The End of a Beautiful Era

The bookshop has become an organic continuation of "A Room and a Half" the Joseph Brodsky Museum. As in the exhibition part of the museum, only original shingles and bricks from the construction of Muruzi House in 1876 have been preserved here.

All the furniture in "The End of a Beautiful Era" is antique: from pre-revolutionary massive oak cabinets to Romanian Soviet-era shelves. Through large wooden windows you can see the square and Transfiguration Cathedral reflected in transparent tables pushed up against each window.

Almost every inch of "The End of a Beautiful Era" is filled with books selected by Anna Narinskaya* and Katya Panteleeva. If we attempt to summarize the range of books the formula would be: "Brodsky's world through the language of books". These include publications by the poet himself as well as literature on art history, philology, philosophy, memoirs, biographies, fiction and poetry. A significant part of the assortment consists of second-hand books.

In "The End of a Beautiful Era" you will find books in foreign languages, albums and recent studies on art, architecture, photography and gift editions. We also have a chamber children's section that will appeal to the youngest readers, and a record shelf.

In the shop, you can always find souvenirs from the museum. From baseball caps and shopping bags to drawings and photographs of Brodsky on postcards. The award-winning El Capitan Bar team helped us create the concept for this bar. We offer laconic cocktails that reference literature and cultural life from the last century, along with wine, whiskey, and other vintage items carefully selected by our team. This results in a cozy space where you can have tea, coffee, or something stronger while reading a book.

*The Ministry of Justice recognized A. Narinskaya as a foreign agent.