In the center of the northern capital on the famous squareThe arts, made in a single architectural ensemble with the Russian Museum, is an ethnographic museum. In St. Petersburg, it has existed for more than a hundred years and throughout this time it acquaints all comers with the original culture of the peoples of Russia and the states adjacent to it, with their customs, way of life and features of the worldview. The expositions presented here make it possible to visually see how they are similar to each other and at the same time original.
History of the museum: the main stages
Ethnographic Museum in St. Petersburg appearedin 1902, when, under the decree of Nicholas II, a separate ethnographic section was created at the Russian Museum. In this case, the last Russian emperor fulfilled the will of his father, Alexander III, who was a big fan of Russian folk art. At home he had his own collection, which included several dozen worthy examples of art. In the future, by the way, they all took their honorable place among other exhibits. The ethnographic museum in St. Petersburg becomes an independent museum thirty-two years later, in 1934, and from that very moment it is referred to as the State Museum of Ethnography. After fifteen years, the cultural institution will be renamed. In the summer of 1948, after the official transfer of the bulk of the Moscow Museum's collection devoted to the peoples of the USSR, this museum will be called the State Museum of Ethnography of the Peoples of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. And only in 1992 he will receive his current name.
Museum today
Today the ethnographic museum isone of the largest ethnographic museums in the world. He keeps in his fund several hundreds of various items on 157 numerous and small ethnic groups of Russia, starting from the XVIII century. At the same time, the volume of the collected collections, which fully reflect the culture of one or another ethnos, allows creating independent expositions. However, due to the absence of the required museum areas, at present visitors can see only a small part of this rich collection.
General information about the museum
Ethnographic Museum in St. PetersburgIt offers the attention of visitors to the exhibition and the exhibition, which demonstrate how diverse the culture of numerous nationalities and peoples populating the territory from the Baltic to the Far East. Here you can learn in detail about the structure of their life, the characteristics of national clothes, interior items, kitchen utensils and handicraft tools. Currently, the museum has more than five hundred thousand different copies. In the collection you can find truly unique examples of the art of lace making, embroidery, weaving, jewelry and woodcarving. In the numerous halls of the ethnographic museum, life-size residential buildings are equipped, as well as musical instruments and vehicles. The guides working here do not just talk about each of these subjects, but also acquaint everyone with national holidays and rituals of various peoples. They also show photos of the ethnographic museum in St. Petersburg from different times. There are quite rare frames and archival documents.
Divisions of the Ethnographic Museum
Currently, the museum presents suchsections, as a department of ethnography of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, a large section devoted to the ethnography of the Russian people, an section on the ethnography of peoples living in the Baltic States and the North-West. In addition, here you can get acquainted with the culture and life of the people of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Volga region, Kazakhstan and the Urals. Also today there are sections devoted to the history of the peoples of the Far East and Siberia. The museum in this case appears in the form of a kind of time machine, allowing everyone to touch the way of life of various people. Here you can even learn a lot about such small nations as, for example, Oroki, Enets, and Kets.
Location and opening hours
The official address of the ethnographic museum inSt. Petersburg: Inzhenernaya Street, Building 4, Building 1. The building in which it is located is located directly on the corner. The Ethnographic Museum together with the State Russian Museum create a single architectural complex. As for working hours, it is open to all visitors daily (except Monday) from 10:00 to 18:00. The only exception is Tuesday. On this day, the Russian Museum of Ethnography (St. Petersburg) is open until 21:00. During official holidays, the complex closes one hour earlier.
