Volume 13. The Taganrog state literary and historical-architectural memorial estate

Alferaki A. I, Mayor of Taganrog
in 1880-1888. 1882


Chekhov, the beginning
of 1900th


Bazilevich V. M, the director
of museum of local lore in a
court yard of a museum,
winter of 1941

Taganrog Museum is one of the oldest museums in the south of Russia. Today it is a museum association "Taganrog State Literary and Historical- Architectural Museum-Reserve, formed in 1983. It includes seven museums.

The museum was founded with the support of the writer, Chekhov, in June 22, 1898. By the late 30's these collections had nineteen and a half thousand units with due account taken of the book fund.

In october 17, 1941 Hitler's troops came into Taganrog. Its occupation lasted 683 days. The city officials did not have time to evacuate the museum collections.

During the occupation of the city the museum was opened to the soldiers of German and Romanian armies.

The German city administration constantly demanded the museum's exhibits for the needs of the German army. From the museum they took the work by Bogoliubov, Vasilkovskaja, Krylova, Makovsky, a copy of the unknown artists of the XIX century, with paintings by Correggio, Raphael Santi. From the museum exhibits were taken also like souvenirs and gifts.

In February 1943, the front after the victory of Soviet forces at Stalingrad was rapidly approaching the Taganrog. The open looting of cultural property of the Taganrog Museum began. For example, surviving documents show that a certain Lieutenant Ernst Moritz Arndt brought from Taganrog more than forty icons and items of church plate, about eighty of porcelain, glass and bronzes, examples of the collection of weapons, the five paintingsacording the instructions of his commanders.

In August 1943, before flight the occupants of the city made another massive raid on the museum collections. Among the seized items there were paintings by Aivazovsky, Bogdanov-Belsky, Polenov Leontovskogo, Shishkin and others.

In August 30, 1943 Taganrog was released from the German invaders. The newspaper I”zvestia” on Sept. 4, 1943 wrote: "In the twelve divisions of the Taganrog Museum rare exhibits relating to the history of our country and the Russian people were collected. The museum contains original paintings, written by Russian artists Makovsky, Shishkin, Pryanishnikov, etc., as well as samples of ancient weapons, porcelain, etc. Now the museum is empty - all the most ancient looted and taken away to Germany." It was found that during the occupation of the Taganrog Museum 4624 object were looted. Remaining funds of the collection amounted 9,369 objects and 5,550 books. During the war, the museum lost more than a third of its objective foundation.

In the released Taganrog,
september 1943

In December 1947, the museum returned 73 exhibits stolen by the occupiers. They arrived in a box number 21, discovered in the American zone of occupation in Germany. In the box there were icons, paintings - including "Portrait of a Boy" by Makovsky - plaster masks, antique vessels belonging to the Taganrog museum.

Some time ago the museum returned the painting by Bogdanov-Belsky, "The dying farmer” lost during the German occupation. The museum finder is considered to be a good sign of possible returning of other cultural property stolen by invaders 60 years ago.

Already during the process of preparing materials for publication of this volume the officers of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation found that the painting by Bogdanov-Belsky, "The Dying Peasant lost during the occupation pattern, was sold in 2001 by auction house Christie's. After the negotiations of the Ministry of Culture with the owner of the painting and the financial support of The Tubal Metallurgical Company the picture took its rightful place in our museum.

The museum's public of Taganrog always understood the need for losses of the museum during the war. But the authorities for a long time did not consider this problem to be actual. Therefore, the initiative of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation to prepare for publication of this volume the master catalog of lost property was taken by museum staff as a long overdue and crucial matter. The Museum expresses its appreciation to the experts of the Ministry, especially to Nikandrova, for providing essential guidance, and for some courtesy in delivering of archival documents, without which the compilation of the directory would be very difficult now.

Opening of a monument to Peter I		The central street of Taganrog in days of German occupation, Summer of 1942		Bench in a city garden with an inscription "Only for Germans", 1942-1943

Fragment of an exposition of regional studies museum in days of occupation, 1942-1943		The order of the burgomaster of Taganrog About granting of pictures from a museum in the order of the general, on November, 26th, 1941		It is thin. Н. P. Bogdanov-Belsky. The dying peasant. 1893