Ivan Bunin brought the amber beads presented in the museum’s exhibit from a trip to the countries of the East, where he went with Vera Muromtseva, his future wife, in the spring of 1907. In the philosophical essay-story “The Rose of Jericho” the classic recalled this trip: “This is what comforts me when I recall those luminous ancient countries where my feet once stepped, those blessed days when at noon there was the sun of my life, when, at the height of my strength and hopes, hand in hand with the one whom God had chosen to be my companion till death do us apart, I made my first long journey, a marriage journey, which was also a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
On April 10, Bunin and Muromtseva left Moscow for Odessa, from where they arrived by steamer to Constantinople. Further, their path lay to Africa, to Egypt. Ivan Alekseevich and Vera Nikolaevna visited Jaffa, Ancient Judea and arrived in Jerusalem along the Saron Valley. After, the Bunins made a trip to Hebron and Bethlehem, visited Jericho, the Dead Sea. Upon returning to Jerusalem, they travelled north through Jaffa: to Lebanon and Syria – to the cities of Beirut, Baalbek, Damascus, Gennisaret, Tiberias and Tabgha.
Vera Muromtseva described this journey in her book “Conversations with Memory”. She left especially detailed memories of Jerusalem and Bethlehem: “On the eastern slope of the hill, the densely crowded houses turned yellow: Bethlehem! It is a small town surrounded by cultivated fields, with the Church of the Nativity of Christ towering over it, in front of which we stopped. The church is two-story, also kind of joyful. A star, the place where the manger located, – is on the floor in the lower church”. Muromtseva also recalled how she and Bunin bought the beads: “On the marble parvis, right on the stones, all kinds of beads, crosses, holy pictures, pearl, cypress and others are laid out for sale. Our pilgrims leave the Temple – it is touching to see them here, far from their homeland, in an atmosphere alien to them, earnestly and reverently crossing themselves and bowing down to earth. Many of people have tears of joy in their eyes from the executed oath – to worship the Holy Sepulcher”.
On April 10, Bunin and Muromtseva left Moscow for Odessa, from where they arrived by steamer to Constantinople. Further, their path lay to Africa, to Egypt. Ivan Alekseevich and Vera Nikolaevna visited Jaffa, Ancient Judea and arrived in Jerusalem along the Saron Valley. After, the Bunins made a trip to Hebron and Bethlehem, visited Jericho, the Dead Sea. Upon returning to Jerusalem, they travelled north through Jaffa: to Lebanon and Syria – to the cities of Beirut, Baalbek, Damascus, Gennisaret, Tiberias and Tabgha.
Vera Muromtseva described this journey in her book “Conversations with Memory”. She left especially detailed memories of Jerusalem and Bethlehem: “On the eastern slope of the hill, the densely crowded houses turned yellow: Bethlehem! It is a small town surrounded by cultivated fields, with the Church of the Nativity of Christ towering over it, in front of which we stopped. The church is two-story, also kind of joyful. A star, the place where the manger located, – is on the floor in the lower church”. Muromtseva also recalled how she and Bunin bought the beads: “On the marble parvis, right on the stones, all kinds of beads, crosses, holy pictures, pearl, cypress and others are laid out for sale. Our pilgrims leave the Temple – it is touching to see them here, far from their homeland, in an atmosphere alien to them, earnestly and reverently crossing themselves and bowing down to earth. Many of people have tears of joy in their eyes from the executed oath – to worship the Holy Sepulcher”.
These amber beads appeared in the museum funds in 1977. The museum purchased them from the niece of the writer’s cousin Natalia Budatinskaia for 80 rubles.
