Museum of Oriental Art - one of the richest and most interesting museums in Moscow.It is available with numerous examples of creativity: everyday objects, weapons, religious items, sculptures, paintings of famous artists and craftsmen from obscure Eastern countries.
Historical background
His appearance Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow obliged known merchant and patron Pyotr Shchukin.He opened at the Little Georgia Street "Shchukin Museum," which exposed subjects from the oriental collection.The merchant collects various "antiquity" from Persia, China, India, interested in old prints.The museum was not closed even after his death in 1912.
After the 1917 revolution, Shchukin's collection became the basis for the creation of a new museum Ars Asiatica ("Asian Art").It was supplemented by exhibits from other private collections, expropriated owners.It is remarkable that the museum was born October 30, 1918, and the following year opened the first exhibition.
Later Funds Oriental Museum and supplemented by connoisseurs of art donated items, and by objects obtained during the archaeological and ethnographic expeditions.Some materials were shared with the museum other government agencies.
In the postwar years the main source of new exhibits have become the country who have chosen the socialist path of development and freed themselves from colonial dependence.In gratitude for the support of the leaders of the Soviet Union of the young states present gifts party and government leaders, among them masterpieces.The geography of the museum, he changed his name several times, and finally, in 1992, was renamed the State Museum of Oriental Art.
Location Museum
At first, the Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow had no permanent premises.Prior to 1930, he managed to get in, "Hirschman house" at the Red Gate, and the Russian Historical Museum on Red Square, and Rozhdestvenka building VKhUTEMAS and on Kropotkinskaya embankment.The first permanent location of the museum has become a Church of Elijah the Prophet.When you move to a new location in the building left Repository.And later the Museum of Oriental placed in it the restoration workshops.The scientific library of the museum is also located in an old building.
In July 1941, the most valuable exhibits were taken to Novosibirsk, part - in Solikamsk.The museum of Oriental Art was closed.However, in May 1942 there was an exhibition of paintings by artists of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.In 1944 exhibits returned from evacuation.And in May 1945, we have already started the first permanent exhibition.
Oriental Museum on Nikitsky Boulevard
The current building, which houses a museum worthy of interest in itself."House of Lunin" on Nikitsky Boulevard has been transferred to the museum in 1960.This classical-style mansion was built for the family of Lieutenant General Lunin after the fire of 1812.The architect of the main manor house was Domenico Gilardi.As he began the project to erect a building with a large loggia and columns in the Corinthian style, gave solemn front door.But by the end of the construction Lunin died and the house was bought from the widow of a commercial bank.He was in the building until 1917.
Strict and elegant lines of the building fascinates with its beauty.Huge rooms and a long staircase reminiscent of a lush traditional balls of the XIX century.But, as many museum staff, the room is not suitable for the device of exhibitions and especially for storage.It would be best if for a rich fund of fascinating museums were built new, large and well-maintained building.
Permanent exhibitions
The museum contains a rich collection of works of art of different directions.Total in funds is about 150 thousand valuable exhibits, most of which are unique works of art.Museum of the East in 1991 was under the Decree of the President of Russia related to "especially valuable objects of cultural heritage of Russia."
Work permanent exhibitions, which exhibited masterpieces of art of China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, Iran.A huge part consists of art from the countries of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.Much attention is paid to the Buddhist art of Buryatia, Mongolia, Tibet.
The exhibition dedicated to the art of Transcaucasia and Central Asia, a special place is given to paintings of famous masters Saryan and Niko Pirosmani.These works, unlike the traditional oriental painting artists make it clear that this creator has no boundaries and limits.
separate room is devoted to the art of the North, where special attention is paid to carving ivory.It's hard to believe that even ordinary everyday objects can be so beautiful.
artistic heritage of the Roerich
In addition to the museum objects of oriental culture and art in the museum occupies a special place the department dedicated to the heritage of Nicholas and Svetoslav Roerich.This two rooms, which gathered 282 paintings by famous artists - father and son.The collection is one of the largest in the world.The traveler, philosopher and artist Nicholas Roerich spent the last decade of his life in a small village in the Himalayas.For his amazing pictures depicting the stunning views of the distant and mysterious Tibet, he has been called "the master of the mountains."Most of the paintings are in the museum, are just for this period.Some of these bright and impressive paintings justify the visit to the museum.
Nicholas Roerich became the founder's own words, which are joined together Eastern mysticism, pantheism and high European culture.This trend is found in the esoteric world of many followers.They also attracts Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow).
The Roerich memorial study also presents the rare book editions.Some of them exist in the world in a single copy.He also assembled a unique collection of oriental antiquities.
scientific work
State Museum of Oriental began with the first days of the research activities.All the exhibits had to explore ways to establish contact with Russia, to follow the path of history, especially the art of the peoples of the eastern regions of Eurasia.
Start archaeological direction was initiated in 1926, when under the leadership of then-director VP Denike organized two major expeditions to Termez (Turkmenistan).The result was the emergence of museum objects from excavations of the palace of XII century.
In 1929 he organized the first expedition to the purchase of items of oriental art.
scientific work did not stop even during the Great Patriotic War.
Currently, nearly two-thirds of the exhibits presented in the museum - the results of archaeological expeditions.Their age ranges from the Neolithic to the XIV-XV centuries.
scientific library of the museum has more than 80 thousand books on the art of the East.Many of these publications are very rare, and there are absolutely priceless rarities.
Since 1987 the museum there is a scientific research institute.It employs more than 300 professionals, including many doctors and candidates of sciences.In addition to purely scientific work, they often conduct tours for individual halls and lecture devoted to the Eastern culture and the arts.
Educational work
Oriental Museum in Moscow - one of the most active educational centers of the country.It is constantly lectures, lectures in which fine reading specialists, enthusiastic about their work.You can visit a single lecture or buy a subscription on their cycle on a certain topic.Often exhibitions of contemporary art, especially the paintings of our contemporaries, inspired by oriental motifs.Themed movie screenings dedicated to the countries of the East, their past and present.From time to time demonstrated collections from other museums in the world.For example, the great response received exhibition devoted to the samurai, who had come straight from Japan.
Those who are interested in the culture of the eastern countries, attracted to the Museum of Oriental and a variety of events.For example, each week here spend tea ceremony, which tend to get fans of Japanese culture.Oriental Museum organizes the work of art studios for children and adults.Also have a regular partner of the museum became the theater of Indian dance "Tarang".
If desired, you can get the original skills of the game in the Eastern instruments, oriental dance, art bouquets - Ikebana.
By prior arrangement, you can work in the reading room of the museum, taking advantage of the rich scientific literature of the Eastern culture and the arts.
Working with children
For the younger generation the State Museum of Oriental also offers a range of activities.This thematic tour of the halls of the museum held a great connoisseur of Oriental art and lectures to complement the school curriculum in history, geography, world culture.Very popular lecture-concerts, which are on a par with verbal information about the work of the peoples of the East clearly demonstrate it, and have an interesting component.
For more than 20 years in the Museum of the East there is a children's art studio "Turtle".It schoolchildren studying painting, drawing, graphics, arts and crafts.And the younger members of the studios enjoys molded from clay and clay, origami and applique.
Children's museum tickets are much cheaper than adults, and admission is free for preschoolers.For other types of services - lectures, excursions, various activities - also provided discounts.
For lovers of old
The museum established antique gallery "Sean."She - the only one of its kind, as the other galleries, it is engaged in oriental antiques, in our country there.Basically, it contains various works of art from Japan and China.Products made from various traditional East materials - bronze, porcelain, wood, bone - are in great demand by collectors.Presented jewelry, embroidery, carpets, costumes, not only from the Far East, but also from other countries in Asia and Africa.
most famous collection of Japanese miniature statuettes - netsuke and okimono.
However Gallery offers visitors a museum and a relatively inexpensive product that you can buy as a souvenir, a gift for a birthday or anniversary, and for home decoration.Oriental fans, robes, bracelets and rings of traditional coinage - here is a small part of what you can buy here.
It is worth to see
course, museum of the peoples of the East in Moscow is a huge collection of various works of art.But some exhibits attract more others.
Such items include the world's largest eagle figure in ivory.It was brought as a gift to the coronation of Nicholas II by the Japanese Emperor.What is surprising is that this work is carried out in a complex combination technique.Masters produced the body and wings of an eagle made of wood.And at the tail went fifteen hundred plates of highly polished ivory.And located eagle on a background of the screen, which depicts the stormy sea - a favorite motif of Japanese artists.
great impression on visitors Buryat produces a collection of masks used during ceremonies.Scary faces on them are designed to scare away evil spirits and it would come up for shooting horror films.
Skill chasers and engravers represented in the collection of silver jewelry from Turkmenistan and Dagestan (Kubachi famous product).Eye-catching finest carving ivory, made Chukchi craftsmen.And in neighboring rooms can see the ivory from the other end of the globe.
numerous images of Buddha, brought from different countries, both similar and different.Some of them with a stern look on his face, the other smiling, and others excluded from the world and letting himself.Striking figures of Buddha with Indochina - drawn up with the shoulders earlobes.
famous Chinese masters of ivory carving of nested spheres, and they were made from a single piece of bone, sometimes for several generations.Or a village carved on elephant tusks, where you can distinguish the features of each citizen and each individual are!This brings to mind "clay army" Emperor Qin Shi Huang, each soldier which was modeled with a particular person!
interesting collection of carpets.There are ancient articles of silk handmade.At the same time there are a number of examples of modern carpets made of wool and other materials.There are articles devoted to significant events in the life of the country.
In Soviet times, a great place in the expositions of the museum takes a picture of Lenin and other leaders of the world proletariat, executed in very different techniques: paintings, sculptures, carpets, wood carvings and bones ... Now the overwhelming part of them is inStorage Facility museum.
State Museum of Oriental Art boasts amazing examples of Oriental painting.These are different views on paper or silk originally from Japan and China.Made with ink on silk image amaze with its colors and fine workmanship.
porcelains presented primarily Japanese netsuke figure.They were used as a counterweight to the goods on the belt, because the Japanese kimono do not have pockets.They are similar to other figures that were placed in a niche of the house where it was customary to hang a picture or a wise saying.These miniature sculptures called okimono.
In the museum there is a lot to see and a scientist and a student, and the lovers of the mysterious world of the East.Especially since the ticket prices are quite democratic, and for certain categories of visitors there is a system of discounts.
If you want to forget about everyday life environment, the gray everyday life, visit the Museum of the East in Moscow!
