The museum was opened in 1940 as the Alexey Gorky Kazan Museum. It is dedicated to the life and career of the writer Maxim Gorky.
It is one of the oldest literary museums in Russia. Since the exhibition dedicated to Feodor Chaliapin was opened in 1968, the museum became one of the leading centers of the Gorky and Chaliapin studies. The museum regularly organizes thematic exhibitions, scientific conferences, and literary soirees. The museum building is a historical and cultural monument of federal significance — Maxim Gorky lived and worked there in the late 19th century.
The exhibition consists of two main sections: “Writer — Era — Hero. Gorky’s Life and Creative Journey” and “Feodor Chaliapin and Kazan”. They reveal the connection between Gorky, Chaliapin and the city of Kazan, and also shed light on the way the city influenced the lives of the writer and the singer. The museum houses 60,000 exhibits, including Gorky and Chaliapin’s exclusive personal belongings.
