"Will in St. Petersburg, be sure to visit the Kunstkammer!"- A farewell gets virtually every tourist, visitor of the northern capital.What is a cabinet of curiosities?Many people associate the word with something unusual, rare and spectacular.From it emanates the old days, something far ...
The article explained in detail what the curiosities, the story of its creation and the current situation.
concept
There is a legend that Peter I during a walk on the Vasilyevsky Island saw two amazing pine: one branch somehow inexplicably sprouted through the barrel of another.This unusual picture impressionable Tsar remembered.He thought of a gimmick in a few years when visiting a diplomatic mission in the 1697-1698 biennium.England and Holland.Then he met with the so-called "cabinet of curiosities" from the nobles, where they kept all sorts of diva: zaspirtovannye bodies, stuffed animals, a collection of rare insects.These were the very first Kunstkammer.The word in German means "art room".
History in Russia
Peter liked it so much wonderful room that after returning home, he first took up a similar arrangement in his office at the palace.In Holland, he learned the recipe of embalming, for 30 thousand Dutch guilders purchased the entire "office Ruysch."In the future, do not skimp, buy the sovereign rare books, instruments, various tools, unique artifacts and natural wonders abroad.After he issued a decree according to which anyone who has found an unusual or rare object was to convey it to the creation of a "cabinet of curiosities".From all corners of the vast Russian empire began to flock to the office of amazing items.Soon they become so numerous that they are not placed in the palace.Much had to be stored in special cellars that are very upset Peter, who wanted to put all the curiosities on display.
After the capital was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg and moved to a new residence, Peter I moved to a new location and its curiosities.Temporarily, he placed them in the Palace of the disgraced Boyar Kikin, who was expelled from the capital and confiscation of property for taking part in a conspiracy against the emperor.The king commanded, "Kikin Chambers' call on foreign manners" Cabinet of Curiosities ".This happened in 1714.This year was born into the world first Russian curiosities, photos which now adorns each guide Peter.
building construction
Collection Peter grew very quickly.In 1717, again in the Netherlands it was acquired entirely Seba account for 15 thousand. NLG.Soon, all the values could not fit and "Kikin chambers."To accommodate their curiosities with an option to display all wishing the emperor ordered the construction of a special building.For him, isolated elite place the arrow of Vasilevsky Island in the vicinity of the king's house and the important state institutions.
project developed by the architect Mattarnovi.The first stone of the future famous museum was founded in July 1718 In the future, building on such well-known masters as Gerbel, Zemtsov and Kiaveri.
Kunstkamery Inauguration took place in November 1728, but finishing work only ended in 1734
Russian kunstkamery difference from the European
first "cabinet of curiosities" appeared in Europe during the Renaissance in the 15-16 centuries.What curiosities owned by a wealthy prince, whose goal was to impress the guests?It's just a haphazard collection of rare and unusual things, demonstrating "doctrine" of their owner.
Petrovskaya same curiosities and described above, was originally conceived not as a gathering of treasures, but as a collection of entertaining exhibits that could serve as educational and scientific purposes.Storage and systematization of values has been entrusted to the enlightened people.At various times, directors or employees of a "cabinet of Peter" were Baiburin, Barthold, Gumilyov, Lomonosov, Struve, Sternberg, Pallas, Severgin and other scientists.They collected the most different material - not only entertaining freaks or curiosities, but everyday objects that have large ethnographic and historical significance, valuable in the scientific sense of the insect collection, stuffed birds, reptiles, fish and animals, created an anatomical and mineralogical departments.
After the creation of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1724. The main sources of kunstkamery items were brought from the scientific expeditions Miller, Krasheninnikov, Messershmity, Lisiansky, Maclay, Bellingshausen, Kruzenshtern.
What curiosities Russian?This museum, one of the oldest and richest in the world, the cradle of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Interesting facts
From the first day of curiosities, a photo of which is shown below, on the orders of Peter I was opened to all comers.Entry and inspection of exhibits was free.
Peter I created a very unusual department in the museum, the exhibits which are animals and people with congenital defects - Cyclops, many-armed, the siren's syndrome and other abnormalities.And here were not only embalmed bodies and beings, but also live dwarves, freaks and monsters that live in the museum by the State Treasury.
Emperor knew every piece of the collection "in the face" and was an excellent guide, gladly telling them to his guests.
Today, the museum has 1.2 million. Exhibits!
