"Who is the owner of the house?": exhibition about the pets of famous musicians

P.I. Museum. On December 10, 2025, Tchaikovsky opened an unusual exhibition called “Who is the boss in the house?”. She explores the amazing connections between outstanding musicians and their pets – cats, dogs, and even several species of animals that lived in the homes of artists such as Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Golovanov, Chaliapin and Rachmaninov.

The exhibition will give a glimpse into the personal lives of these geniuses, discovering what animals inspired them to create music, and what instruments they chose to "transmit the character and voice of the cat itself."

The exposition presents a lot of materials: photos, drawings, manuscripts, including Aram Khachaturyan’s Children’s Album and Igor Stravinsky’s Cat Lullabies. Particular attention is paid to the famous Russian bass Fyodor Chaliapin and his French bulldogs, whom he called Bulka, as well as a photo of the composer Sergei Rachmaninov and his Leonberger Levko.

The special value of the exhibition is a restored drawing by Fyodor Chaliapin, addressed to his son, where Bulka “bows”. Visitors will be able to see this touching image thanks to modern animation. The exhibition, which includes other rare exhibits, will run until April 12, 2026.