Regional History Museum of Abaza

Abaza Municipal Regional History Museum is located in an old mansion which was built at the end of the 19th century by Alexey Kipreev, a merchant who belonged to the top guild. It is the only historical and architectural monument which has remained in the town since pre-revolutionary times.

During the civil war there was the headquarters of the working squad in this building, in peace time there was a working club, a library, and some time a church service took place there.

In 1930s there was Soviet of the village in the wooden building of this mansion. During the next period up to 1988 by the decision of the deputies of City Parliament of Abaza № 101 the mansion was declared as a monument of history and material culture of the city.

All the museum expositions are devoted to the history of the city, from the earliest times, since V-IV centuries BC. Arrowheads, knives, sickles, bronze and silver brooches, stone mills are exhibited in the museum.

An ethnographic exhibition shows the life and culture of Khakassia at the end of XIX century: housing, utensils, tools, items related to trade and handicraft.

The most significant exhibition is dedicated to the history of iron works which was built in 1867 by Alexey Kolchugin, a merchant from Moscow. The plant supplied the whole Siberia and the Far East with products. The main orders came from the gold mines. These are production equipment, tools and household items.

In the museum you can find a collection of hydraulic equipment, the inventor of which was A.Cherkasov, a native of Abaza. There is also a collection of ornamental castings, household items and tools in the museum.

The Museum took a new rise when it was under patronage of Vilenin Vasilyevich Andriyashev, an honorary citizen of Abaza, the founder of the Sorsky museum, the author of the city's coat of arms, a talented writer who publishes literary works about life of the mining village and lands of taiga surrounding it.

Now the spouse of Vilenin Vasilyevich’s son, Nina Ivanovna Andriyasheva administrates the museum.