This project was organized in the Museum of Lev Tolstoi in Moscow, was closed in June, 2008. Our Museum took an active part in it. The project included the exhibition “Songs in a Village”; children’s folk festival “A Girl’s Field”; museum performances with folk theatres, demonstrations of historical (authentic) costumes and contemporary costumes with folklore elements; folk festivals; master classes of handicrafts artists; exhibitions and fairs of handicrafts.

The project group included the research workers of our museum Gorozhanina S.V.,Zhiguleva V.M., Miroshina V.V. The tasks were determined in the project conception as follows: “working out contemporary techniques of co-operation between a museum and the society, creation of an attractive museumimage for representatives of the society; organization of interesting entertainment for Moscow citizen; providing conditions for the development of the ability to resist “the products” of pop culture; ; development of partner co-operation between the museums – participants of the project”

The participation of our museum concerned the organization and preparation of the exhibition. The exhibition included 85 works of folk art of Tula and neighboring regions. The exhibition and the project as a whole was named after the work of L.N. Tolstoi “Songs in a Village”. The writer was known to regard folk culture as a foundation of the world culture. In his treatise “What is Art?” L. Tolstoi dwelt on it as “a condition of human life”, as “a means of people’s unity”. The great writer presented art as a pyramid with folk art at its foundation. Till his last days he admired “carvings on cornice”, ear-rings of floss and gala headdresses of the peasants in his estate in Yasnaya Polyana. The items of our museum could precisely demonstrated that fascinating beauty.

The exhibition title “Song in a Village” , reflecting musical art of the Russian people, was a kind of metaphor illustrating beauty of folk festive culture in general. L. Tolstoi believed that “music was the greatest art in the world”. This statement included folk music besides the creations of outstanding composers. S.L. Tolstoi recalled a pleasure his father expressed when he heard how the Tula peasants “played” their songs dancing in a ring. “This is point, - he said. – Folk music comes from heart and so it works on heart”. The sounds of music were essential components and decorative aspects of the display.

The exhibition provided facilities for learning folk songs, games and entertainments, giving an opportunity to pass from contemplation to performance. There were also master-classes of handicrafts, demonstrations of cloths with folk style elements created by contemporary designers. The excursions were supplemented with multi-media programs, video-films with folk festivals, documental shots of “Tolstoi” film archives.