Gorky Leninskye or Lenin’s Dacha as many people know it is one of the very few country estates that has managed to preserve its’ original interiors. Together with its unique architecture and exciting history this place has always generated great interest.
Unsurprisingly, following the Revolution, the estate was nationalized in 1918. After speaking at a factory in Moscow, Lenin was shot twice by Fanya Kaplan, a member of the Social Revolutionary party. Lenin was seriously wounded but survived the attack and convalesced at the Estate. After his recovery he still visited frequently and then, May 1923, it became his official residence. Here he wrote his books, articles and letters and created the New Economic Policy behind the new Soviet Union.
Lenin lived in Gorky with his wife Nadezda Krupskaya and sister, Maria. They were both great supporters of his ideas and worked hard with him. Nadezda was one of the most educated women of her time and played an important role in creating Soviet education system.
The museum contains a lot of personal effects; many have not been moved since Lenin’s death.
When I last went to this museum one of the sightseers commented: «Well, you can see that Lenin lived like a true worker! », which was sarcastic, because the mansion is a very good place to live even now. The truth is Lenin didn’t change anything in the mansion because he believed that everything there belonged to the state and it was not his right to change it! In fact, he lived very modestly. To get rid of any doubts one just needs to have a look at his room with a simple bed and a table, where a lot of important work was done!
But the most exciting thing in the whole museum is Lenin’s Rolls Royce. It has skis instead of front wheels and caterpillar rawlers instead of rear wheels. Why? Because a hundred years ago we had the same problems as now- Russian roads! Otherwise it was simply impossible to get to Gorky Leninskye in winter.
We leave Moscow at 9.30h, a mini-van departs from the Sokol metro station; we expext to be back at around 16-16.30h (depending on the traffic)
Cost: 5000 rub per person, and includes tours of the estate,of the Lenin’s office musuem, and museum of Russian peasant life style, lunch and transportation.