Pushkin House, London facts for kids
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| Established | 1954 |
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| Location | 5a Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1 |
| Public transit access | Holborn .svg){kind=small} .svg){kind=small} Tottenham Court Road .svg){kind=small} |
Pushkin House (Russian: Пушкинский Дом) is the oldest independent Russian cultural center in the UK. It opened in 1954 in Bloomsbury, London. A group of Russian friends, led by Maria Mikhailovna Kullmann, started it. Their goal was to create a friendly place. Here, people could enjoy and learn about Russian culture. They wanted a lively space where everyone could share their ideas freely.
Today, Pushkin House hosts many events. These include talks on Russian literature, art, music, and history. You can also find film screenings, concerts, and debates. It is a registered UK charity. This means it's a non-profit organization that helps the community. It is run by the Pushkin House Trust. The center gets money from ticket sales and donations. This helps it stay independent.
History of Pushkin House
In 1953, Maria Kullmann saw a need for a neutral Russian culture center in London. She and her friends bought a house at 24 Kensington Park Gardens. This house was for students and thinkers from all countries. The first meeting of the Pushkin Club happened there in 1954.
By 1956, the club needed its own space. So, they bought 46 Ladbroke Grove. This was their home until 2006. Then, Pushkin House moved to its current location. This is at 5, 5a, and 6 Bloomsbury Square. The building itself is very old, from the 1740s. It is also a special "listed building."
The opening of Pushkin House happened during an interesting time. This was after Joseph Stalin's rule in Russia. It was a period called the "Khrushchev Thaw." During this time, Russia became a bit more open. Many people in Britain became very interested in Russian culture. For example, the famous Bolshoi and Kirov (now Mariinsky) ballet companies started visiting yearly.
Many important Russian scholars, writers, and artists lived in the UK then. Pushkin House gave them a place to share their work. Early speakers included Metropolitan Anthony and Sir Isaiah Berlin. In 1955, the famous ballet dancer Tamara Karsavina spoke about her life. The poet Korney Chukovsky even performed there in 1962.
Artists like Mstislav Dobuzhinsky showed their work at the club. There was also an exhibition of paintings by Leonid Pasternak. Soviet writers visiting the UK often came to speak at Pushkin House. The center also hosted the London Balalaika Ensemble, a popular music group. Pushkin House has always been a place where people with different views could meet and talk. This idea is still very important to them today.
What Happens at Pushkin House
Pushkin House wants to be a home for Russian culture in London. It helps connect British and Russian cultures. It also teaches people about Russian language and culture. It's a place for individuals and groups to find resources and meet others. To do this, it has many cultural programs. These cover Russian literature, art, film, music, theater, and dance. They also include history, philosophy, and current events. Events include talks, workshops, exhibitions, films, concerts, and readings.
Besides its own events, Pushkin House works with other groups. It hosts talks for the Pushkin Club and the GB-Russia Society. Russian language classes are also available there. These are taught by the Russian Language Centre. Pushkin House also works with museums and libraries in Russia.
Since February 2022, Pushkin House has focused on understanding the situation in Ukraine. It also supports voices that are against war. It has held events to raise money for charities. These charities help people affected by the war.
Pushkin House Book Prize
The Pushkin House Book Prize started in 2013. Its goal is to help people better understand the Russian-speaking world. The prize is for books published in English. Books translated from other languages, like Russian, are also welcome.
- 2013 – Former People: The Last Days of the Russian Aristocracy by Douglas Smith
- 2014 – Red Fortress: The Secret Heart of Russia's History by Catherine Merridale
- 2015 – The Last Empire by Serhii Plokhy
- 2016 – Towards the Flame by Dominic Lieven
- 2017 – The Russian Canvas: Painting in Imperial Russia (1757–1881) by Rosalind P. Blakesley
- 2018 – The War Within by Alexis Peri
- 2019 – Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe by Serhii Plokhy
- 2020 – The Return of the Russian Leviathan by Sergei Medvedev
- 2021 – The Human Factor by Archie Brown
- 2022 – Not One Inch by M. E. Sarotte
- 2023 – Overreach by Owen Matthews
