Home Museum of the History of the Toy Horse

The collecting of exhibits (which became the basis of the future museum) began in 2013. (Irina Gorokhovodatskiy). In 2017, the design of the exhibitions had started to form. (Sergey Golomzik). The emblem of the museum with modifications was presented by the staff of the State Historical Museum in Moscow. This emblem was previously used for the “Horse and Rider” exhibition held in 2010-2011 in Irkutsk. Currently, the museum consists of four halls: the historical hall, the thematic hall, a cinema with a children’s exposition, and entrance group.

The museum’s activities are:

1. The study of the history of the evolution of the horse, how the horse was used by humans, and the evolution of the toy horse from prehistoric to modern times.

2. The organization of excursions (free) for residents and guests of the city, employees of museums, and for pupils and students, including those at children’s art schools.

3. The promotion of private collections and assistance in organizing individual and folk craft exhibitions.

Currently, the collection contains more than 1,100 items. 890 exhibits are toy or souvenir horses (wooden, glass, metal, porcelain, and so on). About 150 exhibits are directly related to the history of toys and their evolution. There are samples and copies of toys of antiquity, artifacts from archaeological excavations, rock paintings, books devoted to history and museum topics, and many other things.