Virtual Abkhazia: Abkhaz State Museum. Abkhaz State Museum Abkhaz State Museum

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The Abkhaz State Museum, located in the city of Sukhumi on Leon Avenue, is one of the best places where you can get acquainted in detail with the historical past and present of the Republic of Abkhazia. The museum has two branches. One of them is located in Gudauta, and the second in Gulripsha regions of Abkhazia.

The Abkhaz State Museum was created in the first half of the 60s. XIX century lovers of the history and nature of Abkhazia, who collected valuable archaeological, numismatic and ethnographic materials from local residents. However, before the Russian-Turkish War, the first collection of the museum was taken from Abkhazia and lost.

In 1913, the initiative group decided to found a society in the city of Sukhumi dedicated to studying the history of this region and collecting valuable materials. In 1915, thanks to the “Society”, the first local history museum began to gradually take shape. In May 1917, its official opening took place. And today one of the main directions in the work of the state museum is the collection and processing of new materials and exhibits to replenish the museum collection.

Over the entire history of the Abkhaz State Museum, it has managed to collect many valuables. His collection has grown and currently there are more than 100 thousand unique exhibits in his funds.

The museum's collections include historical, archaeological, natural and ethnographic exhibits. Most of them are unique and priceless. For example, in the garden of the museum there is its pride - one of the Esher dolmens (the oldest tombstones that are found throughout Abkhazia). Also here you can see a complex of dwellings that clearly recreate the traditional living conditions of an ordinary Abkhaz family. A tombstone of the 5th century is kept in the museum halls. BC, a rich collection of weapons, a Greek warrior’s helmet and much more. The nature department presents paleontological finds, a collection of minerals from the region, and samples of the flora and fauna of Abkhazia and the Black Sea.

The Abkhaz State Museum is located in the center of the capital of Abkhazia in the city of Sukhum. It began to be created in the 1960s of the 19th century, and its official opening took place in May 1917.

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Over the long history of the museum, it has managed to collect a huge amount. More than 100 thousand items are stored in its storerooms - ceramics, metal, fabric, written documents.

The museum's funds contain monuments of history and culture not only of the Abkhaz people, but other peoples of the Caucasus, ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Sasanian Iran, documents of the Great October Revolution, materials telling about the participation of the Abkhaz people in the Great Patriotic War.

Many of the exhibits on display have not only republican, but also global significance. These include: one of the oldest in the former Soviet Union, the famous Acheulean Yashtukh site; Mesolithic inventory of the Cold Grotto (collection of bone harpoons), “Chief Rod” from the forearm of a cave bear.

The materials of the dolmen metal culture from the end of the 3rd millennium BC are also of outstanding importance; treasures of axes of the Middle Bronze Age, as well as original highly artistic forms and decorations, weapons and tools of the Late Bronze Age; ornamented axes on bronze handles, not found anywhere else in the Caucasus; ritual daggers, belt buckles and more.

The Sukhumi dolmen is the oldest burial structure. A stone dolmen was installed near the building of the Abkhaz State Museum. It was brought here from the village of Verkhnyaya Eshera. The dimensions of the dolmen are quite significant, the weight of each slab is from 8 to 12 tons. The dolmen is at least five thousand years old.

The pride of the museum is the famous ancient Greek marble wall and a bust of local work from ancient times, raised from the bottom of Sukhumi Bay; iconic aigrette with horseman and dog from the Late Bronze Age; Assyrian bronze shield in the shape of a griffin (6th century BC); Greek helmet and shield V - VI centuries. BC.

The natural history monuments of Abkhazia are no less interesting and scientifically significant. The fossilized skeletons of fish from the genus mackerel on display in the museum date back 50 million years. The collection of fossil cave bears, which lived 8-9 thousand years ago, is of great scientific importance. These materials were found in caves in the village. Pskhu.

An archaeologist and Caucasian specialist is buried near the walls of the Abkhaz State Museum. Voronov was born on May 8, 1941. In 1991, he was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia. From March 1992 to December 1993, he headed the commission of the Supreme Council of the Republic on human rights and interethnic relations. In 1993, Voronov was appointed deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Abkhazia, and in 1995 - deputy prime minister. Voronov was killed in September 1995 in his apartment in Sukhum. Yuri Voronov is the author of more than 500 scientific publications, including 30 monographs.

Coordinates: Abkhaz State Museum is located in Sukhum. Created in the 60s of the 19th century

Review

Over the long history of the museum, it has managed to collect a huge amount of museum valuables. More than 100 thousand items are stored in its storerooms - these are unique items made of ceramics, metal, fabric, written documents, etc.

Today, the museum's funds contain monuments of history and culture not only of the Abkhaz people, but other peoples of the Caucasus, ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Sasanian Iran, documents of the Great October Revolution, materials telling about the participation of the Abkhaz people in the Great Patriotic War.

Many of the exhibits on display have not only republican, but also global significance. These include: one of the oldest in the former Soviet Union, the famous Acheulean Yashtukh site; Mesolithic inventory of the Cold Grotto (collection of bone harpoons), “Chief’s Rod” from the forearm of a cave bear. Of outstanding importance are also the materials of the dolmen metal culture of the end of the 3rd millennium BC, represented in Transcaucasia only in Abkhazia; treasures of axes of the Middle Bronze Age, as well as original highly artistic forms and decorations, weapons and tools of the Late Bronze Age; ornamented axes on bronze handles, not found anywhere else in the Caucasus; ritual daggers, belt buckles and more.

The pride of the museum is the famous ancient Greek marble wall and a bust of local work from ancient times, raised from the bottom of Sukhumi Bay; iconic aigrette with horseman and dog from the Late Bronze Age; Assyrian bronze shield in the shape of a griffin (6th century BC); Greek helmet and shield - centuries. BC e.

The natural history monuments of Abkhazia are no less interesting and scientifically significant. The fossilized skeletons of fish from the genus mackerel on display in the museum date back 50 million years. The collection of fossil cave bears, which lived 8-9 thousand years ago, is of great scientific importance. These materials were found in caves in the village. Pskhu.

Story

In the early 60s of the 19th century, lovers of the history and nature of Abkhazia had the idea to collect exhibits of cultural and historical value from the population and organize a museum in Sukhum. Before the start of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. the collected exhibits were taken outside the region and the museum ceased to exist. As a result of this, the most valuable numismatic, ethnographic, archaeological exhibits and materials of the natural history of Abkhazia were lost.

On the initiative of a group of agronomists, foresters and teachers, the creation of a museum in Sukhum was started again in the year. A project was developed to create a “Society” to collect materials for studying the region.

One of the main directions in the museum’s activities is the collection, processing and storage of museum valuables, that is, the constant replenishment of its funds. Until 1989, scientific expeditions to cities and regions made it possible to regularly replenish the funds with unique exhibits of ethnography and archeology. Scientific expeditions were carried out not only in the republic, but also abroad. In the year, a group of museum employees traveled to Karachaevo-Cherkessk, where they not only collected materials, but also gave lectures and reports on the history and culture of the Abkhazians. The same expeditions were carried out in Adygea, Sochi and Adler regions.

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An excerpt characterizing the Abkhaz State Museum

I was very upset, but, trying my best not to show this to Athenais, I asked as calmly as possible:
– What kind of “fingerprint” is this?
- Oh, everyone, when they die, comes back for him. When your soul ends its “languishing” in another earthly body, at the moment when it says goodbye to it, it flies to its real Home, and, as it were, “announces” its return... And then, it leaves this “ seal". But after this, she must again return back to dense earth in order to say goodbye forever to who she was... and a year later, having said “the last goodbye”, leave from there... And then, this free soul comes here to merge with the part of himself left behind and find peace, awaiting a new journey to the “old world”...
I didn’t understand then what Athenais was talking about, it just sounded very beautiful...
And only now, after many, many years (having long ago absorbed with my “hungry” soul the knowledge of my amazing husband, Nikolai), looking through my funny past today for this book, I remembered Athenais with a smile, and, of course, I realized that , what she called the “imprint,” was simply an energy surge that happens to each of us at the moment of our death, and reaches exactly the level to which the deceased person was able to reach with his development. And what Athenais called then “farewell” to “who she was” was nothing more than the final separation of all existing “bodies” of the essence from her dead physical body, so that she would now have the opportunity to finally leave, and there , on her “floor”, to merge with her missing piece, the level of development of which she, for one reason or another, did not manage to “reach” while living on earth. And this departure occurred exactly after a year.
But I understand all this now, and then it was still very far away, and I had to be content with my still very childish understanding of everything that was happening to me, and my sometimes erroneous and sometimes correct guesses...
– Do entities on other “floors” also have the same “imprints”? – the inquisitive Stella asked interestedly.
“Yes, of course they do, but they are different,” Athenais answered calmly. – And not on all “floors” they are as pleasant as here... Especially on one...
- Oh, I know! This is probably the “bottom” one! Oh, you definitely have to go and see it! This is so interesting! – Stella chirped contentedly again.
It was simply amazing how quickly and easily she forgot everything that had frightened or surprised her just a minute ago, and again cheerfully strived to learn something new and unknown to her.
- Farewell, young maidens... It's time for me to leave. May your happiness be eternal...” Athenais said in a solemn voice.
And again she smoothly waved her “winged” hand, as if showing us the way, and the already familiar, shining golden path immediately ran in front of us...
And the wondrous woman-bird again quietly floated in her airy fairy-tale boat, again ready to meet and guide new, “searching for themselves” travelers, patiently serving some kind of special vow, incomprehensible to us...
- Well? Where shall we go, “young maiden”?.. – I asked my little friend, smiling.
- Why did she call us that? – Stella asked thoughtfully. “Do you think that’s what they said where she once lived?”
– I don’t know... It was probably a very long time ago, but for some reason she remembers it.
- All! Let’s move on!.. – suddenly, as if waking up, the little girl exclaimed.
This time we did not follow the path so helpfully offered to us, but decided to move “our own way,” exploring the world on our own, which, as it turned out, we had quite a bit of.
We moved towards a transparent, golden-glowing, horizontal “tunnel”, of which there were a great many here, and along which entities were constantly moving smoothly back and forth.
– What is this, like an earthly train? – I asked, laughing at the funny comparison.
“No, it’s not that simple...” Stella answered. – I was in it, it’s like a “time train”, if you want to call it that...
– But there’s no time here, is there? – I was surprised.
– That’s right, but these are different habitats of entities... Those who died thousands of years ago, and those who came just now. My grandmother showed this to me. That's where I found Harold... Do you want to see?
Well, of course I wanted to! And it seemed that nothing in the world could stop me! These stunning “steps into the unknown” excited my already too vivid imagination and did not allow me to live in peace until I, almost falling from fatigue, but wildly pleased with what I saw, returned to my “forgotten” physical body and fell asleep, trying to rest for at least an hour to recharge your finally “dead” life “batteries”...
So, without stopping, we again calmly continued our little journey, now calmly “floating”, hanging in a soft, soul-lulling “tunnel” that penetrates every cell, enjoying with pleasure watching the marvelous flow of dazzlingly colorful colors created by someone through each other. (like Stellina) and very different “worlds” that either became denser or disappeared, leaving behind the fluttering tails of rainbows sparkling with wondrous colors...
Suddenly, all this most delicate beauty crumbled into sparkling pieces, and a shining world, washed with star dew, grandiose in its beauty, was revealed to us in all its splendor...
It took our breath away from surprise...
“Oh, what a beauty!.. My mother!” the little girl breathed.
I, too, lost my breath from aching delight and, instead of words, suddenly wanted to cry...
“Who lives here?” Stella tugged at my hand. - Well, who do you think lives here?..
I had no idea who the happy inhabitants of such a world could be, but I suddenly really wanted to find out.
- Went! – I said decisively and pulled Stella along with me.
A marvelous landscape opened up to us... It was very similar to the earthly one and, at the same time, sharply different. It seemed that in front of us there was a real emerald green “earthly” field, overgrown with lush, very tall silky grass, but at the same time I understood that this was not earth, but something very similar to it, but too ideal... not real. And on this field, too beautiful, untouched by human feet, like red drops of blood, scattered throughout the valley, as far as the eye could see, unprecedented poppies were red... Their huge bright cups swayed heavily, unable to withstand the weight of the huge, playfully sitting on the flowers shimmering with a chaos of crazy colors, diamond butterflies... The strange purple sky blazed with a haze of golden clouds, from time to time illuminated by the bright rays of the blue sun... It was an amazingly beautiful, created by someone’s wild imagination and blinding with millions of unfamiliar shades, a fantastic world. .. And a man walked through this world... It was a tiny, fragile girl, from a distance in some ways very similar to Stella. We literally froze, afraid of accidentally scaring her off with something, but the girl, not paying any attention to us, calmly walked along the green field, almost completely hidden in the lush grass... and above her fluffy head a transparent purple fog, twinkling with stars, swirled. , creating a marvelous moving halo above her. Her long, shiny, violet hair “flashed” with gold, gently brushed by a light breeze, which, while playing, playfully kissed her tender, pale cheeks from time to time. The little one seemed very unusual, and absolutely calm...

The Abkhaz State Museum is a historical and local history museum in Sukhum that has existed for more than a hundred years. There are exhibits here that tell not only about the history of the Caucasus, but also about the history of Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Byzantium, as well as the fate of Abkhazia in Modern Times. The museum is one of the most interesting attractions in Sukhum, and is definitely recommended for a visit.

The museum building has several floors. The museum complex also includes a square in which some stone monuments are located, for example, a dolmen from the village of Eshera, one of the most interesting exhibits of the museum. The museum includes several branches: the Yasochka Museum in the Gulrysh district (a region of Abkhazia several tens of kilometers from Sukhum), the New Athos Panteleimon Cathedral and gallery in New Athos, as well as the Art Gallery in Sukhum.

It is important for the museum to constantly replenish its repository with new materials and valuables, so its employees are constantly collecting and processing new information and monuments.

Exposition and exhibitions in the Abkhazian Museum

The museum houses more than one hundred thousand exhibits. Among them are not only household items, tools, ceramics and jewelry, but also documents and written monuments. Paleontological finds and mineral samples are also presented here. The museum has halls from different historical eras, as well as literary, ethnographic and natural science halls.

Ancient world history

Some exhibits are of world significance. It's not even that they illustrate the lives of various peoples around the world. Many of them are very rare, even unique. These are, for example, objects from the Yashtukhi site, one of the oldest sites in the world.

Other unusual exhibits from ancient history include a collection of bone harpoons from the Kodori Grotto (a cave in which traces of human existence were found about 30 thousand years ago), as well as the “Wand of the Chief,” made by an ancient man from a bear radius. In the halls dedicated to the Ancient World, other artifacts of the Mesolithic era are presented. Also on display here is an antique marble wall from Ancient Greece found at the bottom of Sukhumi Bay and many other exhibits.

In the museum you can see stone and metal dolmens that are more than five thousand years old. The Abkhaz State Museum is the only place in Transcaucasia where you can see dolmens in person and, moreover, in such variety.

Natural world

These halls display fossilized skeletons of ancient fish that swam over the territory of Abkhazia in the World Ocean millions of years ago. Some of the exhibits are up to 50 million years old. Also in the Abkhaz State Museum there is a large collection dedicated to the cave bear that lived in Abkhazia about 9 thousand years ago. In addition to all this, the halls display a variety of stuffed animals.

Ethnographic section

This part of the Abkhaz State Museum tells about the life and life of local peoples, about the national features of the Abkhazians and shows their household items, jewelry, dishes, tools made and used by them.

Stand “Old Views”

This stand presents New Athos and the surrounding territories of the time when the Russian Empire first became acquainted with the culture and history of Abkhazia, that is, the 19th century. Then the Russian authorities tried to attract attention and effort to the study of the monuments of Abkhazia.

Modern history

Since the Abkhaz State Museum began its existence at the beginning of the 20th century, documentation from the time of the Great October Revolution has been preserved here. Moreover, with the establishment of Soviet power on the territory of Abkhazia, the museum resumed its local history work, and a scientific society was formed. Based on this, one can understand that the museum’s collection actually contains many monuments of that era.

History of the Great Patriotic War

Naturally, such an event as the Great Patriotic War could not ignore the museum’s exposition. From the very beginning of the war, its workers began to collect and process materials telling about the course of the war and illustrating the region’s struggle with the invaders.

Square

The square at the Abkhaz State Museum is considered part of it. Here you can see the famous stone dolmen from the village of Eshera, as well as some other large monuments. The Abkhaz artist Alexander Shervashidze is also buried here. To get into the square itself, you do not need to purchase an entrance ticket to the museum, and you can explore it absolutely free.

History of the museum

During the popularization of Abkhazia and increased interest in it (1860s), some historians began to collect materials illustrating local culture, history and nature. However, before the Russian-Turkish War, all the collected monuments were taken out of Abkhazia and subsequently partially lost. In 1913, the idea to create a museum appeared again. The collection of materials continued for several years, and on May 17, 1917, the museum was officially opened. Since then, the museum has ceased its activities and moved several times, which is why it also lost some of its exhibits. However, since 1989, museum staff have constantly organized scientific expeditions to local areas and thus replenished the museum’s fund with unique finds.

Opening hours of the Abkhaz State Museum and prices in 2020

The Abkhaz State Museum is open on weekdays from 10:00 to 15:00, and the entrance ticket to the exhibition costs only 100 rubles. To take photographs and videos, you do not need to purchase additional tickets or permits; this opportunity is free at the museum.

How to get to the Abkhaz State Museum in Sukhum

The Abkhaz State Museum is located in the center of Sukhum, so it can be reached on foot along Leon Avenue from such attractions as the Botanical Garden, the embankment and the Park named after. Lenin. If you want to get to the museum by transport, take any minibus going to the Philharmonic stop. You can also get here by taxi using one of the local services.

In the small town of Sukhum there is a literary house-museum of the world famous poet Dmitry Gulia, the founder of Abkhaz literature. It was here that the brilliant writer lived for many years, from 1912-1960.

This museum is easy to find, because it is located directly in the central part of Sukhum, on the street of the same name, not far from Freedom Square. Gulia created all his masterpieces in it, so it is very interesting to see the writer’s study, where you can see his photographs, books, manuscripts and personal belongings.

In 1974, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Abkhaz poet, the museum was opened.

If you decide to go to Sukhum, be sure to look for the memorial house-museum of Dmitry Gulia. You can visit it on weekdays from 10.00 to 17.00, as well as on weekends, if you agree in advance with the manager.

Coordinates: 43.00290500,41.01655500

Abkhaz State Museum

In the city of Sukhum, at the beginning of the twentieth century, a real pearl of Abkhaz culture was opened - a local history museum, which over time turned into the largest and most popular historical center.

Today the State Museum can be called the most significant not only for the development of Abkhaz culture, but also for many peoples of the Caucasus. It has several departments - natural history, ancient history and the Middle Ages, ethnography, modern history, as well as a storage facility. Among the 170 thousand exhibits here you can find exclusive items - fossilized skeletons of various species of fish, which are more than 50 million years old. Many original works can also be found in the museum's branches in the city; they are owned by the New Athos Cathedral-Museum and the local art gallery.

The number of visitors to the State Museum is growing from year to year, because it is a very educational place for any person interested in the history and development of the Caucasus. Anyone can visit the museum every day - from 10 am to 15 pm, except Saturday and Sunday.

Coordinates: 43.00406700,41.02327100