Pskov city, Pogankin Chambers.

Pskov - one of Russia's oldest and most beautiful cities, it boasts one of the greatest number of extant historical monuments - over 300. The earliest go back to the 12 th century, the latest to the early 20 th. There is a natural combination of ancient monuments (fortified walls with towers, churches and monasteries, and merchant's chambers) and modern buildings.

The Pskovites used local construction material - limestone slabs - for the building of fortifications, fortified walls with towers, churches and monasteries, civilian houses, merchant 's chambers. 

At the end of the 16 th century and during the 17 th century, the inhabitants of Pskov began to build dwelling - houses of stone. Only a few such buildings, solid, squat, resembling fortresses with their thick walls and small windows still exist among them are the mansion of the merchant. Pogankin the mansion of Menshikov, and others. 

Museum of History and Fine Arts - Pogankin Chambers. There are "Icons", "Picture Gallery", "Silver", "Armory" departments in the museum. Most exhibitions of the museum are located in the best-known secular building of Pskov - the famous Pogankin house, called "chambers". In the 17th century the chambers belonged to one of the richest merchant families in Pskov - the Pogankins. The museum possesses the unique collections of the silverwork (14-19th century) and the icons of the Pskov icon-painting school (14-17th century). The archaeological division is of noteworthy interest, as well as the exhibition of the applied art (18-20th century) and the picture gallery. The collection of the museum includes about 500 000 items. 

   Now it is Pskov State Museum of History, Architecture and Fine Arts.

The Pskov Museum of History, Architecture and Fine Arts hosts one of the largest museum collections of northwestern Russia. First opened in 1876 the museum was devoted to the regional studies. By the beginning of the XX century the museum exposition, which was based on the work donated by famous art collector Fyodor Plyushkin, has the second largest collection in Europe among expositions of that type. Since 1968 the Pskov Museum was transformed into the Pskov Museum of History, Architecture and Fine Arts. A newly formed museum complex united architectural monuments of Pskov and branches in various cities of the Pskov region. 

At present, the museum basic collection is housed in the Pogankin House (17th century building that once belonged to rich merchant Sergei Pogankin). The exposition is composed of a unique 12th-17th century icons, exceptional silver works, archeological items, old print materials and manuscripts. Among other prominent exhibitions of the Pskov Museum there is an extensive representation of Russian artists’ works (Rokotov, Brullov, Tropinin, Kramskoy, Repin, Aivasovsky, Benois, Marc Shagall). 

Opened: from 11 am to 6 pm daily except Monday and the last Tuesday of the month.