Museum Complex “The Aseyevs’ Estate”

Tambov Oblast
22/1 Naberezhnaya Str., Tambov, Tambov region
Phones: +7 (4752) 63-64-69
Web site: http://mk-aseeva.ru

M.V. Aseyev’s house (Museum Complex “The Aseyevs’ Estate” now) was designed by Moscow architect Lev Kekushev in 1905. Built in Art Nouveau style with its original facades and exclusive decorative touches the house strikes by its unique beauty and refined details.

Aseyev’s mansion is one of Kekushev’s richest in diverse décor works. The architect managed to create an inimitable ensemble of interiors with unique elements designed on his own drafts: fine moulding, paintings, original panels, lighting fixtures, built-in furniture, wooden decorations etc. On the ground floor one can see a main hall, cloakroom, fire-place room, ante-room, reception room, M.V. Aseyev’s study, small sitting-room, billiard room, main dining room, White Hall – the largest and grandest room of the ground floor meant for the guest reception, musical evenings and festive events.

Impressive front stairs made of white marble leads onto the first floor. The main room of the first floor is the Hall of Columns framed by the columns on its perimeter. The glass dome in the center of the hall fills the room with light and solemnity.

Both permanent and temporary exhibitions are offered in the museum. “Aseyevs family” is one of the permanent exhibitions telling about M.V. Aseyev’s student years in Tambov Minesterial Gymnasium for men as well as in medical school of Moscow university. The exhibition displays the photos of M.V. Aseyev himself and his close relatives – his wife and children. The exposition introduces some members of the 3rd and 4th generations of the Aseyevs who left Russia after the revolution in 1917 for the cities of old Europe and New World.

Aseyevs family traditions are honored in the estate. The balls with guests in fancy dresses dancing waltz and mazurka are not rare here. Dramatized tours around the estate involving professional actors from Tambov state drama theatre are especially popular among visitors.

On the territory of the estate there is a wonderful park with firs, maples, elms, lindens, birches but most importantly oaks. Just in front of the main entrance a visitor’s attention is riveted by the multiphase fountain with dynamic lighting. The marble copy of Venus de Medici statue overlooks the whole fountain area.

The Aseev merchant family appeared in the Tambov region at the beginning of the 19th century. The founder of the dynasty, Agafon Aseev, was engaged in trade in the nearby village of Rasskazovo in the 1830s. However, in January 1832, the head of the family died, and his wife Martha was left with two sons - Vasily and Tikhon. After the death of her husband, Martha Aseeva developed her husband's business and soon became a successful entrepreneur.

By the 1870s, the family had acquired a cloth factory. Aseev's sons became the richest people in the province and were able to pay for the title of merchants of the first guild.

The family business was continued by the third generation of the Aseevs. Vasily Aseev's son, Mikhail, was educated as a doctor. But he had to give up this profession in order to take over his father's commercial and industrial affairs. Together with his cousin Vasily, he founded the trading house "Brothers M. and V. Aseev". They owned wool and distilleries, cloth factories, and lands throughout most of the empire. The merchants were engaged in charity work: they built schools, maintained hospitals and orphanages.

A five-hundred-year-old oak grows in the old park of the estate.

In front of the main entrance, there is a cascading light fountain with a marble copy of the statue of Venus de Medici.