The world music community celebrates World Accordion Day on May 6. This date was not chosen by chance – it was on May 6, 1829 in Vienna that the accordion first saw the light and was patented by the Austrian master of musical instruments (pianos and organs) of Armenian origin, Cyrill Demian (1779-1847). The master had his own shop, which sold elements of his new designs – for example, a case consisting of left and right keyboard covers, bellows and bellows chamber, as well as separate parts of keyboard and wind instruments. After 17 days Damian's patent was officially recognized, and since then May 23 is considered the birthday of accordion. It is also known from the history that Cyrill Damian created a harmonica with chord accompaniment, the accordion, together with his sons Carl (1807-1869) and Guido (1811-1848). A patent called "accordion" was granted on May 23, 1829.
Demian divided the body of the instrument into two parts, placed the keyboards for the left and right hands on them, and connected the halves with bellows. Each of the five keys played a chord, which predetermined the name of the new instrument. In the 1820s, the harmonica, invented by Christian Buschmann (1805-1864), was a popular musical instrument in Central Europe. But with the invention of Cyrill Demian, the fame of harmonica began to fade.
"Demian's accordion was a superb innovation. By pressing just one key, an entire chord could be played," such records were found in the archives.

In 1831, the accordion began to conquer the British Isles, and two years later the musician Adolf Müller (1801-1886) described a huge number of accordion types in his book "The Accordion School".

At that time, the musical communities of Vienna and London interacted closely, and their musicians often gave concerts simultaneously in those two capitals. In the 1840s, immigrants from the Old World brought the accordion to the United States, where it quickly gained popularity.

Accordion has absorbed the features of several musical instruments: in its form it resembles accordion, in its technical structure it is similar to harmonium, in its keys and ability to change the register it is close to piano.
Almost two hundred years have passed since accordion invention was patented. With time, this musical instrument undergone major upgrading, however it is still an essential instrument in every ensemble. The beautiful, spectacular appearance of the instrument is also important.

Accordion and harmonica have always been beloved and popular in Russia. Both, on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War and at festive parties and wedding feasts, these instruments have been indispensable companions of our everyday life.

Folk instruments received a new impetus in 1948, when Russian Academy of Music named after Gnessin was the first in the world to open a faculty of folk instruments.
The section "Accordions" of museum Collection exposition features a variety of accordions, piano accordions, button accordions, concertinas and player concertinas.

On the cover: Piano accordion “Cav. Cesare Pancotti”. Cav. Cezare Pancotti. Italy, Macerata. Circa 1945