The Museum of the County Town in Valdai is located in the two-storey mansion of the noblewoman Mikhailova. This is the historical center of the city, not far from the Valdai Embankment. The Trinity Cathedral is located on the same street. In 2023, the surrounding streets were reconstructed and now you can see the historical appearance of Valdai of the 19th century.
Usually museums dedicated to the history of the city are called local lore, but in Valdai it is called the Museum of the County Town. It contains an extensive collection of exhibits dedicated to the history of a small city located between the two capitals.
The Valdai Museum of Local Lore was first established in 1918. The basis of his collection was the religious art of the Valdai Iversky monastery. The museum was named "Nikon`s", since the monastery was founded by Patriarch Nikon. In addition to the Iversky Monastery, Patriarch Nikon also founded the New Jerusalem Monastery in the Moscow region, and in 1933 all the collections of the Valdai Museum of Local Lore were transferred there.
In 1963, the Valdai Museum of Local Lore reopened and now its collections are located in the Lvov rotunda, but in 1995 local authorities decided to create a Bell Museum there, entirely dedicated to bell casting. The Museum of Local Lore was opened in 1998 in a new location, in the Mikhailova mansion, and it was named the Museum of the County Town.
In several halls of the museum you can get acquainted with the history of these lands. Various settlements on the shores of Lake Valdai have existed since ancient times. The village of Valdai was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1495, but its active development began only after 1653, when Patriarch Nikon founded the Valdai Iversky Monastery on Lake Valdai. Then the village of Valdai was called Bogoroditskoye. In 1770, Empress Catherine II granted the village the status of a city and returned the historical name of Valdai.
A significant part of the museum`s exposition consists of the collections of wealthy Valdai families. There are many photos, letters, old postcards and household items here. All this tells about the life of a small county town located in the middle between two Russian capitals.
