In May 1892, the famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky started renting an estate house on the outskirts of Klin. By this time Tchaikovsky was already in his 50s and after years of travelling around the world he wanted to find a place to settle near the Russian countryside which he loved so much. Previously he had lived in Maidanovo, a village near Klin. Tchaikovsky died just over a year later in 1893 but even in this short period he grew very fond of his Klin home. After Tchaikovsky’s death, his brother Modest had the house turned into a museum. Eventually Modest Tchaikovsky became the sole owner of the estate and upon his death in 1916 he left it to the state. During the occupation of Klin, the Tchaikovsky House-Museum suffered greatly at the hands of the Nazis who ransacked it and used it as a barracks. The house was subsequently restored and today the Tchaikovsky House-Museum is Klin’s most popular attraction. The entrance to the House-Museum is located in a concert hall.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky Monument

  Klin’s second and more famous Pyotr Tchaikovsky Monument is located on the territory of the estate. In his work, the sculptor has succeeded in his idea to depict Tchaikovsky as if he still among us, sat on a bench reading a book and relaxing in the beautiful grounds of his beloved estate. Most tourists cannot leave without having their photo taken sat on the bench next to the great composer.

Main House

  The Main House where Tchaikovsky once lived is located in pretty gardens. The house was built in the 1870s by the Sakharov family who then rented out the upper floor to Tchaikovsky in 1892. The ground floor was rented by Aleksei Sofronov who purchased the house to be used as a museum after Tchaikovsky’s death and eventually sold it to Modest Tchaikovsky. The ground floor now has a small exhibition to Tchaikovsky and his work and the rooms of the Sofronov family, but the most interesting part is the upper floor where Tchaikovsky’s rooms have been preserved.

  The first room you enter after walking up the stairs is Tchaikovsky’s living room with a grand piano, a desk, book cases full of old leather-bound books and lots of photographs of relations and friends. Next are the bedrooms of Pyotr and Modest Tchaikovsky and the guest bedroom. At the end of the corridor are the dining room, the study of Tchaikovsky’s nephew Vladimir Davydov and Tchaikovsky’s study which is a beautiful room lined with wooden panels.

Demyanovo Estate Museum

  In a cottage on the grounds of Tchaikovsky’s estate is the Demyanovo Estate Museum, the estate itself now stands as ruins located on the outskirts of Klin. The exhibition shows plans and pictures of how the estate looked in its prime and has information on the Taneev family who once owned it. In 1918 the archive and library of the composer Sergey Taneev, who was a pupil of Tchaikovsky, was transferred here and the museum has an exhibition on his life.