Plans for a new Bulgakov museum in Moscow

September 16, 2009

In 2010, the city of Moscow wants to open a new Bulgakov museum, even though there are now two museums in Bolshaya Sadovaya ulitsa number 10. The new museum would be housed in Bolshaya Pirogovskaya ulitsa 35 A, in the building where Bulgakov lived after he had left Bolshaya Sado-vaya ulitsa 10.

Neither the private promoters of the Bulgakov House on the ground floor of Bolshaya Sadovaya 10, nor the directors of the state Museum Mikhail Bul-gakov, established in apartment 50 of the same building, had been con-sulted beforehand. The Museum Mikhail Bulgakov has, after having been informed about the decision, asked  the city  of Moscow to become in char-ge of the new museum as an extension of their current operation. Marietta Chudakova, who is in charge of the Museum Mikhail Bulgakov, thinks that all the places related to Bulgakov should be coordinated by the state museum. Chudakova also complains about the fact that the city, despite of earlier promises, even uttered by Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, did not do much to support her museum. Although the city owns 24% of the space in Bolshaya Sadovaya 10 - which amounts to 1500 to 200 square meters - they could not even get the attic above their apartment.  

Nikolay Golubyev, the director of the Bulgakov House, is more positive in his response. "Bolshaya Pirogovskaya is where Bulgakov lived with Serge-evna Elena, his third wife," says Golubyev, "and he was happy there. We have, along with many followers, wrote several letters to the city to conserve the building in Bolshaya Pirogovskaya. Now there are city services in it. We are very short in space to store all our memorabilia relating to Bulgakov in good storage conditions. We are pleased with the idea of a third Bulgakov museum. We exist for five years, without recourse to public funds, and we are consistently short in space and time to realize the many ideas and projects. No matter if there are three or even five museums: we do not fight for a share of the available funds. "

Golubyev thinks that more other places exist which could qualify as a mu-seum  to remember Bulgakov. Like, for instance, the basement of the mas-ter which Bulgakov described in The Master and Margarita. It belonged to two friends of Bulgakov, the brothers Sergey Sergeevich Topleninov and Vladimir Sergeevich Topleninov in Mansurovski pereulok 9. “That house still exists and it is privately owned, but it is in poor condition. Fortunately, the building in Bolshaya Pirogovskaya is still intact”, Golubyev said.



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