Richter's apartment on the armored road. Poster for musical evenings

The Richter Memorial Apartment is located on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, in a multi-storey building of standard construction. The pianist settled here with his wife, opera singer N. Dorliak, in 1971.

Richter’s apartment is not distinguished by luxury and an abundance of things; visitors, as soon as they cross the threshold, feel the special energy of the owner of this home: the pianist was very modest in his everyday life and completely immersed in art.

In the living room there are two Steinway grand pianos and a pair of antique floor lamps made in Italy (the mayor of Florence gave them to Richter). On the walls there is a large tapestry, numerous paintings and photographs. In this room, the great pianist played music, accompanied his wife, and here the family and guests watched their favorite movies using a film projector.

From the living room, guests of Richter’s memorial apartment move to the musician’s office, which he called at home the “closet” room. The office has several cabinets with books, vinyl and audio cassettes. There is a separate closet for sheet music. The music books contain Richter's notes, which are the subject of study by musicologists.

One of the most valuable exhibits in the cabinet is a carved figurine of the Infant John the Baptist. The French presented this statuette to Richter in gratitude for the music festival he organized. Boris Pasternak, Richter’s favorite poet, looks out at visitors from the wall. The plaster counter-relief of the poet was made by sculptor Sarra Lebedeva. Next to the counter-relief of Pasternak is a small painting by the Armenian artist Martiros Saryan. This landscape was given to Richter by E. S. Bulgakova, the widow of the great writer.

The guides show visitors Richter's treasures stored in the secretary - a handwritten music journal by S. Prokofiev, a photo of the great Soviet pianist G. Neuhaus, whom Svyatoslav Teofilovich considered his teacher, the manuscript of "Tiny" by A. Solzhenitsyn and an illustration by P. Picasso. Richter interacted with the intellectual elite of Russia and the world, and celebrities often gave him small gifts.

Richter’s apartment has a special room for relaxation; it was called “Green” in the pianist’s family. During home concerts, the room became a dressing room. The wall of the room is decorated with a portrait of T. D. Richter, the father of the great musician. Teofil Danilovich was shot in 1941 on charges of spying for the Germans.

Svyatoslav Richter was very interested in painting, and he himself was the author of a large number of paintings. The famous critic R. Falk highly appreciated the painter’s talent, noting the artist’s unique work with light. Richter's works are exhibited in a special room of the museum.

In the early 1970s, Svyatoslav Richter and Nina Dorliak settled on the sixteenth floor of building 2/6 on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, not far from the Conservatory. This house is a typical brick tower. But when you go upstairs and enter the apartment, you find yourself in a special world. No luxury, no fuss of things. The character and lifestyle of the owner, the special energy of a person whom Yuri Bashmet calls “a safe-conduct of truth in art” are felt in everything.

In a large room, called the “hall” in the old days, Richter practiced alone or rehearsed with other musicians. There are two Steinway & Sons pianos, two antique Italian floor lamps donated by the mayor of Florence, a tapestry, and paintings. Auditions of operas or viewings of favorite films took place in the hall.

In the office, or, as Richter himself called this room, “the closet,” there are cabinets with books, records, and cassettes. The most valuable thing here is a cabinet with sheet music, on which the maestro’s notes have been preserved. There is also a wooden figurine of the Infant John the Baptist, this is a memory of the Musical Festivals organized by Richter in Touraine in France. On the wall there is a plaster counter-relief with the profile of Boris Pasternak from the monument in Peredelkino - like an imprint, a trace left by a person on the earth, an image wonderfully found by Sarah Lebedeva. Nearby hangs a small landscape of Saryan, a gift from Elena Sergeevna Bulgakova.

The secretary contains the manuscript of Sergei Prokofiev's Ninth Sonata, dedicated to Richter, a photograph of Heinrich Neuhaus, a drawing by Picasso, and Solzhenitsyn's "Little Girls". Such was Richter's social circle.

Svyatoslav Richter's artistic interests and passions were varied; he not only loved painting, but was also an artist himself. His pastels are displayed in a small room. In them, Robert Falk noted the “amazing sensation of light.” In Nina Lvovna’s former kitchen there are photographs telling about the musician’s life.

The museum tries to preserve the musical and family traditions established by the owners of this hospitable house.

Pre-registration is required before visiting by phone: (495) 695–83–46, (495) 697–47–05.

Operating mode:

Wednesday-Saturday - from 14:00 to 20:00;
Sunday - from 12:00 to 18:00;
Monday, Tuesday - closed.

Ticket prices:

entrance ticket - 200 rubles;
discount ticket - 100 rubles;
children under 16 years old are free.

Svyatoslav Richter, recognized as the best pianist of the last century, lived for a long time on the top floor of a brick high-rise building in the center of Moscow. For the maestro, two apartments were connected to provide sufficient space for the sound of a powerful concert grand piano. Now there is a memorial apartment of the great musician - a branch of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.

Svyatoslav Richter was born into a musician’s family in Zhitomir, lived with his parents in Odessa before moving to Moscow to study at the conservatory. The family's history was tragic: his father, a German by nationality, was shot before the occupation of Odessa by the Nazis on false charges of espionage on an enemy assignment. When the city was liberated from the invaders, Richter's mother followed the retreating German troops and lived in Germany after the war. Svyatoslav considered her dead for a long time, and met his mother when he was already a world famous person.

The path to the heights of recognition began in the family, because both parents were musically literate. Although to varying degrees. He worked at the Odessa Philharmonic and Opera House, and in 1937 he entered the class of G. Neuhaus at the Moscow Conservatory. I studied for 10 whole years, with several breaks, both during the war and my creative endeavors.

Svyatoslav Richter gave many solo concerts and accompanied famous singers, including his wife. He performed with many of the world's most famous orchestras, performing the piano part, and took part in instrumental performances by famous soloists - violinists Kagan and Oistrakh, cellist Rostropovich, violist Bashmet and others.

World fame came to Svyatoslav Richter after the war and victory at a youth creative competition, but travel to capitalist countries was prohibited for him for a long time. The reason for this was not only the charges against his father, which were completely dropped in 1962, but also friendly contacts with disgraced artists, including the poet and writer Pasternak and the composer Prokofiev.

Winner of many awards from different countries, Hero of Socialist Labor and the first Soviet winner of the American Grammy Award lived in a 16-story building that attracted impressive views of the Moscow center. The entrance of the building is decorated with photographs of famous residents - in addition to Richter, the great comedian Yuri Nikulin and Valentin Pluchek, director of the Satire Theater, lived here. It is impossible to visit a museum in an ordinary residential building without an appointment, which in this case is quite justified due to concern for the people living in the house.

The home of such a creative person is not overloaded with an abundance of bulky furniture, but the available furniture is of very high quality. These are, for example, a handmade table, bench and bedside table in the hallway. Visitors are greeted by an image of a young Svyatoslav Richter playing the piano.

The painting was painted by the pianist’s long-term acquaintance, artist Anna Troyanovskaya, who also introduced him to painting. At that time, Richter’s lush hair did not attract as much attention in the picture as his flexible and expressive hands. Many pastel works and watercolors by Richter both in the apartment and in the Pushkin Museum itself confirm that he has not only musical talents.

The dining room in the memorial apartment of Svyatoslav Richter has been preserved in the same condition as it was during the musician’s life. This dining room differs from similar premises in most other apartments mainly in the large number of chairs. At the same time, most are placed along the wall, giving the impression of non-everyday use.

Richter and his wife, an opera singer and future professor at the Moscow Conservatory, both communicated quite a lot with fellow music enthusiasts. When visiting a married couple, acquaintances and friends were often invited to the table.

The elimination of the dividing wall between neighboring apartments made it possible to create a real concert hall for the great pianist. Here Svyatoslav Richter practiced his virtuoso technique of playing the instrument, practicing individually and with the participation of other musicians.

The renovation of the apartments affected not only the partition between neighboring ones, but also the height of the ceilings was increased to improve the acoustics of the hall. The peace of mind of the inhabitants of the neighboring apartments of the house was ensured by enhanced sound insulation made during the renovation.

Two rare grand pianos from a well-known company, a large photograph of the owner of the apartment on an easel and paintings on the walls are complemented by an elegant furniture set of two sofas and a table.

Rows of chairs for spectators appeared after the home acquired memorial status. A variety of public events are held here, attracting many spectators and participants.

The set of upholstered furniture is complemented by two massive floor lamps, all of which were presented to the musician during a tour of Italy by the mayor of Florence. This is the same origin of the large tapestry that adorns the end wall of the concert hall in the memorial apartment of Svyatoslav Richter.

The passage room in front of Svyatoslav Teofilovich’s premises is decorated with two dolls made by Rezo Gabriadze for a friendly party at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Revaz Levanovich, who was friends with Richter, is a talented playwright, theater director and artist. He organized the Puppet Theater in Tbilisi, and for some time directed the Obraztsov Puppet Theater in Moscow.

The dolls depict Svyatoslav Richter himself and his good friend Irina Antonova, head of the Pushkin Museum. Pushkin. It was Irina Alexandrovna’s idea that since 1981, annual music festivals have been held in this apartment, known as December Evenings.

Svyatoslav Richter's circle of acquaintances was unusually wide; it included outstanding contemporaries of the pianist. Many friendly gifts were preserved in his memorial apartment, one of the most expensive was the gift of the great Picasso - a ceramic souvenir plate with an autograph.

The most talented citizen of France, a Spaniard by birth, Pablo Picasso worked as a painter and graphic artist, and designed theatrical performances, including Diaghilev’s ballets in Paris. After the Second World War, he became interested in ceramics, doing the entire work cycle from molding and firing to painting.

Not all rooms in the memorial apartment have the usual furnishings for residential premises. One of them is completely dedicated to numerous photographs of the owner of the apartment. Many artists photographed Svyatoslav Richter due to the publicity of his activities, but he himself did not like to be photographed and refused photo sessions.

To look into the apartment owner’s bedroom and go to his office, you need to pass the corridor leading from the previous rooms. The bedroom does not stand out in anything remarkable, with the exception of his father’s portrait hanging on the wall. Svyatoslav Richter kept the memory of his father, who died from unfounded suspicions, all his life.

A gifted and educated musician, Teofil Danilovich put a lot of effort into teaching his son the basics of musical culture.

Svyatoslav Richter’s office did without a traditional desk; for the musician, it was a grand piano and, if necessary, a folding desk top for a secretary. Now, under protective glass, rare objects especially revered by the owner of the office are stored here.

The wooden baby on the cabinet of the furniture set is not a child’s toy at all, it is a souvenir from France, where Richter founded his first music festival. The image of the young John the Baptist recalls a memorable event.

A small framed landscape located on the wall above the baby figurine is a gift from the widow of Mikhail Bulgakov, painted by Martiros Saryan, a wonderful singer of Armenian nature. Memorable souvenirs are placed both on the upper ceilings of bookcases and on shelves with books.

Svyatoslav Richter’s wife, opera singer Nina Lvovna Dorliak, also had her own office, who slightly outlived her husband and bequeathed the apartment to the Pushkin Museum. A grand piano is also available here, and there is a set of exquisitely crafted furniture.

On the wall, an expressive portrait of the owner of the office, made by an old friend of the couple, Georgian artist Ketevan Magalashvili, attracts attention.

On the table under the portrait there is a mirror with a long handle, an indispensable attribute of rehearsals for opera singers. The mirror is located nearby, on the opposite wall of the office.

As an opera singer, the musician's wife was quite famous and had the highest acting title of People's Artist of the USSR. Particularly well-attended were the joint performances of the spouses. Later, Nina Lvovna taught at the Moscow Conservatory and was a professor at the department of vocal performance. Along with this, she was also the home secretary and tour manager of the great pianist.

Unpretentious in his needs, Svyatoslav Richter appreciated his Moscow home, and especially the well-equipped concert hall. Along with the comforts of home, he liked the magnificent view from the windows of the Moscow center. All the historical buildings of the Kremlin, fortress walls and watchtowers, the domes of magnificent cathedrals are clearly visible from here.

You can see this beautiful picture outside the window when visiting the memorial apartment of Svyatoslav Richter, which is available by prior agreement, or when attending a concert. But, of course, much more interesting than the landscapes of Moscow are the museum exhibits and immersion in the atmosphere that surrounded the greatest pianist.

I spent August 1, 2014 in the Kaluga region in the city of Tarusa, which is closely connected with the history of Russian art and culture. The great Russian pianist Svyatoslav Richter was born on March 20, 1915 in Zhitomir (Russian Empire), and died on August 1, 1997 in Moscow, and since then in our country this day has been dedicated to his memory.

According to tradition, on this day the Richter Festival in Tarusa, which annually brings together many wonderful musicians and music lovers, ends with a clavira band. This year, on Richter’s memorial day, pianist Alexey Volodin played a solo concert at the Mir cinema and concert hall, paying tribute to Richter with a wonderful clavira band with a program of romantic works.
But I arrived in Tarusa long before the concert to immerse myself in the atmosphere of the city and suburbs, explore local attractions and, most importantly, visit Richter’s legendary dacha near Tarusa on the banks of the Oka River not far from the village of Alekino.

In Tarusa itself, Richter never had a mansion or apartment; he only came to his dacha.

By the way, traveling from Moscow to Tarusa turned out to be surprisingly convenient: by high-speed train to Serpukhov, and then by regular bus or by car to the center of Tarusa, when the whole journey, if you know the schedule, takes no more than two hours, and with a call for a car - an hour and a half . It is also very convenient to travel around the outskirts of Tarusa by car, which is what I did.

Nevertheless, I decided not to drive close to Richter’s dacha, because I felt that for me this would be something unnatural, too comfortable, and I left for myself the opportunity to make a modest pilgrimage and walk to Richter’s house on foot - among the fields and forests, looking at the Oka.

It is known that Svyatoslav Teofilovich was very fond of taking long walks in nature, in particular, memoirs were published about how he came barefoot along a dusty road to his own concerts in provincial Russian cities. And in memory of his passion for walking, I walked the last mile “on my own two feet,” although it was wildly hot - well over 30 degrees.

And this is the sight that greeted me when I approached the house of the great musician:

I was struck by the direction of the house somewhere high: as if it was not a dacha or a dwelling, but a watchtower from the times of ancient Rus'! There is something mesmerizing about this, I couldn’t take my eyes off this building. A similar feeling arises in anyone who glances at Moscow from the window of Richter’s apartment on Bolshaya Bronnaya, located on the top floor of a tower house - as if one were soaring above the terrain and soaring in the heights.

I was a little disappointed when I was told that Richter was limited by the area of his dacha plot allowed in the Soviet years, and that was the only reason he aimed his building into the sky, but who would believe it, looking at the house standing on a steep bank, at these log cabins, placed on top of each other, and from below - on a stone foundation?!

In the design of this house I see the greatness and originality of Richter’s thinking,

reflected even in the smallest details, and even though Richter was limited by the size of the site, he, like a true creator, whose imagination flares up the more the more restrictions he encounters, found an ingenious way out of the situation.

Taking advantage of this, or rather, hoping in advance that on August 1 the house would be prepared to receive guests - musicians and listeners of the concert that took place the next day in a clearing near the house, I went inside and examined in detail all the floors of the dacha: cold even in the extreme heat a basement in the depths of a stone foundation, a stone 1st floor, as well as wooden 2nd and 3rd floors - a total of 4 levels.

The entire basement is lined with stone, which outlines utility niches and containers:

The base of the stove is also installed there, penetrating the entire house through all floors from bottom to top:

Above the basement - stone 1st floor:

The 2nd floor is a log house standing on the walls of the 1st floor:

The 3rd floor is a log house standing on the log house of the 2nd floor, there is also a ladder to a small balcony:

From the balcony there is a wonderful view of the surrounding area and the Oka River:

The floors are connected by narrow and steep flights of stairs:

In the courtyard, the foundation of the bathhouse in which Richter lived before the house was built has been preserved. And nearby, as in a fairy tale, flows a very clean stream, cold even in this heat, from where Richter himself collected water for household needs. As I understood his plan, the presence of a wonderful stream was one of the important reasons for choosing this place to build a house. The stream is simply marvelous, I immediately dubbed it “Richter’s stream.” It is not decorated in any way and, probably, does not require any registration, only a large pipe has been laid with a road surface above it to provide access to the dacha. I went down to the stream and drank water straight from it by the handful, not being afraid of anything. The absence of any industry in the entire area, the transparency and taste of the ice water clearly indicated its highest quality. And nearby on the Oka there is a sandy beach:

The road to the beach passes 100 meters from Richter’s dacha, and this beach, as satellite images indicate, is artificial and of recent origin. In Richter’s time there was no beach, although today it can be considered a wonderful addition to Richter’s house and to the entire area - a very convenient place for swimming, which I did not fail to take advantage of.

The day was very hot, and the sand became so hot that it was impossible to walk on it for a long time without shoes, so sometimes I stepped into the cold Richter Creek, which flows right next to the Oka River, and my feet literally froze in the cold moisture - a fantastic feeling in such a heat.

Having explored Richter’s house, met its stream and swam in the river, I said goodbye to the house and went to Tarusa - to get acquainted with the city, museums, monuments, and also listen to A. Volodin’s concert.

In the early 1970s, Svyatoslav Richter and Nina Dorliak settled on the sixteenth floor of building 2/6 on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, not far from the Conservatory.

This house is a typical brick tower. But when you go upstairs and enter the apartment, you find yourself in a special world. No luxury, no fuss of things. The character and lifestyle of the owner, the special energy of a person whom Yuri Bashmet calls “a safe-conduct of truth in art” are felt in everything.

In a large room, called the “hall” in the old days, Richter practiced alone or rehearsed with other musicians. There are two Steinway & Sons pianos, two antique Italian floor lamps donated by the mayor of Florence, a tapestry, and paintings.
Auditions of operas or viewings of favorite films took place in the hall.

Nearby hangs a small landscape of Saryan, a gift from Elena Sergeevna Bulgakova.
The secretary contains the manuscript of Sergei Prokofiev's Ninth Sonata, dedicated to Richter, a photograph of Heinrich Neuhaus, a drawing by Picasso, and Solzhenitsyn's "Little Girls". Such was Richter's social circle.

The “Green Room” is a relaxation room; on concert days it turned into an artistic room. On the wall hangs a portrait of his father, Teofil Danilovich, an elegant, reserved man. He graduated from the Vienna Conservatory as a pianist and composer. Teofil Danilovich and Anna Pavlovna (Svyatoslav’s mother) were unable to leave Odessa in 1941, when Nazi troops were approaching the city. Teofil Danilovich was arrested and executed on the night of November 6–7 as a “German spy.” Anna Pavlovna went to Romania, and then to Germany, forever leaving Russia and her only son, who at that time was in Moscow and was also awaiting arrest. They met only 20 years later.
Svyatoslav Richter's artistic interests and passions were varied; he not only loved painting, but was also an artist himself. His pastels are displayed in a small room. In them, Robert Falk noted the “amazing sensation of light.” In Nina Lvovna’s former kitchen there are photographs telling about the musician’s life.