Museum
of Ancient Musical
Instruments
An interactive museum where you can learn everything about ancient musical instruments and enjoy their live sound.
History of musical instruments
Ancient musical instruments
Plucked and bowed string instruments. Kupăs, Kĕsle, Palalay, Tăvatkal kĕsle and many other instruments. Listen to live sound and discover unique exhibits!
Çurakhkhisem, Çapmallisem, Turtăçlĕsem — mirliton, percussion, and plucked musical instruments. Parappan, Chan, Tunkăr, Tӳnkki and many other instruments with live sound!
Reed (chelĕkhlisem), flute (shăkhărtmallisem), and mouthpiece (shăkhransem) instruments — Kaval, Părăh, Shăkhlich, Palnay, Shăpăr and many other exhibits with live sound!
Makers and performers
Since ancient times, almost every settlement had instrument makers, and instruments were often crafted both by professional masters and by the performers themselves. V.M. Krivonosov and N.V. Nikolsky noted that Chuvash carpenters from the Bugulma district of the Samara province and from the Kozmodemyansk and Chistopol districts of the Kazan province skillfully produced violins, harmoniums, and gusli. Musical instruments made by Suvaro-Bulgar-Chuvash masters were successfully sold in the Vyatka, Kazan, Simbirsk, and Ufa provinces, as well as in Moscow, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Kurmysh. The instruments were exhibited in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, and Kyiv, consistently receiving high praise from connoisseurs. Even before 1914, gusli made by Suvaro-Bulgar-Chuvash masters were displayed in music shops of Zimmermann in Moscow and Bruno in Kazan as foreign instruments. In the mid-20th century, instrument makers from Chuvashia were famous throughout the Volga region. For example, M. Fillipov from the village of Oldeevo in the Cheboksary district crafted more than 500 string instruments.
Vitaly Adyukov
Playing the shapar (bagpipe)
Vladimir Mikhaylov
Instrument maker
ADYUKOV VITALY IVANOVICH
Born January 2, 1958 in the village of Bolshiye Yalchiki (Aslă Elchĕk), Yalchik District of the Chuvash Republic. Composer, performer of Chuvash folk songs, member of the Association of Composers of the Chuvash Republic, laureate of the M. Sespel Youth Prize of Chuvashia (1994), laureate of the I.Ya. Yakovlev charitable foundation “Etker” of the Ulyanovsk Region, diploma winner of the All-Russian folk song competition “Voices of Russia” (2004), participant of the international festival “Euromusic” (1994), Honored Worker of Culture of the Chuvash Republic (2014). Awarded the Certificate of Honor of the State Council of the Chuvash Republic (2009).
V. Adyukov is a graduate of the I.Ya. Yakovlev Chuvash State Pedagogical Institute (now a university). He began his professional career in 1979 as a teacher at the Bolshiye Yalchiki secondary school.
V. Adyukov is a graduate of the I.Ya. Yakovlev Chuvash State Pedagogical Institute (now a university). He began his professional career in 1979 as a teacher at the Bolshiye Yalchiki secondary school.
FOMIRYAKOV NIKOLAY ANDREEVICH
Born August 27, 1951 in the village of Chiganary, Cheboksary District of the Chuvash Republic. Local historian, one of the most well-known masters of Chuvash folk musical instrument making, musician, photographer, hunter, and cycling traveler. Graduated from Chuvash State University with a degree in electrical engineering. He identified the locations of seven Kiremet sacred sites in the area around the village of Ishaki. Author of the books “Chronology of the History of the Chuvash People,” “Cycling Journeys” (two volumes), and the illustrated photo book “Chiganary.” His home museum contains more than 20 varieties of musical instruments made from natural materials such as hogweed, bamboo, cow horn, wood, and goose feather. Nikolay Andreevich is a frequent guest at schools, ethnographic events, and festivals, where he explains and demonstrates the technology of crafting Chuvash folk instruments. He performs live and teaches this art to everyone interested.
ANTONOV ALEXEY FYODOROVICH
Born August 24, 1936 in the village of Iokovo, Bolshetarkhansky District (now Tetyushsky District) of the Republic of Tatarstan. Master craftsman of traditional Chuvash instruments and local historian. After graduating from the K.N. Timbaev secondary school, he entered the Klyuchishchi agricultural technical college (agronomy department). On September 19, 1955, from his first year of study, he was drafted into the Navy, where he became a pioneer in launching guided unmanned cruise aircraft loaded with highly toxic rocket fuel from launch systems, served as a launch systems instructor, and received distinction in naval service. He was demobilized on November 2, 1959 with the rank of petty officer. In 1960 he qualified as a film projection technician. In 1964 he completed one-year teacher training courses at the Yelabuga State Pedagogical Institute and enrolled in the correspondence department of the physics and mathematics faculty. Due to illness he had to leave his studies in his fourth year and later retired on disability in 1972, ending his work at the Iokovo school. Together with students he created a children’s percussion orchestra “Shumok.” In 1990 he won first place in the district competition “Play the Accordion,” and in 1994 became a prize winner of the republican radio competition of the same name. He is a laureate of the international award “Philanthropist” for artistic creativity among people with disabilities.
FILIPPOV MATVEY FILIPPOVICH
Born November 11, 1908 in the village of Oldeevo, Cheboksary District (now part of the city of Novocheboksarsk) – December 25, 1986, Novocheboksarsk. Master craftsman of traditional Chuvash instruments and participant in World War II. He graduated from the Yandashevo primary school of Cheboksary District in 1922. He worked as a musical instrument maker in the Anatkasinsky cooperative workshop “Korzina” (1930–1937), simultaneously in the Cheboksary workshop “Red Cabinetmaker” (1933–1934), and in the Yandashevo training workshop (1940–1941). From 1947 to 1965 he worked as a blacksmith in his home collective farm, and from 1965 to 1967 served in militarized security at the Cheboksary chemical plant. By commission from amateur artistic groups, music schools, and cultural institutions of Chuvashia, he produced more than 600 string instruments — gusli, balalaikas, mandolins, domras, guitars, violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. Gusli made by the master were exhibited at the international exhibition in Paris in 1932.
MIKHAILOV VLADIMIR ANTONOVICH
Born February 8, 1953 in the village of Kozhikovo, Vurnary District – November 12, 2018, Vurnary. Music professional, teacher, member of the Association of Composers of the Chuvash Republic (1991). Honored Worker of Culture of the Chuvash ASSR (1991) and Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation (2014). Graduated from the Cheboksary Music College (1981). Served in the Soviet Army (1971–1973). From 1973 to 1982 he worked as artistic director of the Abyzovo and Bolshiye Torkhany rural cultural centers and as a music and singing teacher in schools of the Vurnary District. Since 1982 he was a teacher at the Vurnary Children’s School of Arts. Composer and author of more than 100 songs. For many years he taught children musical art and performance on folk instruments. Vladimir Antonovich was a tireless researcher and preserver of the musical traditions of the Chuvash people. Dozens of traditional musical instruments of the ancient Suvaro-Bulgar-Chuvash were crafted by his hands. The instruments he created never gathered dust on shelves — they sounded on large and small stages, in kindergartens and in schools.
CHERNOV VIKTOR SEMENOVICH
Born March 12, 1939 in the village of Shigali, Urmary District of the Chuvash Republic. Folk master, musician, artist, teacher, and local history researcher. Diploma winner of numerous competitions and laureate of the All-Union amateur artistic creativity review. Honored Worker of Culture of the Chuvash ASSR. Graduated from the art and graphics faculty of the Chuvash State Pedagogical Institute (1965). Taught in schools and technical colleges in Cheboksary. From 1984 until retirement in 1999 he worked at the Young Technicians Club of the Cheboksary Instrument-Making Plant, leading a workshop on musical instrument construction. He lives in the village of Tuvsi in the Tsivilsk District. He studies Chuvash folk musical instruments and is engaged in their reconstruction, manufacture, and performance. He is an active advocate for preserving and promoting ancient Chuvash musical culture.
ERIVANOV NIKOLAY LAZAREVICH
Born in 1938 in the village of Podlesnye Shigali, Batyrevo District of the Chuvash Republic. Researcher and maker of Chuvash folk musical instruments. Graduated from accordion courses at the Chuvash Republican House of Folk Art and from the Cheboksary Music College. Worked as an accordion accompanist for the Chuvash Folk Choir of Moscow, director of the Komsomol Children’s Music School, and folklore methodologist at the Chuvash Republican House of Folk Art. Since 1979 he has been the leader of the folk ensemble “Sărnay” at the Novocheboksarsk Palace of Culture “Khimik.” He has been composing music since 1960. More than 40 of his songs, choral, instrumental, and other works are preserved in the archives of Chuvash Radio and were recorded by the Melodiya label performed by professional and folk ensembles. His best works are widely loved by listeners.
TEPLOV ALEXANDER NIKOLAEVICH
Born in 1960 in the city of Perm (currently lives in Alatyr). Master gusli maker. He has been restoring and crafting gusli for more than 40 years and has carved around 400 instruments.
ZHUKOVSKY ALEXANDER VITOLDOVICH
Born in 1961 in the city of Cheboksary. Instrument maker. He has produced more than 60 unique Chuvash drums and many other traditional percussion instruments.
NIKOLAEV PANTELEYMON NIKOLAEVICH
Born in the village of Karmaly, Alikovo District of the Chuvash Republic. Master craftsman of Chuvash musical instruments.