Totma museum association
Totma city and its surroundings are rich in monuments of history and culture.
Totma museum association includes the following branches:
• Local lore museum
• Museum of church antique
• House-museum of Ivan Kuskov
• Museum of navigators
• Open stocks
• House-museum of Nikolay Rubtsov (Nikolskoye settlement)
• Museum of childhood and family
The most valuable (unique) collections
• Collection of painting
• Collection of sculpture
• Collection of articles of decorative and applied art
• Collection of ethnography
• Collection of archeology
• Collection of numismatics
Contact Information
Address: Voroshilova str. 44, Totma city, 161300 Vologda Oblast
E-mail: ross@vologda.ru
Òål: +7 (81739) 2-17-02, 2-23-37
Totma local lore museum
One of the places of interest of the city and the municipality is Totma local
lore museum. It was founded at the end of 1915 by the initiative of Totma branch
of Vologda society of Northern land investigation. Museum has three sections:
sections of history, arts and nature. Visitors are interested in exhibitions of
folk art, painting, sculpture, articles of decorative and applied art. The
employees of the museum pay a special attention to the collecting of articles of
folk art. Possessing a rich collection of ethnographic materials the employees
represent very successfully decorative crafts at the museum expositions.
Museum of church antique
Museum of church antique was opened in 1995 in the building of the former church
of the Dormition of the Virgin (beginning of 19th century). The church is built
in one ensemble with the belfry (52 meters high), on its observation sites it’s
possible to see Totma from bird’s eye view.
Visitors of the Museum of church antique receive a unique chance to touch the
past through the sacred images of the saints on the icons of 16-19th centuries
and cult articles.
House-Museum of Ivan Kuskov
The destiny of Totma inhabitant Ivan Kuskov (1765 – 1823) for 30 years was
connected with the activity of Russian-American company.
In 1812 Ivan Kuskov founded and ruled the Russian fortress in California that is
known as Fort Ross, now a national park in the USA.
The museum was opened in 1990 in the house where Ivan Kuskov spent his last days
after returning home. It is the first museum of Russian America in Russia. The
exposition introduces the life and activity of Totma navigator Ivan Kuskov,
containing documents, letters, portraits and articles of that epoch.
Museum of navigators
In 1996 (the year of 300-s anniversary of the Russian fleet) Museum of
navigators was opened in Totma. The museum is located on the first floor of the
church of the Entrance to Jerusalem (monument of architecture of 18th century).
The exposition of the museum tells about foundation and development of Russian
fleet since the 17th century. Totma is called as a city of navigators. More than
20 expeditions were equipped to the Pacific Ocean by Totma merchants who
exported 1/5th of all the fur skins hunted during half a century to Europe.
During the expeditions many geographical openings were made, some islands were
charted. The museum list of Totma merchant-navigators counted 30 names. Due to
sea trips big assets flew to Totma. Many Totma churches were built on means
received from fur-skins trade.
Open stocks
Totma Spaso-Sumorin monastery is one of biggest spiritual and cultural centers
of the Russian North. The cloister was founded in 1554 by the monk of the
Vologda Spaso-Prilutskiy monastery Feodosiy Sumorin. He was the first Father
Superior of the monastery and ruled the cloister until his death (1568).
Canonized in 1798 today Feodosiy Sumorin is one of the most revered saints of
Totma land.
In the cells of the Father Superior and brothers one of the branches of Totma
museum association is placed – Open stocks. The exposition of this museum
consists of rich collections of old ethnographic things.
House-Museum of Nikolay Rubtsov
The museum is devoted to the life and activity of Nikolay Rubtsov, a famous
Russian poet who was born in Totma. The museum was opened in August, 1990.
Museum actively cooperates with Rubtsov’s centers that in many corners of Russia
study the activity of the poet.
Museum of childhood and family
Museum of childhood and family was opened in May, 2008. The exposition
introduces you to the time of childhood and family traditions of 19-20th
centuries. Totma is by the right considered to be a city of toy-makers. In the
exposition there are diversified toys: elemental dolls, ritual dolls, toys
braided of tin and wood by the students from the local handicraft school, dolls
of 80-90-s of the 20th century, modern toys. Each visitor can make a traditional
rag doll from patches, perform as an actor in the puppet theatre and work at the
weaver’s loom.