Last year, the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great celebrated 300 years.It is the successor to the first state museum of Russian public, created by the emperor in 1714.Curiosities - is one of the largest worldwide and the oldest ethnographic museums in its funds has more than 1.2 million copies.
Just as they thought
As the creator, she had become a conduit of scientific thought of Europe in Russian society.Curiosities - a museum based on the example of European countries.The basis for the meeting served as a collection, I brought Peter from the first diplomatic trip to Europe in the framework of the "Great Embassy".Before him, no one of the Russian tsars made no attempt to visit Europe.
whole year Peter I was abroad incognito as a sergeant Peter Mikhailov, together with the Embassy visited a number of countries.He studied personal collection offices scientists spoke with European experts, inviting them to work in Russia, learned the trade, and parallel studies.Peter took a second trip after twenty years.
Peter the Great in Europe
known details of his visits, which are characteristic of his interests.For example, arrived in Dresden in the evening, after dinner, Peter in the morning went to get acquainted with the collection of the Kunstkammer, where he stayed until the morning, carefully studied the section of mathematical instruments and craft tools.Exhibits Kunstkamery very interested in it, the second and third day of his stay in Dresden after watching military exercises armory and foundry at home, he again returned to them.
In the Netherlands, after learning that a collector kept Roman sarcophagus Russian tsar expressed a desire to see him.After the departure of the owner recorded that Peter the Great had the honor to see his office, but when he learned that the thing is kept in a dark closet, demanded candelabras with candles and saw the whole sarcophagus and its individual pieces, kneeling.
Free admission
Decree on the establishment of the Kunstkammer was not, but the foundation of the museum is associated with the decree of Peter I to transfer to St. Petersburg personal collection and library, as well as the collection of "naturals" and books Aptekarskaya office.
collections were placed in the Summer Palace of the king, and later, in 1719 - in confiscated houses Boyar Kikin, in the same year exhibits Kunstkammer were publicly available on the orders of the king.
As the ancient legend, Peter I, entered the museum with rarities, he announced that now everyone has the opportunity to become acquainted with the unit of the human body and animals, as well as explore the many insects, let people look at the diverse world of the inhabitants of the planet.Assistant king Earl Yaguzhinskii noticed Curiosities (St. Petersburg) in need of financial support and offered to charge per visit for one ruble.King did not like the proposal, and he decided to do the opposite, every guest who came to treat with tea, coffee or vodka.Soon the chief superintendent in the year was allocated 400 rubles for a treat visitors.This tradition of success, and has conceived existed during the reign of Anna Ivanovna - all classes without exception, could come and help themselves at the request of coffee and a sandwich or vodka.
choice fell ...
Curiosities - a universal place where exhibits collected in a small space all wanting to introduce to the world in all its diversity.The exhibits were collected throughout the country on the basis of governmental decrees.An important role in the expansion of the collection played domestic academic expedition, funds from private sources, purchases from abroad.
collection is constantly growing, therefore, required larger premises, and the distance from the center Kikin Chambers played down the importance invested in this "academic" project of the king.According to legend, one day Peter was walking on Vasilyevsky Island, and happened to notice two pine trees, a branch of one of them have grown into the trunk of the other, it was difficult to determine which of them it belongs.This phenomenon, according to tradition, gave him the idea of building a museum of curiosities in this place.
new building
new special building was laid in 1718, the author of the project was Mattarnovi.After that, until 1734 Exaltation of the choir were engaged three architect.Construction was moving very slowly, Peter the Great, he found only the walls.The following year, after his death, the collection was transferred to an unfinished building.Finally, the building was completed and Europe gasped - nothing like it had never seen.It was so thought that without major repairs stood until the present time.
building was built in the tradition of Peter's baroque, consisting of two three-storey buildings, the shape of them is connected to a multi-tiered baroque tower, which has complicated the completion of the dome.
project Peter
Ten years after the creation of the collection of Peter the Great embodied the second part of the "academic" project.In 1724, the emperor and the Senate established the Academy of Sciences.Now Kunstkamera and Library is the first institution, and the "cradle" of the Russian Academy.
Museum of the Academy of Sciences began a new life.Within its walls were concentrated richest collections conducted scientific processing and systematization, oversees exposure leading scientific forces of the country - all this made him a truly unique scientific institution in Europe on the organization of work was not unique.
Curiosities - is not only a scientific base of the Academy of Sciences, but also an important cultural and educational institution.Within its walls many major Russian scientists, including Lomonosov, it was a description of the minerals that have been stored in the museum.
Museum exhibits
impressionable people do not look human malformations.Not everyone has the strength to endure the sight, look like freaks Kunstkamery: Siamese twins, which could not be divided (photo skeleton), a child born as a result of incest, relatives and others.Also in the photograph captured a wooden helmet brought from Alaska (island of Mithila).Mongolian shamans used the flute from a human femur.Chinese tea is a rarity, from the sun's heat to boil.There is Greater Academic (Gottorp) Globe, he reproduces the existing mechanism of rotation, astronomy with a map of the sky inside.
Kunstkameru Tickets can be purchased from 11:00 to 17:00 every day, except Monday, at University Embankment, 3.
