Residential house-museum of the 19th century and the pleasant charm of Kaluga
We recently spent a weekend in a very nice and cozy city of Kaluga, where we were kindly invited by one of our readers, Lyuba and Vova. We walked around the city, went to the Museum of Cosmonautics and the Planetarium, went to see the exhibits Archstoyanie festival. To be honest, we were pleasantly surprised by the impression that Kaluga itself made on us, in particular, and all this weekend in general. And although the frost that suddenly began for us made some adjustments to our plans and slightly reduced the time of our walks, I would like to believe that after all, we could feel the spirit of Kaluga, and we really liked it.
Nice walk around Kaluga
The town seemed to us neat and rather clean. We walked around the center and admired the numerous old wooden and stone houses, many of which still look well-groomed, although they have stood here since the days of merchant Russia. In general, as the guys told us, Kaluga used to be a large merchant city, this is only later, much later, it began to be considered the cradle of cosmonautics, but more on that in another article..
Probably in many ways Kaluga made such a pleasant impression on us because of our guides, communication with whom greatly enlivened our trip. And I want to tell you a little about the guys themselves.
I will not retell you their biography and personal data, I will only say that it was very nice to meet people who know so much about their city, and not only about it, lead a very active lifestyle, go hiking, are fond of photography and work in jobs that bring them pleasure.
Residential house-museum of the 19th century
And yet, I can't help but tell you about the amazing apartment rented by Lyuba and Vova, who live in the city center, because their dwelling is very unusual. It is noteworthy not only because it is located in a very real architectural monument of the 19th century, of which there are many in Kaluga, but because a certain writer of the Silver Age Boris Zaitsev lived and worked here at one time, even a plaque on the facade of the house says about this.
But that's not all! Previously, the entire house belonged to Mikhail Nikolaevich Zaitsev, the writer's uncle, but after the revolution it was divided among ordinary townspeople. But the owner of the very apartment rented by our acquaintances once decided to organize a museum dedicated to this very writer, and she did it in one of the rooms adjacent to her apartment, so now from this apartment you can enter this modest museum a hall where excursions are conducted and where some significant events for the city are held.
The name of Boris Zaitsev is now not so well known in wide circles, but in the 19-20 centuries he was a respected person and a prominent figure, although he wrote and published most of his works while already in exile in Paris. It is a pity, of course, that the years of the Soviet regime have lost many worthy names from memory. And although the memorial room in Kaluga is furnished modestly and there are not so many exhibits in it, it is surprising that people who, in fact, have no direct relation to the writer, are doing this with such zeal and zeal, and it is given to them, oh, how difficult it is.
In general, the apartment that the guys are renting may seem old and unrepaired to someone, but such a friendly and pleasant authentic atmosphere reigns in it that you do not notice all sorts of everyday trifles. At the same time, the dwelling is decorated in a very interesting way and there are many masterfully selected details in the interior. You know, now they like to decorate pretentious cafes in Moscow, semi-antique.
Lyuba, Vova, thank you very much for your hospitality and for inviting us! It is always very joyful to meet such pleasant and open-minded people! It seems to us that we liked Kaluga so much thanks to you, and now it will always be associated with you and the Smeshariki who flew into space..