Bessonovsky District: Onion Culture, Museums and Estate History

The cultural history of Bessonovsky District is reflected in a variety of themes: the golden onion sits alongside village traditions, crafts, archaeological finds and memories of historical events. There are also estate complexes whose traditional design reveals another facet of local history. If you are interested in culture and history, you will encounter both everyday culture and historical collections and architectural landmarks here.

Onion Culture in Bessonovka

The golden onion of the district is the focus of the Onion Museum in Bessonovka. The exhibition explores the history of collective and state farms, onion cultivation and onion growers. It also covers the use of onions in medicine and cooking, their place in folklore, as well as scientific topics and innovations in cultivation. The museum opened in 2013 to mark the village’s 350th anniversary. It is considered the first museum in Russia whose entire exhibition is devoted to the golden onion. The onion is regarded as the district’s best-known vegetable and a source of pride for local agriculture. Check the current visiting arrangements before your visit.

Local History, Crafts and Village Traditions

The Bessonovsky District Local History Museum was founded on October 1, 2005. Its collection includes lace made on traditional lace-making pillows, felt boots from Chemodanovka, which have been made for more than 300 years, and clay toys by the master Vasily Kucher from Poleologovo. The collection thus offers a perspective ranging from craft traditions to objects associated with specific places in the district.

Historical events and archaeological finds are also among the Local History Museum’s themes. It preserves materials relating to Yemelyan Pugachev’s uprising and a copy of the manifesto “Vo vsenarodnoe izvestiya zhitelyam Penzy i penzenskoy provintsii.” The document is dated July 31, 1774, and was written in Ukhtinka. This collection complements the craft exhibits with historical sources and archaeological traces of the district.

At the A. M. Kizhevatov Museum in Kizhevatovo, two halls focus on different themes. One is devoted to the traditions and everyday life of the villagers, while the other covers the Second World War and Andrey Mitrofanovich Kizhevatov, a Hero of the Soviet Union. The “Mordovian Izba” presents the culture and traditions of the Mordvin people. Thus, village life sits alongside regional commemorative culture and cultural traditions among the district’s themes.

Estate Complexes and Historic Landscapes

In Grabovo, Alexander Mikhailovich Ustinov had the Ustinov estate’s mansion built in the second half of the 19th century. He surrounded it with an artfully designed park and a cascade of ponds descending in an amphitheatrical arrangement. The estate dates from the late 19th to early 20th century; its surviving features include outbuildings and an old park on the shore of a lake. These described elements give the estate complex both an architectural and a landscape dimension.

Another testament to estate history is the Arapov family complex in Prokazna. It is a cultural heritage site of regional significance dating from the 19th century. Along with the Ustinov estate, it extends the historical theme beyond museum collections: the focus here is on the history of estate complexes and the preserved elements of their grounds.

Beyond the District: Penza Oblast

In the wider destination of Penza Oblast, other cultural attractions complement the local perspective. In Penza, the Museum of One Painting is named after G. V. Myasnikov. A painting is shown in a hall with 37 seats. A 45-minute film about the artist, the painting, its figures and the culture of its time is shown beforehand. The curtain then opens, and the painting is presented with explanatory text and music. This format puts an introduction to a single work at its centre.

The Tarkhany State Lermontov Museum-Reserve is also in Penza Oblast. It is located in the village of Lermontovo in Belinsky District; the poet M. Yu. Lermontov spent half his life there. The first complex includes a protected park, three orchards, an oak grove and ponds. Since 1971, All-Russian Lermontov Days have been held at Tarkhany. Thus, alongside local museum and estate themes, Penza Oblast also has a distinct focus on Lermontov’s life and the historic museum estate.

Discover more destinations: Penzenskiy Rayon, Mokshansky District, Penza, Mokshansky Rajon.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Penza Oblast.