Bulgakov Museum Director Piotr Mansilla Cruz – about the exhibition in the apartment of the writer at the Grand Pirogov – BBC

On May 14, Moscow at. Most Pirogovskaya Ulitsa, 35a, Building 1, – open to the public in the capital of the second apartment museum of the writer Mikhail Bulgakov. Attention will be offered to the public exhibition of “Manuscripts do not burn”, which will show the manuscript of the first edition of the famous novel by Bulgakov’s “Master and Margarita”. Exhibits for the exhibition in the new museum gave the manuscripts department of the Russian State Library. On the eve of the events dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the writer, “Times”, met with the director of the Museum of Bulgakov Peter Mansilla Cruz

-. What is the history of this apartment? As the museum was able to get it

-? In this apartment on the Grand Pirogov street Bulgakov settled in 1927 with his second wife Lyubov Evgenevna Belozerskaya. He lived there until 1934, ie, before leaving for the add-in writer Nashchyokin lane. I got her museum, of course, difficult. Still, we were lucky: the room on the ground floor, which used to be the apartment of Bulgakov, belonged to the city. In recent decades, there were placed municipal services: housing office and similar offices

– When this address is acquired, so to speak, fame

– lovers.? Bulgakov this address has been known for a long time, at least on Belozerskaya memoirs, which were first published in 1979 in the American publishing house “Ardis”. But before, in the late ’60s, after the publication in the USSR of the novel “The Master and Margarita”, when he began to form a kind of cult writer, enthusiasts began to look for a variety of addresses associated with his name. First of all a place of pilgrimage became the so-called bad apartment on Bolshaya Sadovaya, where now is located Bulgakov Museum. But the house on Pirogovka also attracted attention. Especially as E. Love Belozerskaya continued to live in the neighborhood – in fact, in the same building, but in a new “structure 2″. And she lived there until his death in 1987. Comes to her fans of the writer, his work professionals, archivists, etc. She showed them the window with Bulgakov apartment, he told a different story. So that the address was well known to interested readers Bulgakov

-. But Bulgakov lot where he lived. Do you want to attach to the museum all his Moscow apartment

-? No, I do not have, though, perhaps, it would be nice. But this address – one of the most important in the biography of Bulgakov. On Pirogovka he wrote “Kabala sanctimonious” play “Flight”, finished the first edition of “The Master and Margarita.” It was in this apartment April 18, 1930 Bulgakov called Stalin after the writer sent his now famous “Letter to the Soviet Government”, which complained about the fury of censorship and criticism pogrom. It ended one period of his life and the beginning of another, the latter associated with Elena Shilovskaya

-. What do you think, in the current conditions in the two memorial museum Bulgakov enough visitors

– Sure. And here it does not matter what I think. There are exact statistics. Museum on Bolshaya Sadovaya visits more than 100 thousand. People a year. It is the most visited museum in Moscow regarding the occupied area. These data have been one of the key arguments in favor of expanding the museum space

-. From what exposition will consist? How many memorial items left

-? Memorial things, of course, a little, but still some remain. Among them there are very expressive. For example, a suitcase Belozerskaya, with whom she toured several countries, and then returned from exile in Russia. Since it is known that E. Love became the prototype of the protagonist of the play “Flight” Seraphim Korzukhina such artifact is exposure to a great value. There is also a detailed shot of the apartment, the writer’s office and other rooms. Glass negatives have been preserved, in his time left Belozerskaya bulgakovedu Alexander Kurushin. It is very welcomed the establishment of the museum in the Pirogov and completely unselfishly gave us the negatives. Hopefully, over time, the funds will be replenished memorial things. We know that survived the chairs from the apartment Bulgakov, his bookshelves and other things, but so far it does not belong to the museum

-. And you have the financial ability to replenish the funds

– Modest, but there is. Just recently we were able to purchase a collection of “Diaboliad” autographed by Bulgakov one rather mysterious character. Now researchers of the attempt to reconstruct the history of the dedicatory inscription

-. You came to the museum three years ago, not having any experience in this area. Many were waiting for revolutionary change. They occurred

-? I can not judge. I can only say that the museum continues to operate many employees who started this business in 2007, including the former director Inna Mishina Omarovna. But come, and a team of young, enthusiastic and creative work of Bulgakov, and museum work. I am happy when I see we have in the state of five young candidates. We have in these three years have done, for example, the application “Moscow Bulgakov” with maps, lots of texts and images. Another of our project – the history of the house on Bolshaya Sadovaya, which is related to many outstanding personalities and events. We also have a book-publishing program, once we hold scientific conferences. Finally, we do a lot of exhibitions. I think people have why to come to our museum

-. Returning to Pirogovka how events will unfold

-? The exhibition, which opens on 14 It may last for two days. Then the apartment will be closed for repairs. While the repair lasts, we will work on the concept of the exhibition and its design. I think that all together will take a year or two. And then the apartment will become a museum.