THE MUSEUM OF POLENOVO

Here you can discover a short documentary about Polenovo’s history and mission, produced by the french national television France 2, for its morning show, Télématin:

Amazed by the beauty of the nature in the surroundings of Tarusa, Vassily Polenov decided to settle with his family on the shores of the Oka river in the late 1880s. There, he designed and constructed his own house surrounded by a huge natural reserve. His main house was thought since the beginning as an art gallery and family collections’ exhibitions. Since ever, he dreamed of having a museum in order to make “Art accessible to all” and still nowadays the “House of the Oka” is known as an important art and craft center in Russia.

The main building where stands the collections is a three-story wooden house, with immaculate white walls. His inspiration comes from his childhood house in Carelia, a region close to the Finnish border. That is why we can find subtle and delicate inspiration of scandinavian architecture. The “House of the Oka” officially opened on October 2, 1892. Almost nothing has changed since then on the ground floor, not even the rooms’ names.

In 1939, the artist’s descendants decided to give the collections to the State and in exchange they would be in charge of the direction, what is true until now. Since 2011, the great grandchild of Vassily Polenov, Natalia Polenova, is running the State Memorial of History, Art and Natural Museum Reserve.

The museum holds about 14,000 valuable items in its collection. Among them, there are paintings of Vassily Polenov and some of his relatives and friends. Surrounded by amazing pieces of Art and Craft, the visitors are immersed in the Polenovs’ life and understand easily how they managed to influence artistic and social movements in their country at the end of the 19th century.

Located at the heart of a 800-ha natural reserve, the museum offers its visitors the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air while strolling in the forest and the amazing landscapes on the river’s shores. The combination of splendide buildings and amazing nature, make anyone charmed by his visit at Polenovo. Many visitors, frequently come back with family and friends.

For thoses that do not have the chance to come to the estate, no problem! We created a virtual tour of the museum and the natural reserve, accessible in three languages on the website: www.polenovo360.com. You can also choose the season for your visit to discover Polenovo with the golden forest of the autumn or the nice snowy landscapes of winter!