The Roshke House in Zheleznovodsk, Stavropol Krai, which was often visited by Mikhail Lermontov, has been restored and is ready to welcome its first guests. The house is known as the place where the poet and writer spent his last hours before his fateful duel with Nikolai Martynov.
According to one version, all the participants and witnesses of the duel gathered in the Roshke House on the eve of the poet's death. It is believed that the seconds hoped to reconcile Lermontov and Martynov (this is indicated in the notes of historian P.A. Viskovatov). However, their efforts were in vain.
The Roshke House, which is part of the Mikhail Lermontov State Museum-Reserve, was built in the early 19th century. It served as a small restaurant where travelers stopped on their way from Pyatigorsk to Zheleznovodsk. The Roshke family was highly respected, with its head even attending the coronation of Nicholas I and being awarded a silver medal for his service.
There are still many mysteries surrounding the duel. For example, it is unclear whether Lermontov actually said the insulting words to Martynov during the duel: "I will not shoot this fool." Historians and biographers also debate whether Lermontov fired into the air or simply stood waiting for Martynov's shot.
However, many researchers agree that the duel was farcical from the beginning. It seems that even the seconds were confident that the situation would be resolved and end in reconciliation - after all, there was no doctor or carriage for transporting the wounded at the dueling site.
The restored Roshke House will be presented during the annual "Night of Museums" event, and it is an important event for the residents of Zheleznovodsk and fans of Mikhail Lermontov's outstanding works. The house will be open for mass visits starting from July of this year.
Eugene Bakulin, the head of Zheleznovodsk, reminded that it was in this house that the writer had a cup of coffee before his duel with his close friend since his cadet school days, Nikolai Martynov.
