At the Fireside

At the Fireside
There are many memorial museums in Moscow and its environs, which are open the year round and which relate of the life and work of well-known revolutionaries, writers and composer Leo Tolstoy. Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Mayakovski and Gorky memorial apartments. Suburban estates are particularly lovely and lyrical in winter providing a picture of winter landscapes in all their magnificence.
On the route from Moscow to Saint Petersburg stands the small town of Klin. There is a snow-topped house in the old park where the composer Tchaikovsky lived. The winter sunshine lights up the capacious rooms. On the desk lie the composer’s eye-glasses as well as pen and paper, which seem to have been put there just a moment ago. His gloves and top hat lie on the windowsill. On a simple carpet stands the grandpiano, which was first to reproduce the music of the genius whose name is Pyotr Tchaikovsky. As one peeps through the windows at the snow-clad park or looks at the furniture, one seems to hear “The Seasons” with their melodious pensive “Troika”. “Yuletide” and “At the Fireside”.
Though a great many years have gone by, the piano still gives forth music. Once a year musicians come here to play on it. and thus observe the composer’s birthday. For such is the tradition. And then the quietness gives way to music’s chords