Welcome to the World of Tales: The Residence Taleteller of Rus’ to Open in the Moscow Region

On October 25, in the village of Marchugi, Voskresensk District, the opening ceremony of the first Taleteller of Rus’ residence in the Moscow Region took place. This innovative project was realized by the Creative Council for Legends and Tales of the Peoples of Russia, established under the Union of Writers of Russia.

The residence is headed by Yuri Belousov — a distinguished writer, publicist, and local historian who serves as Chairman of the Council for Legends and Tales of the Peoples of Russia, Secretary of the Union of Writers of Russia, and is involved in various interregional, tourist, and cultural-historical initiatives, including the “Heart of Meshchera” project. Additionally, Yuri Belousov is a singer-songwriter who has collaborated with the music publishing company Ray Records for many years.

Since 2016, Yuri Belousov has been exploring the ancient and mysterious Meshchera Lowlands, located at the junction of the Moscow, Ryazan, and Vladimir regions. He sees his mission as preserving and promoting the fading layer of national culture — the folk tales of Meshchera. “The Taleteller of Rus’ residence, which will become the first home for taletellers from the Moscow Region and beyond, is a gateway to Meshchera,” Yuri explains. “Welcome to the world of tales!”

The residence is located in a historic 19th-century merchant house. Its first museum exhibit — an antique iron from the Kasimov factory, a contemporary of the merchant house — was generously donated by Ilya Kvashnin, owner of an antique shop. An initial charitable contribution towards acquiring equipment for Russian traditional games was provided by philanthropist Sergey Zaburniyagin.

The organizers believe that this opening will mark a significant milestone in the region’s cultural development, fostering stronger connections between generations and supporting the transfer of tradition and knowledge.

On the same day, October 25, a local history conference of the Moscow Regional Organization of the Union of Writers of Russia was held in Marchugi. The conference focused on the role of local historians and writers amid the introduction of the “History of the Native Land” course into the school curriculum. During the event, the First Moscow Region Residence Taleteller of Rus’ was officially launched and presented to the public.