Here you will be introduced to a life and business of Rybinsk’s people of 19th – beginning of 20th centuries. The most part of population were merchants, they were pointed out as hosts of a town. Here is a model of merchant’s shop of last century. Here a customer could get different goods: clocks, samovars, fabrics, dishes and so on. For example, you see sewing machine «Zinger»”. With the help of this catalog a customer could order fabrics of any color. And this is a joke-cup. There is a sign «Drink but not pour [po] wet!» But it is full of small wholes. How do you think, was it possible to drink from this cup? It has hollow hand through which one could drink all the drink without pouring over. These are beer-bottles, the beer was produced on the factory of merchant Ivan Durdin. It was famous for its high quality. And Durdin was even called «a beer king».
But the main trade thing was bread. To put wholesale in order there was created trade exchange. The first exchange building was built in 1811. But there were so many goods the building became too small in 50 years of the 19th century and in the beginning of 20th century was founded a new house. The deals at the exchange were carried out by brokers, whose business was to check the quality of seeds with special machines. Now let’s move to a merchant’s house. The evidence of well fare is furniture, well made and firm. It was made for a special order. There are the examples of common furniture possessed by merchants of middle class. And this wonderful furniture made of birch-tree in neorussian style is painted with topics from Russian fairy-tales by a wife of «Beer King» Durdin & this was located at his countryside house.
Some Rybinsk merchants owned factories. Famous for its production was potters factory of merchant Aksyonov. His cottage in Rybinsk was covered with tiles of his own factory. In 1900 these tiles got special prize for quality in Paris at International industrial exhibition. One of the biggest factory owners were merchants Zhurawlyovy. They possessed the biggest in Europe rope factory, shipbuilding and others. Merchants were actively involved in charity. Churches, children orphanages, schools were established for their fundings. In general Rybinsk’ merchants made a lot for town’s welfare.