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Oponice and Brodzany with the SNK

Autor: Oponice and Brodzany with the SNK
Foto: Oponice and Brodzany with the SNK
Uverejnené: 05. december 2013

Whilst working at the Literary Museum of the Slovak National Library I have been fortunate enough to take part in several research trips to other museums in the surrounding regions. Two of these, both belonging to the SNK, the A. S. Pushkin museum in Brodzany and the Library of Count Anton Juraj Appony in Oponice provided me with many great memories, and opened my eyes to a whole new element of literary history. Here are my experiences from a very interesting trip.

Situated within a grand chateau, most of which is now used as an exclusive hotel and wellness centre, the exterior of the Museum of the Aponi Library is an impressive sight. However, my first impressions were quickly blown away by what I found inside. Floor to ceiling bookcases laden with rare and beautiful books, first editions and unique titles, incredible period decoration and furnishing and a pool table on top of which Josephine Baker once danced! Upon entering the exposition I was rendered utterly speechless. The Apponyiovská knižnica v Oponiciach is the preserved library of count Anton Juraj Aponi of Vienna, and after a turbulent history involving several relocations around the country, damage to many of the titles and finally restoration to its rightful home in Oponice, the library was opened to the public in September 2011.

 

Painstakingly restored to its former glory, no stone has been left unturned in creating an awe-inspiring exposition which truly enables visitors to step back in time. Damaged titles have been carefully repaired and preserved, and on my visit I was shown a first edition of an original Shakespeare collection, published in the mid 19th century. Titles aquired from all over Europe form a continental collection which is staggering to behold and as a visitor I had a palpable sense that I was in the presence of an overwhelming cultural and artistic history.  There are rare editions of works by Socrates, Goethe, Pushkin and many more, and the rich and colourful jackets of these books form a stunning display which is visible wherever you choose to look. In addition, the library contains many fascinating artefacts such as maps, portraits and sculptures and the recreation of the original flooring, furnishing and ornamentation adds to the powerful effect,  transporting visitors back to the time of Aponi. This is one of the most breath taking rooms I have ever set foot in; a visit to the Aponi Library in Oponice is a truly unmissable experience.   

 

The A. S. Pushkin Museum in Brodzany may appear to be an unlikely addition to the Slovak National Library. Why, in this small Slovak village, is there located a museum in the name of one of the greatest writers in Russian history? A visit to this thought provoking exposition soon reveals the surprising inspiration behind this and offers an insight into the fascinating connection between Pushkin and this region.

 

Alexander Pushkin is linked to Brodzany through ties of marriage and family dynasty, reminding visitors of the interconnectivity and overlapping of noble and aristocratic families during European society of the 19th and early 20th centuries. For me, as a British visitor, the relationship between Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas springs to mind. In this case it was the marriage between Viennese diplomat Gustav von Friesenhof and Alexandra Goncharova, Pushkins sister-in-law, which created this connection and tied the history of Pushkin, his work, his life and his family to Brodzany in Slovakia.

 

The Pushkin museum is an exposition in situ, located within a cloister built at the end of the 17th century and from 1844 was owned by Gustav von Friesenhof. Following the death of his first wife, von Friesenhof married Alexandra Goncharova and this museum displays the lives and history of not only the couple, but also their family, most notably their daughter Nataliya who married a descendent of the Swedish court, Elimar von Oldenburg and continued to live in the family home, deepening the significance of this location and adding an even greater sense of cultural history to Brodzany.

 

The museum offers to visitors a recreation of the rooms of the Friesenhof/Oldenburg residence, with contemporary furnishings, genuine artefacts and many relics from the history of the age and  the lives of the family members. Adorning the walls are portraits of the extended families, including A. S. Pushkin, and visitors are able to see for themselves the manner in which Gustav von Friesenhof and Alexandra Goncharova would have lived and  also to look into the lives of Natalyia and Elimar Oldenburg. 

 

A particuarly significant element of this museum is the cultural impact of Nataliya upon the village. A talented artist, Nataliyas paintings are on display at the Pushkin Museum with one of the house drawing rooms acting as a gallery of her work. Her detailed portraits and pieces depicting landscapes, architecture and animals display the increase in cultural activity within Brodzany and also bring the rooms further to life. For me, stepping into this museum is like stepping back in time and it did not take a great deal of imagination to visualize how life must have been at this particular time in history, in this location and for the individuals who made their home here. The museum is a wonderfully evocative recreation for visitors to Brodzany .

 

Following this unique and engrossing lesson into the history of the von Friesenhof and Oldenburg families, the museum then emphasises to visitors the connection with Alexander Pushkin, and here I discovered many things about the author which I previously had not known. As with the rest of the exposition, the Pushkin exhibit breathes life into the facts of history and tells an inspiring and gripping story, giving social and political context to the life and works of this great Russian writer. This was an eye opening experience which offers an insight into Pushkins interesting ancesterary, his complex and volatile romantic life and also tells the story of his death: the result of an impassioned duel to preserve his dignity and defend the honour of his wife.  On display are portraits of Pushkin, his friends, lovers and enemies, some editions of his works and even a cast copy of his death mask. The opportunity to look upon this cast of Pushkins face after I had absorbed the teachings of this museum provided a morbid, but fitting conclusion to the story of his life.

 

At the end of the exposition, a gallery of notable Slovak writers influenced and inspried by the works of Pushkin is displayed. This reiterates the connection of Pushkin to Brodzany and to Slovakia, a connection which is brought brilliantly to life by the exposition here at the Slovanske Muzeum A. S. Pushkin.   

 

For me, this was an eye opening experience and a look into a piece of history I would probably never have otherwise discovered. I learnt new things about Pushkin himself, and found myself fascinated by the stories of the Friesonhof and Oldenburg families. This is a museum which tells a wonderful story, and for visitors provides an insight into the human elements of the great writers life and also the lives of his family in Brodzany. As part on the SNK, The Pushkin museum offers an essential and unique experience into the literary, social and political history of Slovak and European life, and I would implore all people travelling in Slovakia to make a stop at Brodzany where, for the duration of your visit, history comes alive.

 

Autor: Jamie Leatherbarrow © Autorské práva sú vyhradené


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