SAMOILOV FAMILY APARTMENT MUSEUM

A branch of the Museum of Theatrical and Musical Arts
8 Stremyannaya ulitsa 191025 St. Petersburg
Open: noon - 6pm
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Tel. 164-1130
Nearest metro station: Mayakovskaya

The museum-devoted to the Samoilov dynasty of actors opened in 1994. It is situated in the house that Vasily Samoilov (1812-1887), an actor at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, bought in 1869. The apartment is now part of the Nevsky Palace Hotel complex. Samoilov's family: his sisters Vera, Nadezhda and Maria, and his son Pavel, a tragic actor - all lived on the first floor of the house, which was also frequented by other members of this famous family.

The exhibits on show tell the story of the Samoilov family in the context of the theatrical and cultural life of St. Petersburg in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Samoilovs had a large circle of friends, including Ivan Aivazovsky, Nikolai Nekrasov, Ivan Kramskoi, Vera Komissarzhevskaya, Ilya Repin, Maria Savina and many other artists of note. Also on display are theatrical costumes and photographs, as well as a life-size model of a 19th-century dressing-room. Of particular interest is Vasily Samoilov's personal collection, which was kept for a long time in the reserves of the Theatre Museum. The collection contains portraits of various family members and fellow-actors, memorabilia, paintings by Samoilov and the talisman of three generations of the

Samoilovs - an amulet with an image of Prince Alexander Nevsky, which was presented to the museum by the actor's descendants.

In keeping with traditions of the Samoilov family, the museum holds meetings, musical soirees and various shows.