Khabarovsk Regional Museum, Khabarovsk, Khabarovskiy kray, Russia
The Khabarovsk Museum was opened on April 19, 1894 in the presence of the city’s public, representatives of the troops, scientific intelligentsia and higher ranks. Like any new business in those days, the opening was accompanied by a prayer service. The first museum exposition was located in the premises of the chemist’s warehouse along the street. Tikhmenevskaya (now Serysheva), which was administered by Vasily Nikolayevich Radakov, a military medical inspector of the Amur Region, an enthusiastic ornithologist, a staunch supporter of a museum in Khabarovsk.
It was Vasily Nikolaevich who was elected the first director of the museum, and a year later he was succeeded by Vasily Petrovich Margaritov, a district inspector of schools, a researcher of archeology and ethnography of the Amur region.
The first museum collections were formed from numerous donations of active members of the Priamursky Department of the Geographical Society and city residents. Thus, V.N. Radakov gave the museum a scientifically processed ornithological collection, S.A. Monkovsky – a collection of insects, MS. Vvedensky – herbarium. And in the future, the collection of the museum collection was carried out at the expense of receipts from the administration, Khabarovsk teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs. It should be called MA. Sokovnina, E.V. Lopatin, A. Rozhdestvensky, V.I. Tyusheva, S.N. Tuskin, E. Nino and many others. other
A special merit in the creation of the museum belongs to Nikolai Ivanovich Grodekov, Governor-General and the first chairman of the Priamursky Department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (PIERGO). They were donated large personal funds for the installation of the museum, collected the richest collections of ethnography, purchased books, paintings, ancient coins, laid the foundation for the art department. In 1902, the Amur branch of the IRGO petitioned the Ministry of the Interior to assign the museum to Grodekov and received permission.
The pharmacy warehouse was a temporary shelter for the museum. It was understood by everyone, and already at the opening they talked about the need to build a new building. Soon it was decided to build a special building for the museum. The construction committee was headed by N.I. Grodekov, the sketch of the building was carried out by NF. Alexandrov, and the project and estimate – engineer L.O. Chaikovsky. He also supervised the construction. Most of the funds for the construction of the museum were collected from private donations of citizens. In May 1896, the museum’s collections were transferred to the unfinished building, which numbered more than 10 thousand items by that time. At the same time, a 400-pood turtle carved from granite was brought to the museum building from under Ussuriysk. It was part of the supermodal complex of the Jurchen commander Esikuy, who lived in the Middle Ages.
Official celebrations in connection with the opening of the first third of the new building of the Khabarovsk Museum took place on December 6, 1896. To the address of Priamursky Governor-General S.M. Dukhovsky on this occasion came a congratulatory telegram from Emperor Nicholas II. In the halls of the second and third floors the exposition was opened. Building construction and replenishment of collections continued. The most valuable entry into the museum collection in 1897 was the two skeletons of Steller’s sea cow.
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