Motol Museum of Folk Art

The Motol Museum of Folk Art was founded in 1983 on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture of the BSSR and the local collective farm "40 years of October". The basis for the creation of the museum was the official document "Action plan for the organization of the museum-reserve of folk and amateur creativity of the Motol region", developed jointly by the regional department of Culture of the Republican National Scientific and Cultural Center, the board of the collective farm "40 years of October" and signed by the head of the department of cultural and educational institutions P. P. Sakovich, head of the Department of museums and monument protection A. G. Mikhalen, head of the Department of Fine Arts V. V. Urodnich, head of Culture of the Brest Regional Executive Committee V. A. Klimchuk and Chairman of the Ivanovo district Executive Committee V. P. Kunitsky.

The construction of the building for the Motol Folk Art Museum began in 1984 and was completed in early 1990. The artistic design of the museum was carried out by V. M. Kapshai.

The first museum collections were formed on the basis of objects from the already existing school museums of Motol and the collective farm museum of "Military and Labor Glory", created by the secretary of the party organization of the collective farm "40 years of October" P. P. Ptashits.

In 1988, the Motol Folk Art Museum received the status of a state institution and was headed by the first director Olga Grigorievna Matsukevich and the chief curator of the funds Nadezhda Pavlovna Minyuk. The museum was opened to the public on August 13, 1995.

This museum has collections of archaeological finds, ceramics, weaving, embroidery, icon painting and painting, as well as tableware and furniture. Motol has long been famous for its craftsmen. Local weavers, tailors and woodcarvers were known far beyond their village. In the museum you can also learn about the history of Motol: the staff created a diorama of the ancient Motol and recreated the authentic interior of the Polesie hut.

The museum has an exhibition hall, where the exhibitions are regularly updated.

Of particular importance is the rich photo library (more than four thousand negatives) of the pre-war and post-war period, created by the first Motol photographer A. A. Minyuk. This photo library complements the illustrative material of each room of the exposition and serves as an excellent document covering the half-century period of the life of the Polesie village (1927-1977). Alexey Minyuk assembled his first camera with his own hands from the lenses of glasses, with a paper diaphragm, and made the first negatives on glass.

Interactive programs have become a feature of the Motol Museum of Folk Crafts. For example, museum guests can find out what the locals have been eating for centuries. The lecture "Motolyan Folk cuisine" will not only tell you about the nutrition of the villagers, but also allow you to taste various delicacies: local cheese, homemade bread and herbal tea. In the museum you can hear Motol folk songs performed by the local ensemble "Matolska susedzi", bake a wedding loaf and even try to make linen threads. The youngest visitors will be told old fairy tales, nursery rhymes and lullabies, they will be able to play old games and drink fragrant tea.

In 2001, the museum was awarded a Diploma and a special prize by the President of the Republic of Belarus for its multifaceted activities in promoting and popularizing folk art and traditional crafts. In 2007, the museum received a Diploma of the 1st degree for high performance in the nomination "The best tourist object" at the tourist competition "Know Belarus".