merkurov's artistic practice from his early years through his later career.

The building was constructed in 1869 by Merkurov's ancestors and served as a private residence before being damaged during the 1988 earthquake. Restoration work in the early 2000s transformed it into a museum preserving the artist's legacy.

The museum displays death masks of Soviet leaders that Merkurov created throughout his career, representing a distinctive form of artistic documentation from that era. These masks allow visitors today to encounter historical figures in a direct and tangible way.

The museum is located in the city center and opens several days per week, with guided tours available in multiple languages to help visitors understand the collections. Allow a few hours to explore the extensive exhibits and rooms throughout the historic house.

The museum preserves an extraordinary collection of about 300 plaster death masks that Merkurov created from Soviet leaders, offering a rare visual portrait of these historical figures. This specialized collection made Merkurov one of the most important documentary sculptors of his era.