Shchyokino’s story unfolds through two distinct historical themes: industrial history around Richard Gill and the remembrance of Leo Tolstoy at the railway station. The Art and Local History Museum focuses on Gill; the historical and cultural complex at the railway station commemorates Tolstoy’s final journey and includes exhibitions and historically themed railway areas.
Industrial history and Tolstoy’s connection to the railway station
The Shchyokino Art and Local History Museum presents the exhibition “Industrial Office of the Gill Society.” It explores Richard Gill, who is considered the founder of the coal and chemical industries. Alongside Tolstoy’s story, industry is also in focus: the exhibition gives special attention to Gill and the development associated with him.
Shchyokino railway station is open as a historical and cultural complex. Leo Tolstoy set off on his final journey from here. The renovated station building houses an exhibition about the writer’s life and work. Check the current visitor arrangements before your trip.
Historic railway areas and a Tolstoy programme
At the complex, visitors can explore an area designed as a stopping point at the former YasenkI station, complete with a ticket window. There is also a passenger carriage dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. It illustrates the travel conditions in first, second and third class. Newsreel footage about Tolstoy’s stay at Shchyokino railway station reveals another aspect of his connection with the place. The set, carriage and film convey the station’s history in different ways: as a recreated location, a glimpse into the class conditions of the time and a film record.
Another offering at the complex is the one-person play “The Story of the Tolstoys – The Story of Russia.” It presents lesser-known aspects of the Tolstoy family’s history. As it is not part of a regular performance schedule, check the current dates before your trip.
More cultural themes in Tula Oblast
The wider destination of Tula Oblast also encompasses a range of historical themes. In Tula, the exhibition “Tale of the Battle of Mamai” at the Tula Antiquities Museum explores the Battle of Kulikovo Field. In interactive areas, visitors can weave a piece of chain mail, try on armour and learn to read chronicle miniatures. A second exhibition at the same museum, “Secrets of Tula Craftsmen,” features a pottery workshop, a blacksmith’s workshop and household items from the 17th to 19th centuries. Thus, alongside the history of the battle, crafts and everyday objects from earlier centuries are also in focus. The museum and the monument to the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo Field are also located in the village of Monastyrshchino in Kimovsk District, Tula Oblast.
A guided walk at the Yasnaya Polyana Museum Estate offers another way to explore Tolstoy’s history. It leads through the central part of the estate and is available from May to October. The walk covers Tolstoy’s favourite places for daily strolls, the local flora and fauna, the history of the Tula defensive lines and Tolstoy’s plantings. Leo Tolstoy’s personal library is also part of Tula Oblast’s cultural heritage: it was included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.
Architecture and landscape add further perspectives on Tula Oblast to these cultural themes. At the Polenovo estate, the artist Vasily Polenov designed all the buildings himself. The Romantsevskie Mountains, also known as Konduki, are a former open-pit coal mine. Their history is therefore shaped by their former industrial use. These different themes illustrate the breadth of Tula Oblast without combining the individual places into a single walking tour.
Discover more destinations: Borodinsky, Tula, Khmelevka, Uzlovaia, Bogoroditsk, Samarovo, Kireyevsk, Novomoskovsk.
For the wider travel overview: Tula Oblast.
