Exhibition marking Revival Foundation’s 5th anniversary opens at Sviyazhsk history museum

On Wednesday, part two of Sviyazhsk history museum’s display opened in island-town Sviyazhsk. The event marked the fifth year since Revival Foundation establishment and was attended by Tatarstan State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev, foundation’s board of trustees chairman; Tatiana Larionova, executive director; Alexander Tygin, mayor of Zelenodolsk; Artyom Silkin, Sviyazhsk museum director; and others.

Display’s part two is dedicated to Sviyazhsk history in 20th - early 21st centuries, as well as to the history of prisons found on the island. It is housed by a two-storey building built for the purpose late in 1830es.

The men’s prison display tells about investigations and lawsuits held in Sviyazhsk in 16-19th centuries, as well as repressions against Sviyazhsk residents and closedown of monasteries in 20th century. The other exhibition hall is themed ‘Sviyazhsk Prisoners: Known and Unknown’. Its purpose is to commemorate Vladimir Golitsyn, Andrei Loshadkin, Khasan Tufan, Albert Leman, Pavel Bening and Fedor Miller.

“You cannot tear yourself off the exhibits displayed here. You come very close to history and heritage,” Mintimer Shaimiev said on viewing the display.

“The Sviyazhsk soil has seen a lot. Today we saw what Solzhenitsyn wrote about, the years of repressions. Many from the intelligentsia served time in these prisons,” he added.

“We are close to becoming the country’s most interesting museum,” he said.

The work to restore Orthodox Christian monuments in Sviyazhsk was ongoing, said Tatiana Larionova. In particular, unique frescoes were being restored in the Assumption Cathedral, she specified.

“At the Assumption Cathedral, we need to recreate the historical iconostasis, it is a lot of work, we get down to it late this year,” she stressed.

The work to restore St Nicholas Church was in progress as well, the official added. “Years have unfortunately been very damaging to it. It is a lot of work, the work commenced last year and will be continued this year,” she pledged.

“We will work for tourists coming to Sviyazhsk to enjoy the island’s energy, nature, culture and everything that surrounds us,” she concluded.