The display, laid out in five exhibition rooms, features musical instruments, as well as folk and professional instrument from more then 50 foreign countries.
The gems of the display are genie Novgorodian gusli of the 13th-14th centuries, a collection
of silver wind and percussion instruments awarded to military bands as tokens of honour in commemoration of
victories of the Russian army in the early 19th century, and a balalaika made by the master Semyon Nalimov,
witch was owned by Vasily Andreyev, the founder of the first orchestra of Russian folk instruments.
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The exhibits representing the general European professional tradition include a violin made by the great Antonio
Stradivari (17th century), which was donated to the museum by David Oistrakh's family; 16th century Italian spinets;
unique lutes, mandolins and guitars, including a guitar owned by Fyodor Chaliapin; a rare specimen of a crystal flute;
aeolian harps; and music boxes.
The display has been wired for sound, and the "voices" of many of the instruments
have been recorded and can be played back through special equipment directly in the exhibition rooms.
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