The idea of the museum and its implementation: On the example of the history of the Tula State Museum of Weapons

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to test the theoretical provisions of the idealistic approach to history developed by the author, as well as idealistic views on the museum. The author examines the history of the Tula State Museum of Weapons. The article substantiates the decisive importance of ideas in the evolution of the museum of weapons, the formation of its collection. The pre-revolutionary museum collection was formed on the basis of ideas: the preservation of weapons; savings necessary in the technological process of “exemplary” products; preservation of original designs that may be useful for the production of weapons in the future; storage of various “curious” weapons. The exposition of the Tula Museum of Weapons of that time clearly carried out the monarchist idea. In 1917, the museum, given its monarchical orientation, was liquidated. In 1920, it was recreated on a new ideological basis, which was determined by the installation of the Soviet government. In the post-war period, the main idea was the participation of museums in the education of workers on revolutionary and labor traditions. The museum funds were formed, the exposition was organized, all forms of work were filled with content. The collapse of the communist worldview devalued the ideological foundations of the exposition created in 1989 on the basis of communist ideas. The purpose of the modern exposition is to generate interest in the development of weapons as an important component of the general historical process of Russian civilization. The ideas embodied in the exposition are also transmitted by all other forms of museum activity. The author believes that the history of the Tula State Museum of Weapons confirms the position of an idealistic approach to history that every museum is based on ideas that determine its goals, objectives, content of the collection, exposition and forms of work.