Station-museum "Kozlova Zasek", Tula region: description, history and interesting facts

Among the cultural institutions of Russia, which store and exhibit valuable items and documents for display, there is a small museum and railway station complex "Kozlova Zaseka". The address of the station is uncomplicated: the city of Tula, the street of Leo Tolstoy. The closest stop on the way to Yasnaya Polyana is in 1868. Its construction is connected with the Moscow-Kursk branch of the railway (currently the Tula branch of the Moscow Railway). The station belongs to the category of operating.

Proud pottery

So it happened that the fate of an inconspicuous semi-station turned out to be closely connected with the name of the great Russian writer, the author of the novels War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Resurrection and others, because he was born, lived and worked in Yasnaya Polyana. The attainment of civilization once made significant adjustments to the habitual course of life of the patrimonial nest (recall, originally the estate belonged to the Kartsev family, then Volkonsky and Tolstoy).

Lev Nikolayevich and his family often visited the Kozlovo Zasek: they received mail there, used telephone services. In November 1910, grayed by the autumn rains, as if from a grief station met the coffin with the body of its famous frequenter. A sad cargo arrived from Astapovo, where Tolstoy overtook his last hour.

There is evidence that when the writer first saw the "proud cast-iron", he was confused. A slight fright from the puffing hulk of the locomotive quickly passed: the "mirror of the Russian revolution", as is well known, was also a reflection of everything progressive, including in the field of technology. The route Yasnaya Polyana - Kozlova Zaseka became for him habitual. The amateur of wanderings quite easily mastered the railway transport and actively used it.

Where did the name come from

On his last trip to his daughter Tatyana in Kochety, 82-year-old Tolstoy also went by train. It was August. Beyond the window slowly, and then swiftly swam away the familiar trees with the first flocks in the lush foliage, to meet them "fled" others: "Farewell, Kozlova Zaseka!" Hardly Leo Nikolayevich thought that this farewell forever. During the excursion they tell about this his farewell "meeting" with the station.

Tourists are interested in the guides: why is an old stop called so, and not otherwise? The roots of the name go back to the fifteenth century. These places represented the outskirts of the Moscow principality, which had to be protected from enemy raids. To do this, we created zaseki.

The construction of an important part of the defensive structures looked like this: large trees fell, their branches were detected in such a way that they represented bristling cola. Once the gate could not overcome such a barrier, which gave the defenders the opportunity to gather strength. The gantry local barrier was named in honor of voivode Danila Kozlov. Apparently, he was a great brave man, once he was honored with the honor of the people.

Reconstruction outside the noisy crowd

From 1928 to 2001, the station of Kozlova Zasek was called Yasnaya Polyana, then it was returned to its historical name. Tolstoy and many of his countrymen called the stop short and heartfelt: Kozlovka. Today, the noisy "abyss of the people", about which Leo Nikolayevich once wrote, is not usually seen either in the waiting room or on the platform.

And before, only with his huge family, numbering thirteen children's souls, he could book a whole car. You can imagine how the Tolstoy passed the time before the train arrived, settling on wooden benches in the waiting room. Younger probably learned small areas to the maximum: they looked in all corners, raised themselves on their toes to see the cashier in the window.

After the reconstruction of 2001, conducted on the initiative of the leadership of the Moscow railway, the seats, like the old, invite passengers to sit down for a minute or for several hours. Look into the luminous unusual window of the cashier is very entertaining even for modern adults. In the cognitive voyage it is interesting to visit the office of the head of the station Kozlov Zasek.

Old and new

An ancient telegraph apparatus flaunts on the manager's table covered with green cloth . How many messages were repulsed on it? The post office, the call center - all this as in the Tolstoyan times: forget about your cell phone, go into the booth and call your relatives or friends. Many visitors admit: they like interactive travel to the past. Kozlova Zaseka is a museum to which all ages are submissive.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, namely in 1902, the station complex was replenished with a luggage compartment, a platform was built of wood, an intermediate (island) platform. At the same time, they built a toilet, a cellar and a railway house. All this is contained today in a neat well-groomed state, so that it's not a shame to show one's own, foreign guests to bring.

For reference: since 2001 Kozlova Zaseka is a branch of the museum-estate of Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana" (Schekin district of the Tula region).

During the reconstruction of the beginning of the third millennium, the year 1910 was taken as a basis: they used the surviving information about the appearance of the building, its interior, the appearance of the adjacent territory. Proceeding from the fact that the station is operating, it was impossible to avoid modern "impregnations" (antennas, cables, etc.). But visitors are not distracted by trifles, focusing on the main thing.

Will the route be restored?

The station has lived an active life for a long time: flew past a long-distance train, in summer, numerous summer residents became active users of the railway. But times have changed. Those who visited Kozlova Zaseka in 2016 heard from guides that the Moscow-Yasnaya Polyana train was canceled, despite the fact that it was in demand by passengers. The museum employees hope that the route will be restored. After all, it leads to a wonderful historical corner.

Yes ... Once upon a time many famous people came from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana to Leo Tolstoy. For example, the artist Ilya Repin. He made friends with the novelist as early as 1880, when he unexpectedly came to him in the studio. Since that time the author of the paintings "Burlaki on the Volga", "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan", etc., visited the great writer almost every year in his family estate, he created a whole gallery of portraits of a friend.

The estate was visited by no less respected art connoisseurs Vladimir Korolenko, Ivan Shishkin, other eminent guests. All of them came out at the station of Kozlova Zasek (Tula). The Chest Tolstoy greeted them happily, saw off to Yasnaya Polyana, to which only a few kilometers. And this is only a small part of the historical information.

Small but interesting museum

Many visitors appreciate the merits of the museum and railway station complex, note the harmony of a combination of history and modernity. At the same time, the museum itself is a small room with an interesting exposition. The exhibition is called "The Railway of Leo Tolstoy". What did the cast iron look like? How were the travelers dressed? What was hand luggage?

All this and much more can be learned by arriving at the station with an inscription on the Old Slavonic: "Kozlova Zasek." The office, behind which it was possible to pen a pair of lines, old, embroidered ladies' and strict men's road raincoats, gloves, a huge suitcase, a fascinating photo essay - all this allows you to plunge into the atmosphere of long gone years.

There is such a service as a photo in an old dress. So, when leaving, people gladly take away a piece of Kozlovka. You can pose at the bust of Leo Tolstoy, on the porch, by the flowerbed, on the bench with wrought openwork legs, - the choice for tourists, who was beckoned to him, it would seem, a simple halt Kozlov Zasek. "How do I get there?" - a question in our days is topical. But more on this later.

Everything is like under Tolstoy

There is an opinion that it was unfashionable to keep the past. However, the majority of those who have visited the museum express their gratitude to all those who, in our difficult times, were able to combine modernity and history in harmony. The station-museum "Kozlova Zasek" is an example of a complex, each meter of which works for a good image.

Thought over and weighed it down to the smallest detail. It was probably easier to build on the platform some metal or plastic fences. But under Tolstoy they were not. Therefore, there are squat fences, wooden, strong in appearance and on the verge. To such, it is not excluded, the horse itself was tied by Leo Nikolayevich.

A poster warning about the need for cautious behavior while on the platform, also in retro style: the unlucky gentleman in the cylinder, and look, will fall into a dangerous situation. And what is the call: "Gentlemen, take care of life!" Many admit: once you want to become more disciplined and attentive.

Summer is better than winter

Kozlova Zaseka - this is the point that is worth visiting all those who are tired of social gatherings and fuss. They love to be photographed in the background of the museum-station complex newlyweds. Wedding photographers often choose "for coloring" an ancient well, the station building itself, a monument to the writer. In general, Kozlova Zaseka is known and attractive (although this happens: it is thick, then empty).

Almost all guests willingly visit a souvenir shop, a buffet, stroll through the territory. In the summer it is more crowded. In winter, as some say, "beauty is not enough." As for the time of flowering and fruiting, everyone agrees: the air is wonderful, it smells of fragrant apples, everywhere there is the smell of petunias. Townspeople especially appreciate this luxury.

To us to Kozlovka!

The trains to Kozlovo Zaseki are a thing of the past. To remember how recently people on Tula-Kozlova Zasek's route had been traveling on a luxury electric train, it's pointless. He departed from the station Kurskaya in Moscow, but canceled, as it is believed, because of insufficient passenger traffic.

Now experts advise to use the fixed-route taxi No. 218, which leaves from the Moscow railway station. Just do not forget to warn the driver that you are up to Kozlovka, as drivers often turn around, not reaching the Zaseka, and you, bypassing the target, will be at the final stop in the village of Skuratovo (Western). From there it's a long way to go to the station and you can mix up the path stitches. Have a good trip!