The I. E. Repin Academic Dacha, located near Vyshny Volochek on the shores of Lake Mstino and at the source of the Msta River, is the oldest creative base of the Union of Artists.

It was opened on July 22, 1884, on a plot of forty desyatins adjacent to the lands of the peasants of the village of Maly Gorodok, as a place for summer practice for underprivileged students of the Imperial Academy of Arts. The land with a park, house, and buildings, owned by the Ministry of Transport, was leased to the Academy of Arts. Initially, it was called the Vladimir-Mariinsky Shelter in honor of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, and Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

An important role in the creation and development of the "Academic Dacha" was played by its trustee V. A. Kokorev, a well-known collector of Russian and Western European art. He entrusted I. E. Repin with choosing the location for the dacha. In 1885, with funds from Kokorev and according to the design of architect V. A. Kenel, an octagonal pavilion decorated with carvings was built on the grounds of the shelter, becoming the artistic center of the ensemble.

For over 130 years, the Academic Dacha has served as a place for fruitful work for artists. Both students and experienced masters work here, upholding the traditions of Russian realistic art.

Today, at the Creative House, in addition to studios for painters, conditions have been created for the work of ceramic artists, who will undoubtedly add a new vibrant chapter to the history of the Academic Dacha.