Let’s walk through the hallways of a journey.
Surabaya has a very long history as a city. And we can find piece of it in almost every place and destination here. This museum is one of them. Located in Siola, a public building which functions as an Occupation Service Office. This museum is strategically located in the heart of Surabaya. What makes it interesting is that the government has carried out renovations to make it even better. Back when I was still a student, the layout was completely different from the one I'm about to show you now. The current layout is the best in my opinion.
First, we'll visit Surabaya during the pre-colonial period, from the 11th to the 17th centuries. Here, we can see stone artifacts from ancient times. There's also a corner displaying animal bones and even human bones that has found during that era. On the walls of the rooms, there are texts explaining the history of each historical relic housed in this museum. The neat arrangement and warm lighting make us comfortable in these rooms while learning about history. The information and images presented are very structured, and there is even television that conveys this historical journey in animated form.
Next, down the second hallway, we'll see the Dutch colonial era. This museum doesn't teach us the details of colonialism or anything like that, but rather conveys the struggle of this city's heroes to survive and the progress they achieved in all sectors. For example, there’s a wall explaining the advancements in communication systems during that era. From postal mail, to handwritten letters, everything amazed me knowing how modern the world has become. I wondered if a letter that people received back in the day, would be the best way for them to know find out how their loved ones were doing, especially those whose family members had to go to war.
There's a grand piano at the corner of the room. According to written information, that grand piano was used to entertain Europeans and Dutch individuals. It’s a Grotrian-Steinweg, and has been use since 1907. As far as I can remember, several years ago when I visited this museum when it just opened for public, the piano was already on display. So with that being said, this grand piano is truly is a historical relic that they are preserving. On some walls, there are also several moving displays that show what the atmosphere was like at that specific era.
One of my favorite pieces from what they show of this era is the “Diorama of the Office Room in the City Hall during the Dutch East Indies Era”. They somehow make it feel very nostalgic, even though I never experienced living in that era. It looks old and mysterious, yet warm and beautiful at the same time.
The next hallway is from the Japanese colonial era. I don’t know if I didn’t capture everything displayed in this room, but I did find various types of Japanese soldiers' uniforms. It is written that during this era, Surabaya as one of the central cities of the resistance movement againts colonization, giving rise of several important founding figures of the nations who played significant role in leading the struggle during the revolutionary era.
The forth era has many things to explore. It was Surabaya in post-proclamation era. So after years and years of fighting for independence, this city finally able to stand on its own. We can explore the development of transportation in the city from Becak (a type of three-wheeled vehicle pedaled by human power), and also the kind of car that called Angguna.
When I was in kindergarten, I remember one of my uncles had an Angguna and I always felt like a rich and cool kid if I was taken to school by this car🤣 I don’t even know what it is about that venicle made me feel that way back than, but it’s totally nostalgic to see it again here in the museum because the only memory I have of riding an Angguna (yellow car below) was with my uncle who passed away long long time ago.
Another section showcases all the culture from that time and the types of entertainment that they had back in the day. Wayang Kulit is obviously one of them, it’s a traditional Javanese art form that played by a puppeteer who also serves as the narrator for the dialogue of puppet characters, and accompanied by gamelan music. From what I know, Wayang Kulit is still a spectacle occasionally performed in several regions of Java. There’s also like a miniature pagoda display, as our city is heavily influenced by Chinnese culture. Traditional clothing and foods popular during that era are also displayed in this room.
Here's my favorite of the displays from the era: the types of currency in official circulation and use from that era up to the present day. The display is so neatly arranged, showing each coin and paper clearly. I especially like the color of the corner and lighting that they use, which make it look so elegant.
The next hallway is all about Soekarno, the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independence from the colonial rule and also the first president of my country. This hallway shows many interesting part of him, such as the uniform and bicycle he used, photographs of him on duty, and his famous quote “A thousand old men can only dream, but a young man is able to change the world”. It was one of the most powerful quotes back then. But I don’t know if it’s still relevant to this day and age..
One of the most interesting things for me is these pieces of papers, which resembles his resume. It’s written on vintage brown paper with beautiful handwriting, describing many aspects of himself. I personally think it’s fascinating that a resume paper from decades ago is still kept so neatly and well-maintained.
The Surabaya Museum is probably my favorite museum in my city. I’m not really a fan of exploring museums because I think it would be boring, but the layout of this museum is really nice. It feels like walking through hallways of a journey, and exploring my city through its history. This wasn't my first time visiting this museum, but somehow, that day when I was there, there were quite a lot of visitors, even from out of town.
By the way, this museum is free to enter. The reason why I came here is always because I visit the coworking space upstairs, but somehow, walking leisurely exploring the history feels relaxing. I think it’s also a perfect place for a museum date haha like I said, because of the layout like hallways and we enter each era in every hallway, I think it would be a great time to talk and share with your loved ones without rushing to arrive to the destination or anything like that. And the museum is located in the city center, so it's easy to get to.
Anyway, the last era is “Surabaya in the future”. Well, I hope it will only get better and better. With that being said, thankyou so much for reading and come with me exploring these hallways of history. Upvote and reblog always appreciated :) have a nice day, hivers!
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