New exhibition titled “Imperial Hall: Multinational Russia” unveiled at Russia’s first museum Kunstkamera
RELEASE
Release
Today, a new permanent exhibition titled “Imperial Hall: Multinational Russia” was opened at the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. The event is timed to celebrate the historic date on which the Russian Empire was proclaimed.
Taking part in the opening ceremony were Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg, and Andrey Golovnyov, Director of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The new exhibition was created with support from Gazprom as part of the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter I.
The exhibition is devoted to the peoples who lived in the Russian Empire in the 18th century. For instance, it showcases traditional clothing which used to be worn in various regions of Russia: in central governorates, in the northwest, as well as in the Volga region, the Southern Ural, Siberia, and the Far East. The visitors will also be given an opportunity to try on the clothes from that era with the use of digital solutions.
The residents and guests of St. Petersburg can also explore the exhibits from the unique imperial collection of the Kunstkamera – various gifts presented to members of the imperial family. The collection includes antique jewelry, armor, items of everyday life, interior items, as well as musical instruments from Japan, India, Central Asia, Siam, and the Balkans. These exhibits were offered to the museum by the representatives of the House of Romanov.
“We are opening a new permanent exhibition titled “Imperial Hall: Multinational Russia” in the Kunstkamera of Peter I today. This is very fitting, because the date – November 2, 2022 – marks exactly 301 years from the day Russia was declared an Empire. Peter the Great's concept of the imperial idea is the unity of the peoples in Russia. It is the idea of achieving great goals throughout the history of our country. It is strong, united, and modern Russia.
Peter I devoted all of his life, activities, feats, and deeds to this single idea – making Russia a strong and resolute Empire. And he achieved the goal in his lifetime by winning the Great Northern War, securing access to the sea for Russia, and gaining Russia's most glorious military victory of the 18th century – the victory in the Battle of Poltava. An empire always has an army and a navy, as well as industry and science. The Kunstkamera, of course, represents science. And the Kunstkamera forms part of Peter the Great's concept of the imperial idea which implies a united and multinational Russia,” said Alexey Miller.
Background
The Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (the Kunstkamera) is the first museum in Russia. It was established by Peter I in St. Petersburg in 1714.
Gazprom actively takes part in the preparation and holding of ceremonial events celebrating the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter I. The celebrations are taking place all around Russia.
In St. Petersburg, the Company is joining forces with Russian museums and other organizations on a number of ambitious projects, for instance, the historical exhibition project titled “30 Paintings from the Life of Peter the Great. 2022” on the Field of Mars; the State Hermitage Museum's new permanent exhibition named “The Peter the Great Gallery” which showcases unique objects from the era of Peter I, including personal belongings of Russia's first emperor; the restoration of the painting “Peter I at Krasnaya Gorka Lighting a Fire on the Shore to Signal to his Sinking Ships” by Ivan Aivazovsky from the collection of the State Russian Museum; the monument titled “Peter the Great Saves the Drowning near Lakhta”; a cultural research program titled “From the City to the World. The Great Embassy: Designing the Future” which is implemented as part of Gazprom's social project Friends of St. Petersburg; and the holding of the 15th International Peter the Great Congress titled “Not a Sorcerer, but a Genius... Peter the Great's Identity during his Era.”