In 1998 the Children’s Center of Historical Education was created on the basis of the Museum department “13 Bolotnaya Str.”. It became possible thanks to the experience of the Museum educational specialists and their well-established methodology. The main mission of this branch is to develop museum educational programs.
The Center organizes interesting museum classes for children and their parents from Saint-Petersburg in historically authentic museum space.Expositional complexes created on the basis of our Museum collections and topics of the classes are dedicated to the history of Russia in the early 20th century.
The Children’s Center of Historical Education is located in an old building – a former mansion of
G. Bertling in the heart of a big residential area in the so-called “bedroom community” of St Petersburg. The house was built in 1902 – 1908 by a merchant’s wife E. Mikhailova. The second owner of the site was G. Bertling, manager of St Petersburg branch of “Zinger” company. He replanned the building, added the second floor, and arranged the territory: Built a few arbours, a well, and ice-houses. The architectural style of such country-houses erected in the suburbs of St Petersburg in the late 19th-early 20th centuries is widely disputed by specialists. Such constructions can be determined as the so-called “Russian” style, and as imitation of Swiss style (chalets), and as “wooden Art Nouveau”. As a rule, owners themselves became architects and they followed their own tastes and contractors’ experience.
«Historical» life of the mansion started in July 1917. It was given to the Board of Lesnovsko-Udelnenskaya District Duma. On October 16, 1917, in the mansion there was a secret meeting of the Central Committee of the Bolshevist Party attended by Lenin. A decision was made to fight for the power using armed forces. In 1921-1967 the building was occupied by a children’s house.
In 1972 the mansion was given to the Museum of Political History of Russia. Immediately a decision was taken to admit the building valuable from both historical and cultural points of view. But it was necessary to restore the building. In 2004 the western façade was restored; in 2005 a project was worked out for southern, eastern and northern facades. In August 2006 restoration of the southern façade was completed.
At the Center of Historical Education special programes and classes are held for children at the age of 9 -12 years ONLY IN RUSSIAN.
INDIVIDUAL VISITORS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO VISIT MUSEUM. SORRY.
Address of the museum branch:13 Bolotnaya Str, Metro station "Ploshad Muzhestva"
Working hours: 10 – 18 daily except Thursday and the last Monday in month