Sergey Merkurov’s House Museum

Sergey Dmytrevich Merkurov was a prominent Soviet sculptor-monumentalist of Greek-Armenian descent, who was born and educated in Gyumri. His house-museum was opened in Gyumri in his family house in 1984. The house was built in 1869 by Merkurov’s ancestors. On the northern facade you can admire the metal gate, and on the western facade you can see the wooden open balcony very specific to Alexandrapol architectural style.

Merkurov’s most famous collection is the death masks of famous people and world leaders during his lifetime. He is an author of more than 300 death masks. The post-mortem masks of 59 Soviet leaders and famous people are displayed in the museum, including the only original death mask of Lenin, located on the southern wall of the museum second floor.

Before his death Merkurov gave this house to the city as a gift with the request that it should serve to art only. The house suffered from 1988 earthquake and was restored by “Lincy” foundation in 2003.