Discover Kurgan

• The Kurgan State Art Museum displays Russian art, arts and crafts, and icon painting.
• The Decembrist House Museum explores its themes in eight halls and has a collection of more than 800 authentic exhibits.
• The City History Museum traces the development from the settlement of Tsaryovo Gorodishche to the urban environment.
• The “Krasnaya liniya Kurgana” (“Kurgan Red Line”) is a walking route through the historic center; the “Lyubimyy gorod” (“Favorite City”) bus tour also passes through it.

The permanent exhibition at the Kurgan State Art Museum features Russian art from the 20th and early 21st centuries, Russian arts and crafts, the arts and crafts of the Trans-Urals, and icon painting. If you are interested in Russian art, you can also find Trans-Ural arts and crafts and icon painting presented as dedicated exhibition themes.

Eight halls at the Decembrist House Museum explore the Patriotic War of 1812, Decembrism as a phenomenon in Russian history, and the life, daily routines, and activities of state criminals exiled to Siberia. The collection includes more than 800 authentic exhibits, including the Decembrists’ personal belongings, historical documents, and objects from the 19th century. The W. K. Küchelbecker House Museum is dedicated to the Decembrist poet W. K. Küchelbecker, a friend of Pushkin. The house of Decembrist Naryshkin is also part of Kurgan’s cultural heritage and is a cultural heritage site of federal significance.

The City History Museum’s exhibition traces the development from the founding of the Tsaryovo Gorodishche settlement in 1679, through the granting of city status, to the formation of the urban environment. Photographs and documents cover, among other things, the post office, Kurgan’s fire brigade, the City Duma, and the construction of the railway. Alongside the city’s broader development, the focus also includes institutions and construction projects.

The City History Museum is housed in a stone estate considered an example of urban development from the third quarter of the 19th century. The ensemble includes an enclosed courtyard, outbuildings, and a main house in the Russian Classicist style. Parts of the interior of a city merchant’s house have been reconstructed in the exhibition: a study, dining room, and salon complement the historical documents with depictions of living spaces.

The Tsarevo Gorodishche Park Cultural and Historical Complex was established in 2013 in memory of the first settlement, after which Kurgan was originally named. Historical tours take place on the park grounds. This connects the memory of the city’s early name with another way to explore Kurgan’s history.

There is a bus tour and a walking route through the historic center, offering different ways to explore the city. The “Lyubimyy gorod” (“Favorite City”) bus tour passes through Kurgan’s historic center. The “Krasnaya liniya Kurgana” (“Kurgan Red Line”), by contrast, is a walking route. The practical difference between the two formats is how you get around: by bus or on foot.

A personal audio guide to the Red Line’s sites is available to smartphone and tablet users through “Mobilnyy gid.” This gives you another way to tailor the route to your own interests. If you are particularly interested in the history of the first settlement, historical tours take place in Tsarevo Gorodishche Park.

Kurgan Oblast also has its own cultural and archaeological themes. The ensemble of Dalmatov Monastery was founded in 1644 and is considered the oldest stone monastery in the Urals and Siberia, as well as the largest stone ensemble. The Savin sanctuary is an ancient observatory dating from the 4th to 3rd millennium BC and a cultural heritage site of federal significance. These examples broaden the perspective on Kurgan to include themes from the wider oblast.

Discover more destinations: Borisova, Cheremisskoye, Kurtamysh, Dalmatovo, Shchuchye, Shadrinsk, Shumikha.

What themes does the Decembrist House Museum explore?

The eight halls explore the Patriotic War of 1812, Decembrism, and the life, daily routines, and activities of state criminals exiled to Siberia.

Which route goes on foot through the historic center?

The “Krasnaya liniya Kurgana” (“Kurgan Red Line”) is the walking route. A personal audio guide to its sites is available through “Mobilnyy gid” for smartphone and tablet users.

What does Tsarevo Gorodishche Park commemorate?

The cultural and historical complex, established in 2013, commemorates the first settlement, after which Kurgan was originally named. Historical tours take place on the park grounds.

For the overview of the wider region: Kurgan Oblast.