The Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich House-Museum was established in 1998 by the order of President Heydar Aliyev, dated May 23, 1997, at the residence where the Rostropovich family had lived in Baku. The street where the museum is located was named in honor of the father and son, Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich.
World-renowned cellist Mstislav Rostropovich lived in this house from 1927 to 1931. The museum consists of four exhibition halls, with the corridor and the first room serving as memorial spaces.
Although the museum exhibition was completed earlier, its official opening took place in 2002, on the occasion of Maestro Rostropovich’s 75th birthday. The opening ceremony was attended by members of the Rostropovich family, government officials, figures from the music and cultural communities, and international guests. Maestro Rostropovich himself personally contributed to the museum’s establishment.
Today, the museum’s main collection contains over 5,000 exhibits.
The collection includes valuable materials on the history of the global cello school, performance art, and composition. It also features personal archives of Azerbaijani composers and musicians (E. Isgandarov, R. Abdullayev, S. Aliyev, Y. Anshlevich, Y. Abdullayev, among others), many of which were donated directly by the composers or their families.
From 2007 to 2019, the Mstislav Rostropovich International Music Festival was held in Baku. During these festivals, world-famous musicians and orchestras visited the city. Artifacts reflecting their visits to the museum are now part of the exhibition.
The museum has also hosted numerous ceremonial events and music evenings over the years.