Alexey Bakhrushin was a Russian merchant, patron, philanthropist, and the founder of the first literary-theatrical museum in Moscow (now — Bakhrushin Theatre museum). Born in 1865 in Moscow into a merchant family, he was instilled with a love for art from an early age. From the age of six, he became a regular visitor to the Bolshoi Theatre, later developed a passion for the Maly Theatre troupe, and even tried acting in the Perlovsky theatre circle. In 1888, Alexey Bakhrushin joined the family business, but his true calling became collecting. Initially gathering "oriental rarities", he radically changed his interests after seeing the theatrical relics of his cousin. Theatrical collecting quickly turned into the passion of his entire life. On May 30, 1894, he first showed his collection to friends, and on October 29 of the same year, he presented it to the Moscow theatrical public, which is considered the birth date of the first Moscow literary-theatrical museum. His collection included three main sections: literary, dramatic, and musical. In 1913, the museum was solemnly transferred to the ownership of the Academy of Sciences, and the collector himself became its lifelong honorary trustee. Today, the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum features a unique collection comprising over one and a half million exhibits. These include items collected by Alexey Bakhrushin, which formed the basis for the study of the history of Russian theatre.