In autumn 1984, when the museum had been only organized, it had no collections at all. At the present time thanks to the collecting work of the museum and its aimed picking up of the exhibits, the man stock of the museum accounts now more than 9 thousand items, and scientific and the rest stock possesses more then 15 thousand items. All these museum exhibit will find their

second life in the house to be reconstructed. There is a wonderful tradition: a lot of stock items, especially some rare ones, had been granted to the museum. The museum collections give the chance to the staff not only to create the new expositions in the house of Shakchmatovo, but also to carry out scientific-research work.

     The pride of the museum is the collection of the documents, manuscripts and autographs. Among them there is the registration book with the register of A.A.Block and L.D.Mendeleeva’s wedding; the autographs of the early Block’s poems ‘The pythoness-bird Gamayun’ and ‘let the moon shine...’,which were presented to the museum by A.I.Polonskaya. The descendant of a decembrist, E.D.Yakushkin, presented to the museum a set of documents and autographs. Among them - the famous questionnaire ‘Acknowledgement’ filled in by A.Block in

Bad-Naugeim; the will of the poet’s mother, A.A.Kublitskaya-Piottukch and her permission for wedding of her son and L.D.Mendeleeva; a business card of E.G.Beketova; autographs of the poem ‘Here they are, the white sounds...’ and a verse ‘When you are overdriven and forgotten...’ from the poem ‘Retribution’. The letters of the poet’s grandmother were brought to the museum from St.-Petersburg from A.V. and K.V. Beketovs. A collection of manuscripts of Block’s contemporaries makes the exhibition complete.

The autograph of a poem of A.A.Block ‘Gamayun, the pythoness bird’. The 23^rd of February 1899. St-Petersburg

The books of A.M.Remizov with the author’s memorial signature

The autograph of a poem of A.A.Block ‘Let the moon shine...’ January 1898. St-Petersburg

A letter from E.G.Beketova to N.N.Beketov. The 25^th of May 1897

    The museum has several personal archives. The archive of the founder and owner of the ‘Alokonost’ Publishing House S.M.Alyansky consists of the biographical materials, manuscripts and vast correspondence. His addressees were: artists Y.Annenkov, Y.Basnetsov, E.Charushin, V.Konashevich, T.Mavrina; actresses L.Delmas, V.Verigina; writers and literati V.Rozhdestvensky, L.Panteleev, N.Kodryanskaya, D.Depektorskaya, V.Orlov, Z.Mintz, A.Galis, Galosh, Gendjian. It’s impossible to over appreciate pictures (some pictures of

A.A.Block in Shakchmatovo, in his amateur plays) and books with the settlements of A.A.Block, A.A.Akchmatova, A.Bely, V.Ivanov, F.Sologub, A.M.Remizov. The archive has two handwritten albums with notes, autographs and drawings of N.Gumilyev, O.Mandelshtam, N.Klyuev, V.Kchodasevich, V.Knyazhin, V.Meierkchold, Y.Annenkov, M.Gershenzon, A.M.Remizov and others.
    The archive of man of letters E.F.Knipovich contains the letters of A.A.Block, L.D.Block, A.A.Kublitskaya-Piottukch, M.A.Beketova, S.P.Remizova-Dovgello.

A sheet with notes and a picture of director V.E.Meierkchold from the album of S.M.Alyansky

A picture of A.M.Remizov from the album of S.M.Alyansky

    The archive of one of the first researchers of the Block’s Shakchmatovo, a man of pen P,A.Zhurov, includes the biographical documents, diaries, manuscripts and memoirs. The active participant of the Moscow Block Association, founded after the poet’s death at the State Academy of the Art Sciences, P,A.Zhurov was the first of the literati, who visited Shakchmatovo after Block’s death. He described the history of the estate and found the books from the Beketovs library. The materials from P,A.Zhurov’s archive will help to

reconstruct Shakchmatovo as it was during A.A.Block’s life time.
The archive of literati E.F.Knipovich contains vast correspondence o the 20-30s. The out-of-the-way letters of the poet’s mother A.A.Kublitskaya-Piottukch, his wife L.D.Block, his aunt M.A.Beketova, K.Chukovsky, G.Chulkov, S.P.Remizova-Dovgello are of great interest. Some materials show the activity of the Block Association in investigating the creative work and life of the poet.

A sheet with notes of A.M.Remizov, M.Gershenzon, S.Kallun from the album of S.M.Alyansky

A picture of A.Bely from the album of S.M.Alyansky

    All the editions of the poems of A.A.Block, published in his life time, as well as his omnibus edition, rare regional editions and alternative publishing, magazine articles, publications in foreign press, literature about the poet. The collection of the books includes the works of A.N.Beketova, the translations of E.G.Beketova, the publications of the sisters Beketovs.
    The creative work of many philosophers, poets and writers of the turn of the century is reflected in the book collection of the museum: V.Solovyev, V.Rozanov, S.Bulgakov, N.Berdyaev, D.Merezhkovsky, Z.Gippius,

I.Annensky, A.Akchmatova, N.Gumilyev,   V.Ivanov, F.Sologub, V.Bryusov, A.Bely, S.Solovyev, N.Klyuev, S.Esenin, S.Klychkov, V.Mayakovsky, V.Kchodasevich, O.Mandelshtam, A.Mariengoff, B.Sherchevich, and many, many others.
    The museum possesses a valuable collection of the literary and theatrical digests and almanacs, periodical editions on art study and magazines: ‘Vesy’, ‘Novy putt’, ‘Apollon’, ‘Zolotoye Runo’, etc. The museum completes the collection of books which had been read in the family of Beketovs and A.A.Block, the poet’s library of Shakchmatovo.

    The family relicts of the Beketovs are carefully kept at the museum, among them - the writing set of A.M.Beketov, a case with a miniature portrait of A.N.Beketova, a towel, stitched by E.G.Beketova, the personal belongings of the poet and his wife, the things belonged from the families of A.N and Al.N.Beketovs, D.I.Mendeleev and A.G.Beketova and their descendants. Some

icons from the Michael Archangel church were found and exposed now at the museum. The memorial items were given to the museum by the descendants of the Beketovs family. Some part of the exhibits had been presented to the museum by N.P.Ilyin, the owner of the considerable collection of the things connected with the poet and the Shakchmatovo estate.

A travel case. Russia. The end of the 19 century-beginning of the 20 century. Lime tree, veneer - red tree. Joinery, covering by veneer. From the collection of N.P.Ilyin

Small plates. Russia, company of M.S.Kuznetsov. The end of the 19 century-beginning of the 20 century. Faience. From the collection of N.P.Ilyin

    Despite the fire of 1921, some chests of drawers, mirrors, armchairs had been brought to the museum from the local peasants. A collection of the old furniture at some time belonged to the Beketovs family was brought to the museum from their descendants. They brought cupboard and bookcase, working table with drawers, written table, the bookshelf and

other items. The students of school named after Block brought a Canterbury, bed-side table, some chairs from the estate. Step by step the furniture stock was enriched by interesting furniture of the middle of the 19 century-beginning of the 20 century. This collection will allow to reconstruct the interiors at the estate of the poet.

A chair with rigid back and soft bottom. Russia. The end of the 19 century.A fir tree, veneer - European nut tree; metal, cloth

A desk. Russia. The end of the 19 century-beginning of the 20 century (1896?) Ash tree. Joinery, grind

    A considerable part of the collection is composed of the art stock, it includes the portraits of the poet and his relatives, the works of artists-contemporaries of A.Block, illustrations to his works, the pictures of the places connected with the his life and creative

work. The museum acquires the works of various trends and styles and technique.
    There are several small, but extremely interesting collections of the applied art items, porcelain and glass, metal, clothes and dresses.

A decanter with a bail and grind in cover. It belonged to A.M.Nedzvetskaya. Glass

Pierre and Colombina. A sculpture belonged to the actress L.A.Delmas. Faience. Enamel, polished sponge, painting. West Europe. The 1900-s

The table clock on six legs-columns and a round multi level basement. Germany. The beginning of the 20 century. Metal

A fan. France. The end of the 19 century-beginning of the 20 century. Silk, gas, spangles, celluloid, metal. Embroidery, engraving and carving on celluloid

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