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A new exhibition at Peter the Great's Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkammer) of the Russian Academy of Sciences opens a bright but long-forgotten page in Russian culture for the first time. The exhibited collections are united under one theme: they were all presented to the Museum by the members of the Royal Romanov family. At present, one thousand of such items are stored at the Museum.
Studying the items on exhibit carefully, one notices right away their artistic perfection. Russia was a Great Power, and Russian Emperors were given magnificent presents according to the country's prominent status. We can even say that these gifts illustrate Russia's international affairs and alliances at various times.
Russia's ambassadors, consuls, and diplomats posted to many countries contributed greatly to the acquisition of gifts for the Emperors. They were guided by a main principle - to elevate the prominence of their country. Both political influences and personal preference played a great role in the array of gifts. We must forget the stereotypical images of Russian Emperors - images that circulate in school-textbooks and anthologies - and try to remember that they were real people, with their own tastes, connected to the time and the fashion, and to their own customs and habits. The exhibited items certainly reveal particular epochs and styles, but one can also experience the fascination and the passions of both the gift-givers and those who accepted the gifts for the collected articles.
For almost three hundred years, Emperors and their heirs presented the Kunstkammer with treasures. There was a special etiquette that supported the giving; it was an expression of gratitude and respect to Peter the Great who had founded the first museum of ethnography in Russia.
Peter I took great care with his favorite "child". He purchased especially for the Kunstkammer the famous anatomical collection of F. Ryusch and A. Sebout's ethnographic collection, which included various oriental rarities. The anatomical collections have been exhibited at the Museum for a long time, but the works of traditional Indian and Chinese art from the collection of A. Sebout are exhibited for the first time.
On January 15, 1732 (old calendar), Empress Anna Ioannovna, who ruled 1730-1740, "deigned to honor the Kunstkammer with Her Presence".
It is been proven through documents that young Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter I, visited the Kunstkammer. Emperor Peter III liked to come to the Kunstkammer and use its library.
Among the exhibited items from the private collections of Emperor Peter I and Empress Catherine II, the 18th century works of Chinese and Japanese decorative and applied arts attract the most attention.
As a sign of gratitude for Russia's liberation of Bulgaria in 1877-1878, Emperor Alexander III received a gift of a rich ethnographic collection of works by Bulgarian artisans. These are now shown to the public for the first time.
The tradition continued through the 19th century and into the beginning of the 20th century. There are beautiful collections given to the Museum by the last Romanov Emperor, Nicholas II.
Among the unique collections of Siberian ethnographic rarities are things which Nicholas II collected when traveling to the East in 1890-1891. During that long journey, Tsarevitch Nicholas Alexandrovitch was presented with many collections of folk art from Africa, India, China, and Japan. He also purchased a number of collections. In 1895, at the personal order of Nicholas II, the entire collection was given to the Kunstkammer.
The ceremonial horse harness, a gift to Empresses Maria Fyodorovna and Alexandra Fyodorovna from the Emirs of Bukhara, are strikingly elegant and very finely crafted.
The fortunes of the items now exhibited have not been easy. Some still keep their secrets to themselves, waiting for researchers to come and solve them.
The new exhibition from the Imperial Collections, which include rare and often unique items, give evidence that the love of collecting and the efforts of all the above-mentioned people (gift-givers, Emperors, diplomats, and the humble museum keepers of the Kunstkammer treasures) have not gone to waste. Visitors who come to the Museum at the end of the 20th century cannot remain indifferent to the Imperial gifts. After seeing the show, they will have a clearer idea of 18th century to early 20th century Court Life and Culture as practiced in various countries and nations.
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