Museum
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Vyborg United Museum-Reserve

Details

Leningrad Oblast
Castle Island, 1, Vyborg
Phones: +7 (813) 980 1293
Web site: http://vyborgmuseum.org
Vyborg Castle — the main attraction of VyborgVyborg Castle is the only active museum-preserved example of a medieval Western European fortification on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Expositions

Vyborg Castle is the main attraction of Vyborg, and its donjon, the St. Olaf Tower, is a recognized symbol of the city. Now the Vyborg Museum of Local Lore is located in the main building of the castle, and it has become the center of the city's cultural life: concerts, festivals, and jousting tournaments are held here.

The permanent exhibitions of the museum include:
"Swedish Vyborg" (1st floor of the Castle): The exhibition is dedicated to the longest stage in the history of the city: 417 years as part of the Swedish Kingdom, from the first stone fortification on the Castle Island to the capture of the city by Peter the Great.
The exhibition includes materials of archaeological excavations (cannonballs, grenades, bomb fragments, military and working tools), a collection of coins of the XVII—XVIII centuries, maps, documents, engravings, books. One of the central exhibits of the exhibition is the model "Vyborg during the siege of 1710", made by the St. Petersburg architect E. M. Kovalev.
"Vyborg as part of the Grand Duchy of Finland and independent Finland" (2nd floor of the Castle): The exhibition features a wide range of household items — pharmacy bottles, children's sledges, a sewing machine, as well as photographs, books and newspapers found in archives and museums in Finland, old signs with street names. A large part of this wealth was transferred to the museum by the Vyborg Archive Society from Helsinki, the National Museum of Finland, as well as by former residents of the city and their heirs.
"Vyborg during the Second World War" (2nd floor of the Castle): The exhibition is dedicated to the two Soviet-Finnish wars: 1939-1940 and 1941-1944, and the time between them. The exhibition presents maps of military operations on the Karelian Isthmus, original documents
"Nature of the Karelian Isthmus" (3rd floor of the Castle): The unique exhibition includes samples of minerals of the Karelian Isthmus, a zoological collection, as well as dioramas showing the life of animals in their native environment. The Hall of Phenology, which tells about the change of seasons — is the only one in the Leningrad Region. Here, by the way, interactive game tours are held.

History

Vyborg Castle was founded in 1293 by Swedish troops at the point of convergence of trade routes. In the Middle Ages, the Vuoksa connected the Gulf of Finland and Ladoga, thus providing a link between the Baltic and Ladoga. It was here that one of the variants of the famous trade route "From the Varangians to the Greeks" took place. The goal of Swedish policy was to turn Vyborg into a center of trade between East and West.
Until 1710, Vyborg was the main Swedish outpost and maritime trading city in the East. The castle was the residence of the governors of the noble and noble Swedish aristocrats.
After Peter 1 captured Vyborg in 1710, the castle was occupied by a Russian garrison.
In 1856, a terrible fire destroyed the main halls of the castle and its ruins stood for more than three decades.
During the wars of 1939-1944, the castle was not badly damaged.
In 1964, the Ministry of Defense of the USSR transferred the castle to the future museum.
In 2015, the "Vyborg Museum-Reserve" was created, combining the castle and the medieval monuments of Vyborg. In the same year, the reconstruction of the Vyborg Castle began.

Interesting Facts

One of the most visited expositions of the Vyborg United Museum-Reserve "Swedish Vyborg" now works in augmented reality mode on the Artefact platform. Each exhibit holds the secrets of more than seven hundred years of Vyborg history. In the classic tour mode, it is impossible to convey all the valuable and most interesting information about the city, which is included in the top 10 most visited tourist places of the Leningrad region. All you need to travel from 1293 to 2019 is a smartphone and internet access.

Be sure to visit the Knight's Hall (Vodnaya Zastava Street, 4, 5 minutes walk from the Castle). Here you can dress up in a medieval dress, put on a knight's armor or a protective vestment of a simple knecht, try on a shield or a sword. In the courtyard in front of the Knights ' Hall, you can learn how to shoot a bow and crossbow, get a fencing lesson. Feel like a knight, a gunslinger, a beautiful lady-whatever you want.

If you are looking for a thrill - you are in the Torture Chamber of Vyborg Castle. An attentive, patient executioner who loves his work, in the interrogation room will introduce you to the rack, the iron maiden, the Spanish boot and other devices that loosen the tongue and refresh the memory. They will tell you a lot of interesting things about the tortures and punishments of medieval Europe... and show you too.