The House-Museum of Sergei Borodin is the first memorial museums of Uzbekistan, which was opened in 1981. Just after opening of this house, the tendency went for other memorial museums of writers, including of Oybek, Sergei Yesenin, Ghafur Ghulom, and others. Another feature is that Sergei Borodin lived and worked in this house. What interesting things can be found in the house of the People’s Writer of Uzbekistan, and why he wrote in his youth he wrote his works under the pen name Amir Sargidjan? Answers to these questions are in the UT correspondent article.
After the death of the writer, his widow Roza Borodina decided to grant the house with all the things which are now exhibits to the state. The government responded with gratitude and provided apartments for resettlement, because Sergei Borodin lived in this house with his family: his wife and sons.
Five rooms of the house-museum are open to the public. Two exhibition halls and three rooms of the writer: a living room, library, and study.
In the first exhibition hall the visitors can get acquainted with childhood and young ages of Sergei Borodin. He was born on September 25, 1902 in Moscow, but later moved with his family to the city of Belev, where he spent his childhood. According to some historical data it is known that the house of the Borodins neighbored with the estate of Lev Tolstoi. Moreover, there is evidence that the father, Pyotr Borodin personally knew the outstanding Russian writer.
Here the visitors can see the first books a young Borodin read: Krylov’s fables, tales of Pushkin and the Brothers Grimm, as well as his early works and sketches. The young man manifested his talent in only in writing, but in drawing as well. A big poster of the writer created by the People’s Artist of Uzbekistan Abdulhaq Abdullayev hangs in the center of the room.
For the first time Sergei Borodin arrived in Bukhara to gather information about the local people, their way of life and customs. Even then the national identity hugely influenced on him. He was charmed with the East, and even after his mission ended he visited Uzbekistan again and again. The stand in the exhibition hall has a unique photo depicting the scientist-archaeologist Vasiliy Vyatkin and Sergei Borodin. He suggested that the young reporter Borodin work as a foreman. All summer they spent in the excavations in Afrosiyob near Samarqand.
The museum preserves his numerous translations of his own works and of other writers. For this activity the writer was awarded with the medal ‘For the best translations.’ The photos and translations by Borodin with autographs of writers are put on display here, including Sadriddin Ayni, Sharof Rashidov, Oybek.
“Before the 1940s, Borodin wrote his works under the pen name Amir Sargidjan. As it turned out, the writer traveled a lot through the Caucasus as a young correspondent, where the locals called him Sergey-jan. Later, it was transformed into the pen name Amir Sargidjan,” informs the scientific secretary of the public council of the museum, Georgiy Ufimtsev.
In 1950, the writer finally moved to Tashkent with his family and in 1951 began to work on a book ‘Stars above Samarqand.’ Two of the most significant works in the life of Borodin were the novel ‘Dmitry Donskoi’ and the trilogy ‘Stars above Samarkand.’ Bоth works have been translated into various languages of the world. The exhibition in the second hall is dedicated to these books.
Every thing in the bright and comfortable living room is preserved as it was in lifetime of the writer. It has the paintings presented by friends and recognized artists of Uzbekistan, vases, dishes and sets from China, Tunisia, India, Japan.
During the life of Borodin he was repeatedly visited by writers, poets, composers, archeologists, scientists, and journalists. Here, Borodin drank tea with the outstanding figures of world culture, including Leonid Leonov, Birdie Kerbabayev, Mirzo Tursunzoda, Ghafur Ghulom, Chingiz Aytmatov, Pablo Neruda, Nazim Hikmet, and others.
Sergei Borodin’s library contains more than three thousand books of all kinds, including books on history and archeology, encyclopedias, collected works. Everything here is preserved in its original form: green velvet furniture and shelves made by the writer. Interesting chandelier hangs in the center of the room made of wood without a single nail, and owl sits on it – a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.
But the most mysterious is stored in the study of the writer. After the death of Borodin, Roza Yakubovna asked to make a death mask of her husband. The mask stands near a huge closet, which stores a unique collection of books with autographs of famous writers and artists, well-known Russian and foreign poets. For example, Anna Akhmatova, Boris Pasternak, Maxim Gorky, Irving Stone, Kamal Tahir and over two thousand others, with whom the writer met and befriended.
Range of interests of Sergei Borodin was varied. A special place is occupied by a large numismatic collection with a scientific description of each coin by the writer, for which he won a silver medal of the New York Numismatic Society.
The coins were not the only passion in his life. Sergei Borodin was very fond of traveling, and from each country he brought matchboxes – so another collection formed. And in every hotel he visited, the writer took the brochure or label reminding him of his place of residence. Now all collections of matches, brochures and coins are stored in the memorial part of the House-Museum.
