The trophy accordion ‘Hohner’ student from the Museum Resource Center collection belonged to Vladimir Ivanov, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, who was awarded the medal ‘For the Victory over Japan’. Vladimir Ivanov brought the accordion from Germany as a gift to his daughters. One of them, Nadezhda Bliznyuk, donated the instrument to the museum.
The German company ‘Hohner’ manufactured this accordion. On the right side of the instrument is a box and a musical keyboard similar to a piano. The box contains the right sounding board and resonators, the valves that open free-reeds, and the switches that control the timbre. On the left side is a box with a buttonboard, resonators, and mechanics for the keyboard. It consists of four button rows: two rows for bass buttons, and two more for pre-set chord buttons.
On the left is also a belt for controlling the bellows, which connect both parts of the accordion. While playing, musician opens and closes the bellows, creating a controlled airflow. It causes the metal reeds of the instrument to vibrate and produce sounds.
German watchmaker Matthias Hohner founded the company ‘Hohner’ in 1857. Initially, it specialized in the manufacture of mouth organs, and up until 1860, masters created each instrument manually. Gradually, with the help of his family and hired workers, Hohner managed to launch machine production and produce up to 650 organs per year. Over time, he expanded production and began to produce other musical instruments. The company started producing accordions in 1903.
In the USSR, before the Great Patriotic War, musicians played mainly button accordions (called bayans) and squeezeboxes. After the war, soldiers brought from Germany a lot of trophy accordions produced by various companies: ‘Hohner’, ‘Piaccordio’, ‘Royal Standard’, ‘Sibilia Band’, and others. The instrument quickly gained popularity.
The German company ‘Hohner’ manufactured this accordion. On the right side of the instrument is a box and a musical keyboard similar to a piano. The box contains the right sounding board and resonators, the valves that open free-reeds, and the switches that control the timbre. On the left side is a box with a buttonboard, resonators, and mechanics for the keyboard. It consists of four button rows: two rows for bass buttons, and two more for pre-set chord buttons.
On the left is also a belt for controlling the bellows, which connect both parts of the accordion. While playing, musician opens and closes the bellows, creating a controlled airflow. It causes the metal reeds of the instrument to vibrate and produce sounds.
German watchmaker Matthias Hohner founded the company ‘Hohner’ in 1857. Initially, it specialized in the manufacture of mouth organs, and up until 1860, masters created each instrument manually. Gradually, with the help of his family and hired workers, Hohner managed to launch machine production and produce up to 650 organs per year. Over time, he expanded production and began to produce other musical instruments. The company started producing accordions in 1903.
In the USSR, before the Great Patriotic War, musicians played mainly button accordions (called bayans) and squeezeboxes. After the war, soldiers brought from Germany a lot of trophy accordions produced by various companies: ‘Hohner’, ‘Piaccordio’, ‘Royal Standard’, ‘Sibilia Band’, and others. The instrument quickly gained popularity.
