Museum of Chess (Moscow)

 museum, chess, interesting place, 1820s construction, object of cultural heritage of regional importance (Russia)

The museum of chess is in a building constructed in the beginning of the 19th century, after the fire. The Vasilchikov family resided in one building from 1822. Their son, Nikolai was a Decebrist who was arrested and sent to serve in the army in the Caucasus. After his return to Moscow, the house and the two sections joined, and the long classical facade added and the interiors richly decorated. Over the next 80 years the house changed hands and was renovated numerous times. The balcony was added towards the end of the 19th century.

After the 1917 revolution, the house was turned into separate apartments and then in 1923 it was occupied by the government, by the Supreme Court until the 1930s when it because residences for persons seeking asylum in the Soviet Union. After WWII it was occupied by Dalstroy, the National Trust for Roads and Building.

It has been the home of the Central Chess Club since 1956 and the Chess museum was founded here in 1980 but currently is closed for renovation (fall 2010).

In the museum of chess it is possible to see everything that is connected with ancient, but eternally young game – cups and other trophies won by Russian grand masters, pictures, drawings, caricatures, engravings and lithographs on the theme of chess, sculptural portraits of the great people giving playing chess, photos of champions and numerous complete sets of chess made in the 18th - 20th centuries by masters of the different countries from ivory, porcelain, marble, nacre, glass, metal, a tree.

Hours of operation:
Tuesday, Thursday: from 12:00 til 18:00
Wednesday, Friday: from 16:00 til 21:00
Tel.: 291-4429