Memorial house-museum of Maria Zankovetska

Museum House of Maria Zankovetska
 

The Museum House of Maria Zankovetska (the Museum, for short) was opened in 1960 on the first floor of a small building No. 121 in Bolshaya Vasilkovskaya Street where the famous Ukraine actress lived for her last years.
 

The Museum exposition consists of a collection previously belonging to the State Museum of Theatre, Music, and Cinema Arts of Ukraine. It comprises documents, playbills, photographs, stage costumes personally donated by Maria Zankovetska in 1923. Unfortunately, the building went up in flames. However, thanks to dedicated Museum staff the unique exhibits were rescued. Later, the house was demolished. In 1982, the Museum reconstruction was started. And in 1989, the Museum House of Maria Zankovetska reappeared in the reconstructed building. It was constructed strictly according to a plan of the burned estate. The Museum had an exposition devoted to the life and creative work of the actress, her memorial flat and theatre drawing room.
 

The drama of the exposition is developed through several theatre and everyday collages of the interior made of the Museum exhibits.

The first exposition represents modest furniture of two provincial cultured people of the mid 19th century, Kostantin and Maria Adasovskies. On 23rd July, 1854, their daughter Maria was born in the village of Zanki. The future actress spent her childhood and youth in Chernihiv Region of Ukraine where her spirituality and talent sprouted.
 

Then fate brought Maria to the fortress of Bender where her husband Alexey Khlistov did his military service. There she met Lieutenant Nikolay Tobilevich, the future actor Nikolay Sadovsky, for the first time. It was he who amazed by her talent invited Maria to appear on the professional scene.