The museum was so created

Kobrin → Outstanding persons → Alexey Mikhaylovich Martynov

At the end of one of the central Kobrin streets – after the emergence in the middle of the 18th century the stocky wooden house which local giving connected with a name of the glorified commander A.V. Suvorov stood by the called Gubernialna and subsequently renamed in Suvorov – on memory of many generations. The fact that it is applied on Kobrin's plan of 1798 demonstrates to respectable age of an unsightly horomina.

For many years the existence the historical lodge saw a lot of things and repeatedly changed owners. And in the years of Hitlerite occupation its modest rooms sheltered the only thing at that time in the city educational institution – elementary Ukrainian school.

The last weeks occupations were marked by transformation of the house veteran into a soldier's stable. After exile of invaders from the house only the warped walls yes a shabby gontovy roof remained. Completely only one unique architectural detail – the massive longitudinal brick wall with internal flues which was once serving as a peculiar prototype of a central heating quite widespread during that era escaped.

A row of months incarnate reproach stuck out a neglected skeleton of a shabby lodge near district executive committee. Apparently, only thanks to this proximity, it is equal as for prevention of real threat to become the public bathroom, the gaping door and window openings at last were reliably braided by a barbed wire. In darkness nervous people avoided to pass by the house ghost directing horror.

And here when the total disappearance of a pathetic tumble-down house seemed only a matter of time (especially as the population which is in great need in fuel showed quickness miracles, for one night sorting quite sound "neutral" houses on firewood), business took an unforeseen turn. At the beginning of 1946 Kobrin was visited by Ivanov's Brest oblono manager. At it somebody complained that in the face of all the valuable historical monument disappears. It should be noted that by then one corner of the house was already completely sorted located on - to the neighbourhood by a military medical unit on fuel. Out of doubt, the same fate threatened all lodge soon.

Recently being a partisan in Kobrin district, Ivanova remembered how after an exit from the wood among guerrillas the rumor was carried that the house in which once there lived Suvorov is profaned by fascist evil spirits. For cleaning of the house of manure the guerrilla community work day in which Ivanova participated worked. Therefore, naturally, the disturbing signal did not leave it indifferent and induced to address for assistance in "Truth".

Further events were developed in such sequence. According to the resolution of KP(b)B Central Committee Bureau of June 18, 1946 for No. 329, the Brest regional executive committee the decision of July 6 of the same year decided: "In commemoration of memory of the great Russian commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov to organize the Kobrin military and historical museum of Suvorov in the house where Suvorov lived in the city of Kobrin". And the piece of paper handed to me in district executive committee in which it was said that since August 4 of 46 g I am appointed the director of the nonexistent museum was the last in this series "proceeding". Naturally, my amazement did not know limits especially as previously nobody even hinted about it. But post-war customs were that: the local management often on - to an arbitrariness could appoint whom considered it necessary to any position, without asking its consent. It was considered natural and to the appeal did not podlegat. It was necessary to reconcile. However and until now the incident which happened then remains for me a riddle.

According to the decision of the Brest regional executive committee the duty till November 1 to restore Suvorov's house and to establish close his bust of the commander was assigned to the chairman of Kobrin district executive committee Taklenk. Though such terms were obviously impracticable.

With active assistance of the chief architect of area P. V. Leonov in a short time project documentation on restoration of the house was developed. The estimate of allocations which was originally making 63474 rubles was increased to 108707 rubles subsequently. And direct recovery work was assigned to a low-power remstroykontora of a local gorkommunkhoz. There were not enough qualified builders and supply with necessary materials left much to be desired. It was not necessary to be surprised, however: there was the first post-war year.

Having been not on the fault the director-bomzhem who does not have even the certain chair and a table I nevertheless tried to be useful to construction, getting dresses on stroydefitsit. Paid the main attention to collecting exhibits, and so succeeded in this case that by the end of the year them was saved up to seven hundred.

In such cares 1946, memorable for me, went to an ash heap of history. Soon then passed half-year of my compulsory directorship, however till February of the 47th year I did not receive ruble from the put monthly salary of 690 rubles. The possibility of use of budgetary appropriations was braked by ridiculous and bureaucratic cavils (states were approved in Moscow)! The insistent attempts done by me to say goodbye kindly to directorship by the local management resolutely were swept aside. Though at the same time it was not able to solve a salary problem.

Having appeared at the desperate deadlock, I decided on an unusual act – directed the letter of so defiantly sharp contents addressed to the Minister of Culture M. A. Minkovich that considered completely zagarantirovanny immediate removal from work. Alas, my number did not pass. To Kobrin there arrived the chief of planned financial management of the ministry Leontyev. Having understood the confused situation, he advised to conclude to the approval of the staff list with me the labor agreement that gave the chance to use wages fund. However, regularly began to pay off with me only since January first of the 47th year.

Realizing full incompetence in the business imposed to me, I in the first years repeatedly tried to leave. My statements or were left without answer, or were torn without further explanations. Apparently, nevertheless from destiny not to leave. It partly confirms the symbolical picture of 1946 made long before my appointment of TASS as the press photographer whom I accompanied on the city and which depicted me against the half-ruined Suvorov house …

As the museum created at us was a firstborn in the field on the Brest region (in borders of that period), it was not necessary to rely on assistance of more skilled fellow countrymen fellows. In general before my communication with the museums was limited to fluent viewing of expositions of not numerous large-scale museums. Under impression of what was seen in them I involuntarily had an impression that the museum – the temple of muses – surely has to be magnificent and majestic, and it sharply contrasted with modest reality of low-ceiling rooms our pathetic for a house. It was necessary to be released somewhat quicker from romantic bias, having got acquainted is closer to the nearest museums of local lore which were available in Pinsk and Slonim.

The Pinsky museum founded in the twenties by the local local historian enthusiast hardly recovered after military ruin. All windows were hammered with plywood. Direktorstvoval the former guerrilla Baran Soroka who could answer nothing the questions interesting me. It hasty alloyed me to the deputy, the artist Lozitsky. From it I got some idea about registration of a primitive exposition.

Not better the situation was in Slonim. Here the museum suffered from war of less pinsky thanks to careful guardianship of his founder Stobrovsky. The director of the museum former teacher Matveeva completely became puzzled, having learned about the purpose of my visit, and sent to the research associate Stobrovsky. He within decades selflessly created the home museum which donated the hometown subsequently. Detailed conversation with it slightly opened to me secrets of "museum kitchen" a little. And, above all – completely convinced that along with the museums mastodons there can be their puny fellows.

During that time, deliberating possible sources of exhibits necessary for the museum, I decided to address the population of the Brest region with a leaflet in which I provided the detailed list of what the museum needed. Fortunately for me, the manuscript was vised by the second secretary of a district committee Makushenko. A leaflet 1000 copies as the patronage help gratuitously printed in printing houses of a local rayonka. And here scandal burst. When learned about my invention in department of promotion of the Brest regional committee, there were horrified. It appears, we attempted upon sacred prerogatives of the Central Committee of a bedding set. Distribution of a leaflet was strictly forbidden and all circulation is burned.

In the summer of the 47th year the chief architect of area managed to provide me monthly business trip to Moscow and Leningrad for collecting in the central libraries of materials on stories of Brest and Kobrin necessary for development of general plans of these cities. Thanks to this trip I managed to start useful acquaintances to suvoroveda, the staff of the Art museum which soon became main "supplier" of our museum original exhibits on military history.

Meanwhile slowly that is called "with a scratch", restoration of a lodge continued and by the end of the 47th year the main works were complete. Time to think of an exposition came. Meanwhile the staff of the museum still consisted of only "dilekhtor".

Only since the beginning of the 48th year to us added two units – the research associate and the watchman-cleaner (subsequently this position was abolished with delightful motivation: "It is necessary to rely on locks and locks"). The research associate Nikolay Martinovich Vasilevsky who appeared by invaluable acquisition not so much as the research associate, how many the talented multilateral master designer was taken on as. Subsequently all further expositions were issued by his hands.

So, responsible examination – creation of the first exposition was coming the newly appeared museum, is more right – its similarity. Partly it was necessary to be inspired by what was seen in Pinsk and Slonim. However there were already certain material resources whereas we had even no piece of glass. Encouraged that by then from the Art museum the first batch of regimentals and equipment of the 18th century was brought. However, the special museum furniture of which oh as long it was only necessary to dream was necessary for their exhibiting.

The higher instance approved such sections of an exposition: 1. Our great ancestors. 2. A.V. Suvorov. 3. Patriotic war of 1812. For a start we had portraits of "great ancestors" of work of the Brest artists and a set of variegated photos and lithographs on military and historical subject. Not densely. Owing to lack of glass it was necessary to paste so-called "plane materials" on a cardboard and to suspend on carnations. Primitive wretchedness, you will tell nothing. However it was necessary to begin with something.

The Areopagus of heads of regional scale made the decision to date opening of the museum for May 1. By then we managed to fill emptiness of walls of the second or fifth of halls somehow. This operation in the first hall was slowed down owing to lack of a portrait of Suvorov in which the stretcher restored in Brest burst. Return of a portrait was expected only on April 30. In the evening of this day I was told that the regional management intends to take part in opening of the museum, and therefore that is postponed to May 9. This news appeared for us as it is impossible more by the way: the week delay for elimination of subquality work was granted.

However festive May Day morning for me was saddened by an unpleasant surprise. The first secretary of a district committee I.D. Tsarenkov summoned me prior to meeting to remember about the forthcoming opening after demonstration. No objections with the reference to the compelled unpreparedness and to the decision of regional committee worked. Expostulate - a pier on yourself, the director!

At such turn I an impromptu had an only thing the saving decision in this situation: to use for filling of the empty first hall the exhibition devoted to the 30 anniversary of October which was received from the Museum of Revolution literally the day before. Enlisted from meeting several acquaintances to the aid and we began to nail exhibition tablets feverishly. Uf, went away!

And further there was not less tricky question: what, actually, we will open? There was no time to get a traditional tape for a razrezyvaniye. Even the flag on the museum was not and in general near at hand there was no red bunting scrap. It was necessary to make up the mind to a risky step. I sent one of assistants to remove under my responsibility the first flag on the neighboring house: in for a penny, in for a pound. A panel of the stolen flag wrapped up a marble memorial board which was nailed at an entrance in the face of the gathered masses.

To put it briefly, long-awaited opening took place to full satisfaction of all attendees. It is especially juicy that from the thousands first visitors nobody noticed the chronological incongruity allowed as necessary. Until the end of the first year of work the museum was visited by over twenty thousand visitors.

Surprisingly however legally opening of the museum was illegal. Only two weeks later our administration bethought and backdating issued the relevant decision. The Slonimsky museum in which showed me the magnificent fundamental diploma was involuntarily remembered. Issued on parchment, it was written by the stylized Gothic font with the list of all high-ranking participants of a ceremony with their signatures, starting with the president, ministers, the voivode …

Since 48th year, annually it was necessary to me – quite often several times in a year to leave in long business trips to Leningrad and Moscow behind receiving the next party of exhibits which the limited quantity was at one time allocated. Complication was the fact that out of borders of the republic it was necessary to ask for each trip a pleasure of a zampredsovmin of Uralova. In this regard invaluable assistance was rendered by the manager. regional department of culture Nicanor Pavlovich Strelchonok. Without reckoning with ridiculous bans, it, without thinking about possible unpleasant consequences, never refused permission to business trip.

Soon the department of the museums of the Ministry of Culture decided to use an advantageous military and historical profile of our museum, popularity of Suvorov and my communications in the capital museums, having turned the young Kobrin museum into some kind of "supplier" exhibits, scarce at us, for museums of local lore of the republic. Thus two tens Belarusian museums filled up the funds due to my semi-legal business trips.

Procedure of receiving exhibits in the Art museum deserves attention. Began with zaglazny selection of 30-40 objects of extremely laconic list. After obtaining permission to transfer of artillery to Academy, it was necessary to search for the necessary objects in huge boxes in which they returned from evacuation. They were heated up by stacks in casemates of Petrokrepost. And here, for example, for detection of one thing from hundreds which are in a box often under three-four others it was necessary to remove the top boxes, to open necessary, fettered, to take a required exhibit, then to bring everything into initial situation. It was not allowed to involve loaders from outside, the entrance was strictly according to admissions, and therefore art dealers were forced to offer each other a hand of the brotherly help. Often selection, paperwork and shipment dragged on for a month. And time was it what to be late in hotel quite often was not opportunities, it was necessary to look for a haven at acquaintances or to spend the night on suspicious casual apartments …

In the spring of the 49th year, during my next trip to Leningrad, Vasilevsky found in cracks of floor boards a suspicious fungus against which he began to fight by means of kerosene and turpentine. For luck, to us there arrived the head of department of the museums V. L. Venyukov who was very disturbed by emergence of a fungus. According to instructions of the expert who arrived from Brest floors therefore found very harmful "merulius lakrimans", capable to destroy Vest the house were opened. Since July 22 the museum was closed on overhaul.

I will not begin to describe all peripetias of fight against a fungus, having limited to the main moments. There was a second half of the year that complicated research both money, and building materials. Besides the local administration absorbed by harvesting showed the complete indifference to our trouble.

At the request of the editor of the regional newspaper who visited the museum ("The press – great force, we will help") I in detail stated the developed situation and a position of the local management, having thoughtlessly believed the fashionable slogan: criticize, without regard to faces … Soon several paragraphs of my letter with the editorial stand were published in "Dawn" that infuriated our "glavkoverkh" of Tsarenkov.

Here it is pertinent to remember that the relation of local heads to my organizing abilities was not that cool, but rather underlined and skeptical. Instead of elementary support it was necessary to hear: "Yes you will have a museum" … "Will look that it for the museum at you will turn out". To a certain extent this emphasized mistrust urged forward my vanity and possible-impossible forced to do all to achieve a goal, having shamed stately scepticism.

After the ill-fated letter of the relation in general were heated. At a meeting confidentially Tsarenkov declared that he will never forgive my trick and that I am the director while he it allows. What I objected to that it appeared at this position without the consent and not especially I will be upset, having left it. To put it briefly, vindictive "Thunderer" of the area within the next two years made many efforts for punishment of me. If it did not manage it, is so exclusive thanks to resistance of the regional and republican instances which took me under protection.

Meanwhile in the house 200 sq.m of floorboards were broken and burned, thrown out from an underground of 100 m3 of the infected earth. Original recovery work was developed in the most improper time, late fall. In November-December internal walls were floored and plastered. The work involving all hands was explained by the fact that next year it was necessary to celebrate the 150 anniversary from the date of Suvorov's death.

At memories of those dreadful experiences I cannot still be released from internal shudder. On a fire in huge coppers the antiseptic soup with which on a frost crude logs and boards became impregnated raged. Naturally, it was not necessary to count on appropriate drying therefore workers laid boards wet. And floor boards were not beaten tightly for simplification of the subsequent coupler. Superficial drying of plaster and floors happened by means of the improvised ovens in the form of iron barrels which became red-hot. Evaporation was so dense that the suite of rooms was not looked through from the end in the end. We appeared in a certain similarity of hell, keeping the round-the-clock watch within weeks. The smoke, waste ate eyes, complicated breath. Under so impossible conditions all museum property remained in the house and was moved as required from the room to the room, at the same time carefully watched its safety.

The reason of emergence of a fungus consisted that at recovery work in 46-47 years the forest product prepared by Germans and infected with any wreckers was applied. It was not necessary to think of antiseptics. Crude logs were put on wet soil (the roof was a real sieve). There was no elementary exhaust ventilation, besides a fresh floor was painted soon oil paint. All this also caused the necessity of emergency repair. In this regard one more characteristic shtrishok. During discussion of a repair question at one of meetings of the Executive Committee of the City Soviet of People's Deputies somebody showed vigilance, having urged the chief of militia to pay close attention to our fungus which seems to it very suspicious. Fortunately, carried by. And there was a Stalin 49th year.

Reducing the prolonged narration, I will tell that to anniversary Suvorov date the improved exposition was restored and even the repeated ceremonial opening of the museum took place. This time I was actually debarred from anniversary celebrations, even carrying out excursion for the administration was entrusted the casual teacher. The juiciest that feeling disgrace, I did not even guess scales of the campaign which is conducted against me. Learned about everything only after Tsarenkov's leaving Kobrin.

So semi-comical there passed the first three years of formation of the museum from a long chain of thirty two years which I happened to spend on it "the captain's bridge".
26.02.1993.

 



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