The Romanov Museum is one of the most famous museums in Kostroma. This museum is dedicated to the imperial Romanov dynasty, which ruled the Russian Empire from 1613 to 1917. The museum is located on Mira Street. Next door, in the building of the former Noble Assembly, you can visit the Historical and Architectural Museum.
The idea of creating the Romanov Museum in Kostroma is quite logical, since during the Time of Turmoil Mikhail Romanov and his mother, the nun Marfa, took refuge in the Ipatievsky Monastery of Kostroma. The "embassy of the Boyars" recovered from Moscow to Mikhail. They asked him to become tsar, and Michael, after some hesitation, accepted the offer. Thus, the Romanov dynasty was founded in Russia in 1613. The Ipatievsky Monastery in Kostroma was called "The Cradle of the House of Romanov". Every tsar after his coronation came to Kostroma to visit it.
In 1909, preparations began in Russia to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the imperial Romanov dynasty. Solemn events in 1913 were held in many cities of Russia, but in Kostroma they were especially large-scale. Kostroma city authorities decided to open a Romanov Museum dedicated to the history of the dynasty here.
The project of the museum building was commissioned by architect Nikolai Gorlitsyn. He built the Romanov Museum in the pseudo-Russian style, in the form of a 17th-century terem. On May 19, 1913, Emperor Nicholas II with his family and entourage arrived in Kostroma on the steamer "Mezhen". After visiting the Ipatiev Monastery, they personally attended the opening ceremony of the Romanov Museum.
In Soviet times, the museum housed a Scientific society for the Study of the Kostroma Region, and later opened an Art Gallery. Then the collections of the Art Gallery and the Historical and Architectural Museum were moved to the neighboring building of the Noble Assembly. In 2005, the Romanov Museum dedicated to the Russian imperial dynasty was recreated in the terem.
The main hall of the museum is decorated in the style of the royal chambers of the 17th century. Here you can learn about the events of the Time of Turmoil. In 1598, Fyodor Ioannovich, the last of the Rurik dynasty, who ruled Russia for 736 years, died. Tsar Boris Godunov took the throne and founded a new royal dynasty of Godunov. However, during the Time of Turmoil, Tsar Boris Godunov died in 1605, and his son was killed. The Godunov dynasty was interrupted after 7 years. And only in 1613 a new Romanov dynasty was established on the Russian throne.
Russian contemporary artists` paintings on themes from the life of the Russian tsars can be seen in other halls. There are also many exhibits dedicated to the history of the Romanovs, who ruled Russia for 300 years.
