Members of the Association of Private Museums of Russia visited the Museum of Ancient Tools in Saint-Petersburg

On February 7, 2019, Alexey Shaburov, Director of the Association of Private Museums of Russia, and team members of the Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy visited a fantastic private Museum of Ancient Tools in Saint Petersburg.

The Museum was founded in 2006 when some unique tools dating back to over a century ago, were occasionally found in storages. The process of researching proved incredibly fascinating, and the owner focused on collecting the items and information about them. Flea markets, which were a great many in Saint Petersburg and vicinity, served as the key source, while colleagues, friends and family also contributed to the expanding collection.

The collection grew and reached as much as hefty 2000 exhibits by 2012, when it was decided to put it on display in a dedicated room in one of the carpenter tool retailer's stores. This is how the Museum of Ancient Tools came to life.

Today the Museum serves as a platform to exchange experience about the ancient hand tools and the associated application technologies. One of the Museum's activities is the Carpentry School that runs workshops. The exhibit is split into several areas: planes, leather tools, carpenter and blacksmith tools, and much more. Besides the ancient tools one can find a small technical library and a restoration shop.

Arguably save for Australia, the Museum covers the entire world. The majority of the collection are tools from Russia, Europe and America. A collection of Japanese tools draws a particular interest too.

The Museum actively participates in the cultural events of the capital of the North, holding workshops and exhibition performances, publishing a carpentry and wood processing magazine “Master I Masterskaya”, and participating in exhibitions, such as Tradition and Modern Age (Saint Petersburg, the Peter-and-Paul Fortress), Denkmal restoration exhibition (Moscow), Mitex international tool expo (Moscow, Expocenter), The Carpentry Festival (Moscow, Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre), and much more.

Директор музея старинных инструментов Гололобов Сергей Федорович и директор Ассоциации частных музеев России Шабуров Алексей Юрьевич

Sergey Gololobov, Director of the Museum of Ancient Tools, and Alexey Shaburov, Director of the Association of Private Museums of Russia

A carpentry shop in the Museum of Ancient Tools Exhibits in the Museum of Ancient Tools: hand wooden grinders and hand die grinders A collection of planes A metal plough (an agricultural ploughing tool)