V.I. Chapaev Museum

V.I. Chapaev Museum is a separate subdivision of the Chuvash National Museum. It was opened on May 9, 1974. The architect of the building is M. Suslov. It was built using the folk construction method («nime») with the participation of enterprises, institutions and the general public of Cheboksary and the Chuvash Republic. An invaluable contribution to the creation of the museum was made by the combat associates of V.I. Chapaev (N.M. Khlebnikov, P.S. Evlampiev), son and daughter of the legendary hero Alexander Vasilyevich and Klavdia Vasilievna Chapaevy. They selected the necessary materials from personal archives. The museum still maintains close ties with the descendants of the division commander.

In 1986, the house of the Chapaev family was restored next to the museum. The future commander was born in this house in the suburban village of Budaika on February 9, 1887. It recreates the interior of a Russian peasant house of the late 19th century, using authentic household items and utensils that belonged to the relatives of V.I. Chapaev from the villages of Budaika and Gremyachevo.

The museum is located in the center of the capital of the Chuvash Republic. The museum building is a unique monument of civil architecture of the second half of the 20th century. It has the form of an unfolded banner, on the front of which there is a sculptural group «Chapaev’s Cavalry», made of copper (sculptors: V. Cherepanov and A. Bryndin). One of the walls of the building smoothly turns into a horizontal stele, which is a pedestal for five bas-reliefs: M. Frunze, V. Kuibyshev, M. Tukhachevsky, A. Furmanov and I. Kutyakov (sculptor E. Agoyan). The foyer of the museum attracts the attention of visitors. It presents a colorful stained-glass window «Red Army», made of colored crystal (authors A. Ivanov, P. Egorov). It reflects one of the most tragic and controversial pages in the history of Russia – the era of revolutions and wars. This era brought forward personalities whose names have become legendary.

The exposition of the museum acquaints visitors with the life and work of the legendary commander. It tells about the childhood years of Vasily Ivanovich, the periods of the First World War and the Civil War, about his studies at the Academy of the General Staff, the military operations, the participants of which were military units created by Chapaev. Rifles and revolvers, sabers and daggers, uniforms and ammunition, the cart with a Maxim machine gun mounted on it, allow visitors to mentally travel back to the corresponding era. Of great interest are original documents and photographs, a model of four St. George’s crosses and the St. George’s medal, the Order of the Red Banner, a chased copper panel «Combat actions of the Chapaev division» ( authors A. Ivanov, P. Egorov) and a bronze bust of V.I. Chapaev (sculptor E. Agoyan).

In the period from September 2018 to February 2022, the museum was under renovation and subsequent re-exposition. Among the innovations in the updated exposition, a landscape model of the city of Cheboksary of the late 19th – early 20th centuries appeared. It presents objects related to the period of life of the Chapaev family in the village of Budaika, Cheboksary district. The anatomical mannequins of a soldier of the Russian Imperial Army, captured Austrian soldier, as well as a Red Army soldier and a Ural Cossack successfully completed the exposition. Thanks to the appearance of touch panels, museum visitors have the opportunity to learn more about Vasily Ivanovich’s childhood years, about the awards of the First World War period, equipment and weapons, as well as about the military path of the military units formed by the legendary commander.

Records in the guest book testify to the important role of the V.I. Chapaev Museum in the preservation and popularization of the history of our country. «I express my deep gratitude to the organizers of the museum of the hero of the Civil War V.I. Chapaev. This is a great gift. The material of the museum perfectly illuminates the military path of the favorite of our people», writes Major General D. Karimov. A delegation of writers from Moscow and St. Petersburg left a record: «Your wonderful museum perfectly embodies the love of the people for the legendary Chapaev. Thanks to the creators of the museum and employees for the fact that in the homeland of V.I. Chapaev created a wonderful image of both the division commander and that time».