The Kunstkamera is one of those museums that every guest of St. Petersburg must visit. The “Cabinet of Curiosities” was opened by the first Russian Emperor Peter I in 1716, but since then the number of visitors here has not diminished at all. But at first the sovereign lured by hook or by crook local residents to a wonderful museum! Shall we take a look?
Blow there
1. Human bone flute
For the ritual flute, Mongolian shamans used exclusively bone from the thigh of a virgin. Blow this musical instrument It was strictly forbidden for mere mortals - with its help, priests summoned the spirits of the three worlds.
I ate a lot of porridge
2. French giant
Here, of course, one can argue about the ethical side of the issue. It looks a little immoral, but if you consider that the huge Frenchman, 226.7 cm tall, Nicolas Bourgeois, was favored by the emperor and lived at court for seven years with the rank of footman, everything doesn’t look so bad. If not for one BUT... After Bourgeois’s death from apoplexy, Peter I ordered his skeleton to be installed in one of the halls. They say that after the fire of 1747, in which the head mysteriously disappeared, the skeleton of Nicolas with someone else's skull wanders through the halls in search of the loss.
3. Russian dwarf
Fyodor Ignatiev, a man with claw-like limbs, whose height was only 126 cm, spent 16 years in the museum as a living exhibit. Peter I loved him no less than Nicolas Bourgeois - he often visited the Kunstkamera to shake hands with the dwarf.
4. Head of Maria Hamilton
The story is simple and short: the emperor's mistress, Maria Hamilton, accused of infanticide, was beheaded. According to legend, Peter I kissed the severed head and gave it back to the same place, to the Kunstkamera. And then she was dragged back to her homeland by drunken English sailors.
One head it's good, but two better
5. And again about heads
It is known that with his “Great Embassy” Peter I visited Holland, where, in addition to shipbuilding, he studied other useful things. There he met the anatomist Frederik Ruysch, whose collection of unusual drugs both horrified and delighted all of Europe. For 30 thousand guilders, the sovereign bought several thousand exhibits from the doctor, and they formed the main fund of the museum. Among the most interesting is the two-headed skeleton of a child.
6. Bronze cat
The staff hid the cat, which brings misfortune, into the museum's storerooms out of harm's way - according to legend, the cat blinks from time to time and waits for whoever is present. imminent death. A certain student once decided to spend the night in the same room with the figurine... In the morning the poor fellow was not found. And only the bronze animal grinned ominously.
7. Another legend says that a faulty mahogany watch, brought from a military campaign abroad by one officer, can predict death. Sometimes the arrows start moving in the opposite direction on their own. And as soon as they stop at the 9:45 mark, one of the Kunstkamera employees dies.
Museums of St. Petersburg: Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera)300 years of science and history 
Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after. Peter the Great (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MAE RAS) - one of the largest and oldest ethnographic museums world, whose collection funds number over 1.2 million items. It is the successor to the first Russian state public museum, the famous Peter's Kunstkamera, founded by Peter I in 1714.
Most historians consider 1714 to be the year of foundation of the Kunstkamera, as well as the Library of the Academy of Sciences. The decree on the foundation of the Kunstkamera was not found; it, apparently, did not exist. The foundation of the museum is associated with the Tsar’s order to transport from Moscow to new capital Russian Empire personal collection and library of Peter I, as well as books and collections of “naturalia” of the Apothecary Chancellery, including those purchased during the Great Embassy to Europe.
In St. Petersburg, the collections were placed in the Summer Palace, which had just been built for the Tsar, and were later transferred to the Kikin Chambers, where they were first shown to visitors in 1719. The creation of a public museum was entrusted to the president of the Pharmacy Chancellery, physician Robert Areskin, and the specially appointed “overseer of rarities and naturals” Johann Schumacher.
This date, 1714, was also named by I.D. Schumacher (secretary of the Academy of Sciences and director of the Kunstkamera and Library in 1724-1761) in the book “Chambers of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Sciences...” (1744 edition): “The Library and Kunstkamera were established in 1714, and in 1724 they were annexed to the Academy of Sciences "
Even earlier, starting in 1704, Peter I issued a series of decrees (“On the bringing of born monsters, also found unusual things...”, etc.), which laid the foundation for the collection of collections for the future museum. Initially, the personal collections of Peter I and collections on anatomy and zoology were kept in the Apothecary Prikaz in Moscow.
Simultaneously with the organization of the museum, the design and construction (1718-1727) of a special building for the museum began. Built on the banks of the Neva in the style of Peter the Great's Baroque, this building was adjacent to the most important buildings of the capital - the building of the Twelve Collegiums, the Exchange, the palaces of his closest associates and members royal family. The Kunstkamera building is rightfully considered one of the earliest museum buildings in the world. It is the symbol and logo of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Ten years later, Peter the Great carried out the second part of his “academic” project. On January 28 (February 8), 1724, by order of the emperor, the Academy of Sciences was established by decree of the government Senate. The Kunstkamera and the Library created simultaneously with it became the first institutions, the “cradle” of the St. Petersburg (Russian) Academy of Sciences.
Gottorp globe. The only surviving detail of the first globe is now on display at the Kunstkamera. This is a door decorated with the heraldic shield of the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp. At the time of the fire, the door was in the basement and therefore was not damaged. During World War II it was taken to Germany and returned in 1948.
Great Gottorp Globe
The transfer of the first Russian museum to the Academy of Sciences played a role in its fate decisive role. The concentration of the richest collections within its walls, the introduction of scientific processing and systematization, as well as supervision of the exhibition of the country's best scientific forces turned the Kunstkamera into a truly scientific institution, which had no equal in the organization of work in all of Europe.
From the very beginning, the museum was not only the scientific base of the Academy of Sciences, but also the most important cultural and educational institution. Many major Russian scientists worked within the walls of the Kunstkamera, and among them M.V. Lomonosov, who compiled a description of the minerals stored in the Museum.
The decrees of Peter I in 1718 ordered that “extraordinary stones, human and animal bones, old inscriptions on stones, iron or copper, old guns, dishes, everything that is very old and unusual” be handed over for a fee to the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera.
These decrees played an extremely important role in the formation of the collections of the Kunstkamera, and later the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography - for more than two centuries, collections collected by famous Russian travelers and seafarers were received here. In particular, special Academic expeditions were sent to various regions of Russia to collect collections.
Many diplomatic gifts to the Russian emperors were also transferred to the Kunstkamera, and later to the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, collections collected by Russian diplomats in different parts peace.
In the 30s of the XIX century. Based on the collections of the Kunstkamera, seven independent academic museums were created: Ethnographic, Asian, Egyptian, Anatomical, Zoological, Botanical, Mineralogical and the Cabinet of Peter I. The Ethnographic and Anatomical museums continued to be located in the Kunstkamera building.
During the celebration of the 200th anniversary of St. Petersburg in 1903, the museum received the name of the founder of the Kunstkamera - Peter the Great.
The years leading up to the 200th anniversary of the Kunstkamera in 1914 were undoubtedly the “golden age” in the history of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. The exhibition space has doubled, new museum exhibitions have been created, and its budget has increased significantly. In 1909, a Board of Trustees of rich and influential persons was created at the MAE, with whose money a number of expeditions were organized to replenish the collections (to Ceylon, India; to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, to Abyssinia, etc.). For 20 years, from 1894 to 1914. ethnographic collections of the MAE have grown by almost 100 thousand storage units. During the anniversary celebrations, the Museum was visited by Emperor Nicholas II, members of the Senate and State Council.
The invaluable ethnographic, anthropological and archaeological collections housed in the Museum are among the most complete and interesting in the world. They number more than 1.2 million exhibits, reflect the diversity of cultures of the peoples of the Old and New Worlds and are part of the cultural heritage of all humanity.
Associated with the Museum scientific activity such outstanding domestic researchers of the 19th century as the founder of Russian and European anthropology, Academician K.M. Baer, traveler, scientist, public figure N.N. Miklouho-Maclay (traditional cultures of Australia, Oceania)
In 1933, the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences decided to create, on the basis of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, the Research Institute of Ethnography and Anthropology named after. N.N. Miklouho-Maclay (IEA AS USSR). During the Second World War, due to the urgent need to quickly obtain analytical materials on the peoples involved in the zone of strategic interests and hostilities Soviet army, in Moscow in 1943 the head division of the IEA of the USSR Academy of Sciences was created, and the Museum became the Leningrad part of this institute.
In 1992, the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after. Peter the Great (Kunstkamera) again becomes an independent institution within the Department of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (now the Historical and Philological Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences).
Today the Federal State state-financed organization Science Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after. Peter the Great (Kunstkamera) RAS is not only an academic museum, but also one of the leading research centers of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The traditions of the great Russian ethnographers and anthropologists of the 18th - 20th centuries continue here. By presidential decrees Russian Federation(No. 294 of December 18, 1991 and No. 1487 of November 30, 1992) MAE RAS is classified as a particularly valuable object of cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation and is included in the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of the Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.
The museum is located in two buildings: in the Kunstkamera building and the Museum wing attached to it in 1887.
The Kunstkamera building was built in the Peter the Great Baroque style. This is the first museum building in Russia and, apparently, the oldest building in the world, erected specifically for the museum. The building is crowned by a tower with an armillary sphere, symbolizing a model of the solar system.
According to legend, Peter I chose the site for the construction of the museum. He drew attention to an unusual pine tree, a strange part of which is presented in the museum.
The original design of the building was, in all likelihood, drawn up by the architect Andreas Schlüter, and then developed on the basis of his drawings by G. Mattarnovi with the personal participation of Peter. Later works was led by architects N. Gerbel and G. Chiaveri. The entire complex of works was completed in 1734 by the architect M. Zemtsov.
Meridian circle (telescope for accurately determining the coordinates of celestial bodies). T.L. Ertel, Germany, 1828
After the fire in the Kunstkamera building in 1747, some of the halls were decorated. Thus, on the ceiling of the second floor hall of the eastern wing of the Kunstkamera (library hall; now the Baroque Hall, where the exhibition “Natural Science Collections of the Kunstkamera” is located), the artist D. Gianni created a stucco pattern in 1757, and the sculptor M. Pavlov in the 70s gg. XVIII century - two high reliefs - “Celebrating Europe” and “Triumph of Russia”. The ceiling and high reliefs have survived to this day. Burnt down during the fire of 1747 wooden tower was restored only 200 years later. At the same time, the tower was crowned with the famous armillary sphere (design by R.I. Kaplan-Ingel)
Exposition “The First Astronomical Observatory of the Academy of Sciences.” In the center: armillary sphere (France, late 18th century).
The building of the “Chambers” was founded in 1718. The construction was led by the architect Mattarnovi, who developed the building design. After him, other architects were involved in the construction of the building until 1734: Gerbel, Chiaveri, Zemtsov. Construction progressed very slowly, with long interruptions. By the beginning of 1725, when Peter died, only the walls had been erected. In 1726, the collections were moved to the still unfinished building.
The building was built in the Petrine Baroque style, consists of two 3-story buildings in forms connected by a Baroque multi-tiered tower with a complex domed top. Museum collections occupied the eastern wing of the building, in the middle part there was the Anatomical Theater, in the tower - the Gottorp Globe (since 1754 - the Great Academic) and the observatory, in the western part - the institutions of the Academy of Sciences. M.V. Lomonosov worked here.
In 1777-1779, the interiors were decorated with 4 sculptural allegorical groups, busts and medallions of outstanding scientists (sculptor M. P. Pavlov), in 1819-1825 - with paintings (artist F. Richter). Due to the abundance of materials in the 1830s. The Kunstkamera was divided into a number of museums: Zoological, Ethnographic, Botanical, Mineralogical.
Museum sections
North America
A tour of the museum begins on the 1st floor, where an exhibition is presented that reveals the culture and life of the indigenous population of North America.
The Kunstkamera has rich collections on the traditional culture and life of the indigenous peoples of the North American continent - Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians. Of particular interest are the compositions: a scene of a shaman treating a sick person, a ritual dance for calling rain and others. Here you can see representatives of various nations - from Alaska to California.
Japan
This exhibition presents the life and culture of the Japanese and Ainu. One of the main commercial activities on the island was fishing, and the Kunstkamera has a large collection of various gear: hooks, nets, traps. The samurai armor on display amazes with its decoration and complex design.
Africa
The hall dedicated to Africa introduces visitors to the history and life of many peoples inhabiting Africa south of the Sahara. The exhibition presents various tools that were the main tools of farmers. Also on display are objects skillfully carved from wood and bone.
China and Mongolia
There are 50 national minorities living in China, and the exhibition dedicated to the peoples of China characterizes only the main aspects of their life and culture. China is considered the birthplace of porcelain, and the museum has many porcelain objects, as well as objects made from cloisonné, stone, wood and bone.
In the Mongolia hall, a nomad's dwelling - a yurt - is of interest, as well as exhibits with traditional Mongolian ornaments. They decorated clothes, tools, saddles, blankets and much more.
India and Indonesia
The section of the museum dedicated to the peoples of South Asia is one of the richest. The Kunstkamera has a large collection of carved wood brought from different regions of India. Also presented are collections of various masks, antique theatrical costumes, marionette theater dolls.
The Indonesian section draws attention to kris daggers. The blade of these daggers was made of special steel and often had the shape of a tongue of flame. Also interesting are the exhibition materials telling about the shadow theater.
Anatomical section
On the 2nd floor, the central place, and indeed in the entire museum, is occupied by the first natural science collection of the Kunstkamera, collected by Peter I himself. Photography is not allowed in the hall where the “freaks” are located. I managed to capture only the mask removed from the face of the Russian emperor after his death.
Death mask of Peter
This section contains exhibits with anatomical deformities and various natural rarities, for example, sirenomelia, two-headed lamb, Siamese twins and much more.
The original collection of the Kunstkamera consisted of more than 2,000 exhibits and was purchased by Peter I in 1717 from its creator Frederik Ruysch, a Dutch anatomist, for 30,000 [source not specified 520 days] guilders.
After Peter’s famous decree on February 13, 1718 on the collection of monsters, freaks, both living and dead, regularly arrived at the Kunstkamera. Teratology, i.e. The science of freaks and all kinds of monsters was considered at that time not only entertaining, but also useful: with its help it was possible to show that freaks are born without the intervention of the devil, but for natural reasons. Monsters were valued very highly, and a large fine was levied for concealing them, and therefore they came to the Kunstkamera in abundance. They were dissected here, in the Anatomical Theater, and exhibits were prepared from them.
The pride of the Kunstkamera was the famous collection of the Dutch anatomist Ruysch. Peter met him in 1698 in Holland during the Great Embassy. Ruysch became famous for his unique method of injection: he poured a colored hardening composition into the vessels of the human body. Thanks to this, it was possible to see the smallest branching of blood vessels in a variety of organs. In this skill, called the “art of ruffle,” the Dutch anatomist remained unsurpassed both during his life and after death.
He took with him to the grave the secret of embalming the corpses of adults and children: he dissected them so skillfully that they seemed alive. Ruysch kept his masterful samples dry or in glass jars, filling them with alcohol infused with black pepper. To make them look nice and natural, he decorated them with beads, flowers, and lace robes. Contemporaries perceived them as the eighth wonder of the world.
Ruysch subordinated the placement of exhibits to the old, allegorical method. His collections demonstrated the idea of vanity and transience, which was popular at that time. Ruysch believed that "death is a mercy bestowed by the omnipotent creator."
History of the Kunstkamera and Russian science of the 18th century.
On the last 3rd floor, which is open to the public (the 4th and 5th floors are only for those who have previously signed up for a tour), the atmosphere of a scientific institution of the 18th century is recreated. Such world-famous scientists as N. and D. Bernoulli, J. Delisle, G. F. Miller, L. Euler, as well as M. V. Lomonosov, the first Russian member of the Academy, worked here, invited by Peter I to the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences .
The section includes three exhibitions, united under the code name “Museum of M. V. Lomonosov”. The exhibition “Meeting Hall (Conference Hall) of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences” presents the daily activities of the first scientific institution in Russia and the biography of M. V. Lomonosov. Two other exhibitions - “Astronomical Observatory of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences” and “Great Gottorp Globe-Planetarium” - highlight the early period of the history of the Kunstkamera, when the tower of the building housed the Astronomical Observatory, the exact time service and the conventional line of the St. Petersburg meridian.
I Hall under reconstruction
II Exposition "North America"
III Exhibition "The World of One Object"
IV Exhibition "Japan"
V Hall under reconstruction
VI Exhibition "Africa"
VII
Hall under reconstruction
VIII Exhibition "Near and Middle East"
IX Exhibition "China. Mongolia. Korea."
X Exhibition "Indochina"
XI Exhibition "India. Indonesia."
XII Hall under reconstruction
XIII Exhibition "The First Natural Science Collections of the Kunstkamera"
XIV
Exposition "M.V. Lomonosov and the Academy of Sciences of the 18th century."
XV Hall for temporary exhibitions
4th floor
First Astronomical Observatory of the Academy of Sciences
Astrolabe-planisphere is a goniometric astronomical instrument for determining the position of stars. Gaulterus Arsenius. Flanders. XVI century
Astronomical quadrant - an instrument for measuring the height of celestial bodies. Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Musa. Damascus. XIV century
Southern pavilion of the exhibition.
Sundial globe. I. Bruckner. Instrumental Chamber of the Academy of Sciences. Mid-18th century
In the tower of the Kunstkamera in the 18th century, observations were made of starry sky, time and cartography services were working. Having been here, a visitor to the Museum will see a variety of scientific instruments, measuring instruments, complex astrolabes, elegant clock mechanisms, telescopes and telescopes.
Within the walls of the observatory of the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera, domestic astronomy, meteorology, geography, geodesy, topography, and time management were born. The first St. Petersburg meridian passed through it, which became the basis for mapping the country and planning the city.
Outstanding scientists of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences L. Euler, G. V. Kraft, H. N. Winsheim, F. H. Mayer, G. Heinsius and others worked here. Observations were carried out in the Kunstkamera building until the completion of the Pulkovo Observatory in 1839.
Reproduced at the exhibition workplace 18th century astronomer. A large sliding telescope is one of the few surviving instruments of M. V. Lomonosov. With its help, he observed the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun in 1763.
5th floor
Great Gottorp Globe
Star map of the Great Academic (Gottorp) Globe
Stars of various magnitudes of the Large Academic (Gottorp) Globe.
Large academic (Gottorp) globe.
Door of the Gottorp Globe with the coat of arms of the Gottorp-Holstein Dukes.
The terrestrial and celestial globe was made in the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein by mechanic A. Busch and engravers A. and H. Rotgieser in 1651-1664. designed by Adam Olearius, during the reign of Duke Frederick III.
The Gottorp Globe is a diplomatic gift to Tsar Peter I from the Holstein Duke Karl Friedrich during Northern War. It was brought to St. Petersburg in 1717 and in 1726 installed on the third floor of the Kunstkamera building of the Academy of Sciences.
In 1747, the globe was damaged during a fire in the Kunstkamera: all that remained of it was a metal frame, a few metal parts and a door with the image of the coat of arms of the Duchy of Holstein. The globe was restored in St. Petersburg by mechanics B. Scott and F. N. Tiryutin, cartographer I. F. Truskot and painter I. E. Grimmel in 1748-1752.
The newly created Large Academic Globe repeats the dimensions of the burnt Gottorp globe, reproduces the operating mechanism of rotation, astronomy with a map of the starry sky inside. Geographic map on the outside of the globe displays the geographical ideas of Russian scientists of the second half of the 18th century.
The diameter of the globe is 3.1 m.
On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of M.V. Lomonosov developed an online catalog "M.V. Lomonosov and Russian science XVIII century."
Kooymans L. Artist of Death. Anatomical lessons from Frederik Ruysch = De doodskunstenaar. De anatomische lessen van Frederik Ruysch. - St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2008. - 448 p.
The Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg (full name - Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences) was established by Emperor Peter the Great in St. Petersburg. Opened in 1714.
More than a million exhibits are currently collected in the Kunstkamera, and the first tens and hundreds of museum rarities included in the exhibition were brought by Peter the Great from his trip to England and Holland, which the emperor made in 1698. The traveling tsar visited overseas museums, admired the “wonderful” collections of rarities and, in the end, firmly decided to found a similar one in Russia for the Russian people. Driven by this idea, Peter began to buy rare things, ancient books, weapons, tools, appliances - everything that could surprise. Huge collections were taken to Moscow, to the royal palace. This is how the Kunstkamera appeared - the first museum in Russia.
Story
Separately, medical anatomical rarities, infant deformities preserved in alcohol, some evidence of natural anomalies, objects of ancient life and life of ancient people were collected. Hundreds of unique exhibits formed the basis of the “cabinet of curiosities” of the Russian Tsar. The halls of Peter's Moscow residence could no longer accommodate the exhibits sent from all over the world by messengers sent to search for and acquire amazing objects. Then it was decided to transport the treasures of the “sovereign cabinet” to St. Petersburg and build a special building for the Kunstkamera. The move was carried out in 1714, all exhibits were temporarily placed in the Summer Palace. And when the palace became crowded, most of them were placed in the mansion of boyar Kikin - the so-called Kikin chambers. At the same time, it was decided to build the museum’s own building, and the place for its construction was chosen at the tip of Vasilyevsky Island, opposite the Winter Palace, which later housed the Hermitage.
Start of construction
Construction of the Peter the Great Museum began in 1718 and lasted about twenty years. By the time of the emperor's death - in 1725 - only the walls had been erected. The architect was Georg Johann Mattarnovi, who created the project in the Baroque style and carried out construction until 1719. After his death, Nikolai Gerbel continued the construction that had begun. In 1724, Gaetano Chiaveri took over as architect. In 1726, exhibits began to be brought into the museum building.
Structure
The two three-story buildings of the museum are connected by a tiered tower with a baroque dome. The exhibits occupy the entire eastern wing of the complex; the western wing houses the Russian Academy of Sciences; the middle building houses the Gottorp Globe and Observatory above it, in the tower itself. In 1830, the Museum-Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg was divided into four separate ones: Botanical, Ethnographic, Zoological and Mineralogical, each of which is an integral part of the main Museum. Thematically, the Kunstkamera consists of eight sections:
- History of the Kunstkamera. Russian science of the 18th century.
- Anatomical section.
- North America.
- India and Indonesia.
- Japan.
- China and Mongolia.
- Africa.
- Australia and Oceania.
History of the Kunstkamera
The Museum-Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg includes three exhibitions: “Museum of M.V. Lomonosov”, “Astronomical Observatory of the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg” and “Gottorp Globe-Planetarium”. The exhibitions reflect the early period of the existence of the Kunstkamera; a lot of information is devoted to the activities of Lomonosov and the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, the work of the observatory and the exact time service located in the central tower of the museum, as well as taking into account the conventional line of the St. Petersburg meridian. The exhibition shows the Meeting Hall of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
Anatomical section
The Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg (photos are presented in the article) has a very interesting anatomy section. There is an extensive exhibition of anomalous rarities of natural origin: anatomical deformities, examples of sirenomelia, conjoined twins, cyclopia of a baby, a lamb with two heads, etc. The main exhibition includes the collection of the Dutch anatomist Frederik Ruysch, which was acquired by Peter the Great for a large sum in 1717.
North America
The Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg presents an exhibition dedicated to ancient peoples North American continent - Eskimos, Indians, Aleuts. The exhibition includes the dwellings of northern peoples, primitive buildings - igloos, tents, yarangas. shown in the form of real wigwams, with and without classic coloring. The national clothes of the ancient inhabitants are also presented. North America, sewn from skins, fur, feathers and plant fibers.
India and Indonesia
The peoples of South Asia are represented in the Kunstkamera in all their diversity: here are the dwellings of ancient tribes, kitchen utensils, and weapons that were used to obtain food and with which they fought. A special position in the Indian weapons exhibition is occupied by daggers curved in a certain way called “kris” - a terrible, merciless edged weapon, shaped like a tongue of flame. But most of the exhibits in the section tell about peaceful life. Widely represented performing arts, ancient theatrical women's and men's costumes are laid out on special hangers, and puppets hang right there. At a distance there is a stage for shadow theater performances. There are many carved wood exhibits brought from various Indian regions.
Japan
Household objects of the Japanese and the ancient Ainu peoples, who inhabited prehistoric times, are presented in the ethnography section of the country Rising Sun. Much attention is paid to Japanese means for fishing and hunting. The exhibition contains real fishing gear, primitive hooks, nets and various traps that came to the Kunstkamera from ancient times, some exhibits are more than 10 thousand years old. Armor and weapons are exhibited separately. The Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg presents “katana”, which are adjacent to miniature “kusungobu” daggers for ritual suicide- hara-kiri. There are also ritual women's daggers, so small that they are not visible even in a woman's hand, but nevertheless they brought death. It was enough for a woman from a samurai family to touch her neck with such a knife, and she would die.
China and Mongolia
The Kunstkamera is a museum that represents China as the country of the discoverers of porcelain, silk and gunpowder. Antique sets made of the finest porcelain fill the exhibition. There are countless cups and saucers, coffee pots and sugar bowls. The dishes were collected and divided according to the criteria of nobility, since porcelain cup the simple peasant and the noble nobleman were radically different. The exhibition features the famous Chinese cloisonne enamel, items made of bone, stone and wood. Natural silk, woven by the hands of ancient weavers, has not changed over several centuries, it is still just as colorful. A special place in the exhibition is occupied by a mirror-solar boiler. This device was in almost every Chinese house: a hemisphere with mirrors located so that the rays of the sun, reflected from the mirrors, are collected in a beam and heat the suspended kettle.
The Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg presents a Mongolian exhibition, in which the main exhibit is a yurt - a nomadic dwelling that can be folded up and transported to another place. Such yurts have become widespread since the beginning of the 15th century. A lattice was assembled from long wooden bars, which served as a frame, then the lattice frame was covered with felt and tied with ropes. The yurt was installed in such a way that Entrance door was facing south. A place near the wall opposite the entrance was considered honorable, and dear guests usually sat there. In addition, the interior space of the yurt was divided into female and male halves. There was a fireplace in the middle of the dwelling; this place was considered sacred.
Nomads often changed their place of residence; it was necessary to look for pastures for livestock. Also shown are Mongolian farming tools, horse saddles, harnesses and blankets for horses.
Africa
The Kunstkamera is a museum that also has a hall dedicated to the African continent. It presents the history of the black population living several centuries ago in the territory south of the Sahara Desert. There are primitive farming tools, wooden plows pulled by oxen, household items, as well as crafts skillfully made from ebony.
Australia and Oceania
The Australian exhibition consists mainly of fishing gear and hunting equipment, with the help of which the Aborigines obtained their food. Many Australians were divers and fished for pearls from the ocean floor. For this they had special devices, which are also presented in the exhibition.
The Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg, for which exhibits are sent from all over the world, is constantly expanding its exhibitions.
St. Petersburg is not just a city of white nights and three revolutions, where bridges are constantly being built and wine is drunk on the roofs. Petersburg welcomes true connoisseurs of fine culture with an abundance of museums and exhibition halls, where you can deeply breathe in the beauty. Fortunately, there is a reason to once again fall for high art.
On January 31, 1714, 304 years ago, by decree of Peter I, the “Sovereign Cabinet”, better known as the Kunstkamera, was created in St. Petersburg. Today it is the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where on one square meter collected maximum amount amazing game and amazing exhibits from around the world.
In honor of this significant event, Disgusting men have collected for you the top 7 interesting curiosities that you definitely should see. In addition to the mutants preserved in alcohol, of course.
Heavenly boat. Chinese wind-up toy
Perhaps the oldest exhibit of the Kunstkamera
A wooden toy with a winding mechanism, representing a boat on which a noble merchant, accompanied by a cohort of servants, goes on a journey. This boat is called heavenly in memory of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who lived in the 3rd century BC. e. This master of the Celestial Empire often thought about issues of immortality and sent a series of expeditions into the unknown, which were designed to find islands in the sea with celestial inhabitants. The emperor believed that immortals move through time precisely on such heavenly boats.
In addition to its elegant design, this exhibit had practical value. The Arsenius astrolabe demonstrated to onlookers how, using mathematics, one can calculate the position of celestial bodies and navigate in space. Among the nobility of the past, such elegant technical items as astrolabes were kept along with jewelry and were a sign of special prosperity.
Flute made from human bone
...From the thigh of a virgin
In the Tibetan tradition, the flute is called Ganlin. It was made from a human femur, processed in such a way that sound could be extracted from it. The shamans believed that the best material was part of the leg of a teenage girl from a Brahmin family, although the bones of criminals who died violent deaths were also suitable.
Shamans from Mongolia used the flute to summon the spirits of the three worlds, while blowing into the instrument was strictly forbidden.
Skeleton of Nicolas Bourgeois
Two-meter bodyguard of Peter I with someone else's head
It is known that Peter I was an entertainer and loved to travel abroad. The inquisitive emperor brought to Russia not only unusual items and anatomical collections, but also extraordinary people. This happened with Nicolas Bourgeois, whom Peter I met on one of his travels. This giant amazed the Tsar with its scale: Bourgeois’s height was 226.7 cm. Peter immediately hired the big man into his service, and when he died, his skeleton became an integral exhibit of the Kunstkamera.
The fire of 1747 also affected this curiosity: the flames burned Bourgeois’s skull, so the head had to be attached from another person. Rumor has it that the spirit of the beheaded Frenchman still frightens the museum's caretakers.
The Missing Head of Maria Hamilton
...Which Peter I kissed after she had already been chopped off
Another one mysterious story, which features a severed head... which is not on display. Peter I's mistress Maria Hamilton was accused of infanticide and beheaded, after which, according to legend, the emperor kissed the severed head on the lips. The woman’s skull allegedly remained in storage in the Kunstkamera, but drunken English sailors stole it from there and sailed to their homeland.
Slightly idiotic interpretation of events
The exhibit itself is not in the museum, but the legend has long been part of the story of ghosts in the Kunstkamera.
Indonesian kris dagger
A tool of black magic and simply a miracle of blacksmithing
Kris dagger, national bladed weapon from Indonesia. It is a blade curved several times with an asymmetrical heel, widened near the handle. The kris had a ritual rather than a practical purpose: in late Javanese culture, the dagger was not recommended to be pulled out of its sheath unless necessary. And pointing the point at a person was completely prohibited.
I think I saw one of these in Dark Souls. True, it’s the size of a rail.
Gottorp globe
Another work of a genius engineer
One of the most famous exhibits of the Kunstkamera, authored by the well-known Adam Olearius. The ball, about 3 m in diameter, with a map of the Earth on the outside and the sky and stars on the inside, was at one time the largest globe in the world.
The Gottorp Globe, named after the bishop-administrator of the Duchy of Gottorp Christian August, was given to Peter the Great in 1713 as a diplomatic gift. The ball, which survived the fire, blockade and restoration, is located on the fourth floor of the Kunstkamera.
The current collection of the Peter the Great Museum is full of the most diverse and amazing things that should be seen. Over more than 300 years of operation, the Kunstkamera has transformed from a collection of curiosities into a large-scale collection of the most interesting objects human culture, with its legends and traditions. And mutants preserved in alcohol, of course.
Those who lack interactivity and want to visit Peter’s collection will certainly be captivated by a virtual tour of the Kunstkamera. Be careful: you can get stuck and disappear for the whole working day!
The first museum in Russia, the Kunstkamera, established by decree of Peter I in 1714, celebrates its 300th anniversary on January 31. The official name of the Kunstkamera is the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography Russian Academy Sci. The Museum contains the most interesting and rare objects from the history of the cultures of the Old and New Worlds. The collection contains more than a million exhibits and is the largest in the world.
During the time of Peter I, visiting the museum was free, guests were offered coffee and snacks, and noble people were offered Hungarian wine. The museum is famous for its collection of anatomical rarities, including a two-headed lamb and teeth personally removed by Peter I himself. The Kunstkamera also had living exhibits. For example, Peter brought the giant Bourgeois, 2.3 m tall, from abroad. Now his heart is kept in the museum.For the anniversary famous museum the site offers the most interesting and unusual exhibits from the ethnographic collection of the Kunstkamera.
Chronicle of the Dakota Indians
The Indians wrote the chronicle on buffalo hide in the 19th century. Each drawing depicts an important event. A human figure painted in red represents a measles epidemic. The 30 horizontal lines symbolize the 30 Dakota Indians killed by the Crow Indians. The drawing of a cow suggests that cattle were brought into the Dakota country.
In the history of the Dakota Indians, each drawing signifies an important event. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
"Solar Boiler"
Every house in China in the 19th century, regardless of the wealth of the owners, had an unusual device - a “solar boiler”. Using such a tool, you can get hot tea prepared by the sun's rays in a few minutes. The concrete hemisphere of the boiler is covered with mirrors. You need to turn it towards the sun and place a kettle of water on a stand in the center of the sphere. The water will boil in ten minutes.
The Chinese used this device to boil water in the sun. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Flute made from human bone
Mongolian shamans made flutes from human femurs. It was strictly forbidden to blow into this flute just like that. Shamans used it only for ritual purposes - to summon the spirits of the three worlds. The shamans offered them their bodies as an offering. Anyone who passed such a test was considered fearless.
Mongolian shamans made flutes from human femurs. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Mongolian yurt
The Mongols have lived in such a yurt since the 15th century. The frame of the dwelling consists of numerous wooden gratings. They were covered with pieces of felt and tied with ropes. The door of the yurt was always facing south, and the northern side opposite the entrance was considered the most honorable. Inside the yurt was divided into male and female halves. The furniture was arranged in accordance with this principle. In the center of the yurt there was a fireplace, which the Mongols considered a sacred place.
The door of a Mongolian yurt always faces south. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Koran
The Koran is the holy book of Muslims. It contains sermons, instructions, rules, prohibitions, as well as commands of a legal, religious and economic nature. The final text was written into the Koran in the mid-7th century. Until this time, revelations and sermons were transmitted orally. When the Koran was completely written down, Muslims began to learn to read and write, primarily for the purpose of reading the holy book.
Muslims learned to read and write the Koran. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Shatar chess
Shatar chess appeared among the Buryats in the 15th century. They immediately became one of the most popular games. Chess and the rules of the game differ from European ones. Instead of a queen in such chess they used a dog, instead of a rook - a cart or yurt, and instead of an elephant - a camel figure. All figures were made in the form of characters from parables. They were carved from ivory, stone, wood or cast from metal.
In Buryat chess, instead of a queen there is a dog, and instead of an elephant there is a camel. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Netsuke
In Japan, netsuke was a small carved keychain. With the help of netsuke, the Japanese attached a bunch of keys, a box of medicine, a tobacco pouch or perfume to the kimono belt. The need for this device was due to the fact that the kimono did not have pockets. Nowadays the Japanese wear European clothes, and the practical function of the keychain has disappeared. Netsuke continues to be made as souvenirs.
The Japanese used netsuke to attach a bunch of keys to their belts. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Rickshaw
The rickshaw is the most common form of transport in 19th century China. It was a two-wheeled cart driven by a person. This method of transportation was one of the cheapest. The hard work of a cab driver led to diseases of the lungs and heart, and a person lost his ability to work after 6-8 years of exhausting work. In the middle of the 20th century, rickshaws in Kita were eliminated.
The main mode of transport in China was the rickshaw. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Rakshasa
In Sri Lanka, it was believed that rakshasas were evil demons who caused harm to humans. It was customary to place six-meter-high statues of rakshasas at the entrance to a house or temple so that the enemy would not penetrate there. This rakshasa guards the entrance to the Kunstkamera. It was presented to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich in 1905 by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society.
A rakshasa guards the entrance to the museum. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova
Magic Dragon
In the store at the Kunstkamera there is a Dragon carved from wood. Underneath is a box with a slot for notes. Each museum visitor can write his cherished wish on a piece of paper and put it in a box. At the same time, you must rub the Dragon’s belly - then your wish will come true.
If you stroke the dragon's belly, it will grant your wish. Photo: AiF / Yana Khvatova