Not far from one of Saint Petersburg’s main tourist attractions, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, lies a small museum dedicated to the life and work of one of the most renowned émigré writers, Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov. Located on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, this is the house where Nabokov was born and spent the first 18 years of his life. Today, a modest memorial exhibition is housed within the walls of the former Nabokov family apartment.
How to Get There by Metro
The museum is located at 47 Bolshaya Morskaya Street, a ten-minute walk from Admiralteyskaya metro station. The standard adult admission fee (as of spring 2020) is 200 rubles.
A Bit of History
The plot where the building now stands dates back to the 18th century and has had numerous owners over the years. Notable figures among them include Y. A. Engelhardt, the future director of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum; A. A. Suvorov’s grandson; and N. M. Iyuneva, the adopted daughter of banker Baron L. Stieglitz. In 1898, Nabokov’s mother purchased the two-story house on this plot.
Vladimir Nabokov was born here in 1899. His memories of the house are vividly described in his autobiographical work Speak, Memory:
Nabokov’s father, a lawyer, politician, and publicist, came from a noble family and was a member of the First State Duma. His mother was from a wealthy family of merchants and gold miners.
In 1901–1902, the house was expanded with a third floor, which housed the rooms where Vladimir spent his childhood. In 1917, the Nabokov family left their Bolshaya Morskaya home, and two years later, they emigrated from Russia.
In the 1990s, a museum dedicated to Nabokov’s work was established here. The exhibition space occupies several rooms on the building’s first floor, some of which have been reconstructed, while restoration continues in others. During my visit, four exhibition rooms were open to the public.
The museum’s exhibition space is relatively small. Among the exhibits are Nabokov’s writing tools and personal belongings, a collection of his books, and part of his butterfly collection.
If visiting this museum inspires you, you can continue exploring the city’s literary history at numerous museums dedicated to Russian writers and poets. For example, the popular Alexander Pushkin Apartment Museum is located on the Moika Embankment, and near Vladimirskaya metro station, you can visit a museum that delves into the life of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Have a nice trip!
