The Museum of Perfume Art is open on the territory of the brand salon of the Novaya Zarya factory. Here you can learn about the history of the development of perfume art in different centuries and in different countries. The exhibitions are dedicated to both the development of perfumery and the history of the Novaya Zarya factory, which was founded by Heinrich Brocard in 1864.
The Museum of Perfume Art of the Novaya Zarya Factory was opened in 2009 in the Gostiny Dvor building.
On the ground floor of the museum there is a branded salon-shop, on the second there are two halls of the museum. The exposition of the first hall tells about the art of perfumery, about the features of this art in different centuries in different countries. The exhibition in the second hall is dedicated to the history of the Red Dawn perfume factory, founded in 1864 by Heinrich Brocard, court supplier to the Russian Imperial Court.
The halls of the Museum of Perfume Art are saturated with all kinds of perfume smells. There is a display case reminiscent of Patrick Suskind's novel "Perfume": a mortar, pestle, flasks and a gold-plated apparatus for distilling essential oils. On the table there are cones with ingredients: cardamom, oak moss, orris root, nutmeg skin and much more.
Next to it is a display case with ladies' accessories. In Pushkin’s time, every self-respecting girl, before going out, had to soak things in her favorite perfume: gentlemen later tried to get their hands on gloves, fans and handkerchiefs in order to carefully keep them close to their hearts.
In the third display case there are ancient vessels for balms, which were used to anoint the bodies of dead people. Here you can also find out that “Triple Cologne” was previously called “Cologne Water”, had no odor and was used in medicinal purposes. In the museum there is a huge bottle of “Triple” - these were made especially for Stalin.
If you are a lover of non-trivial holidays, are looking for impressions and are open to new knowledge - it’s time to visit best museums perfumes of the planet. Among the fragrant expositions, not one is similar to each other. Each of them has a special flavor and is unique in essence. Where would you like to visit and what to see as soon as you get the chance?
Moscow Museum of Perfumery on Old Arbat
This is the most unusual museum perfumes. It is located in a two-story mansion that recently turned 200 years old, but is considered one of the most creative venues and is a trendy place for bohemian parties.
The gallery on Arbat has original versions of the most famous perfumes on the planet, including the favorite perfume of Michael Jackson, Queen Elizabeth II of England and the most expensive fragrance of the century, Joy. All exhibits are stored in exclusive display cases with special temperature conditions.
The creators of the museum have departed from tradition - acquaintance with fragrances takes place in the form of a small performance, when a guide introduces brands, accepting different images. And then, over a cup of tea, guests are told how perfume masterpieces are created, what rules must be followed, and why the price of a bottle can be significantly higher than the cost of the contents.
The program at the museum is constantly updated, and you can always become a participant:
- arts evenings,
- apartment dwellers,
- fashion shows.
It’s very easy to plunge into the world of bohemian parties here. For creative people The attic co-working space “Art Factory” was opened, created in honor of Andy Warhol. The museum’s workshops are always crowded - artists, poets, musicians and simply spiritual people love this place in the very center of the capital.
Museum of Perfumery on Ilyinka
Russian monarchs were big fans of good perfumes and often invited famous perfumers of France to work. The invited masters created genuine masterpieces, although many aromatic compositions disappeared in the haze of the era of change after the revolution of the 17th year.
You can get acquainted with them in the Moscow museum on Ilyinka Street. Here you will see how haute couture perfumes were created, what the Russian nobility breathed and what objects they used.
Among the rarest exhibits:
- double-sided mirrors - works of art from the early 19th century;
- precious bottles in the shape of snails - the wife of Heinrich Brocard, the favorite of monarchs and the founder of the first perfume factory in Russia;
- working tools of elite perfumers - gold-plated apparatus for distilling essential oils, mortars, flasks, pestles;
- grooming products for noblewomen of Tsarist Russia - powder compacts, fly boxes, gloves, which were “seen” by A.S. Pushkin.
The guides of the Museum of Perfume Art in Moscow will tell in vivid colors the fantastic story of the “Favorite Bouquet of the Empress” perfume by Tsarina Alexandra Romanova, which turned into the Soviet “Red Moscow”. Why Joseph Stalin used exclusively “Triple Cologne” all his life, and in what perfumes did perfumers use oak moss to create the leading notes of the aroma. The exposition is a great success among both Russian and foreign tourists - they note the richness of the program and the warm welcome.
Museum of the History of Perfumery in St. Petersburg
The cultural capital of Russia also has its own perfume museum. It was founded on the territory of the Northern Lights factory, which regularly supplied all citizens of the union with Soviet versions of Eau de Cologne - “Chypre”, “Triple Cologne”, “Forest Lily of the Valley” and “Red Carnation”.
But few people know that the ideological inspirer of the factory and its main “nose” was the outstanding 19th century perfumer Fyodor Kal. A pharmacist by profession, he began experimenting: mixing essences and creating true masterpieces of perfumery. The fragrances were so popular that the small laboratory was turned into a full-fledged production facility in 1860. The factory is still operating safely today.
In the museum St. Petersburg you can discover a lot of new things about the development of foreign and Russian perfumes. Here are:
- rare editions from old recipes aromas;
- antique bottles that are works of art in themselves;
- gold and silver items with a secret, which were used by famous noble families of Russia;
- stamps for branded personalized soap.
The exhibition is small by museum standards - there are only 700 fragrances. But among them there are real jewels. For example, only here you can get acquainted with perfume released in 1848. According to reviews from visitors, it is incomparable and still has a thin sillage - the formula that forms the basis of the scent is so strong.
Only in St. Petersburg will they tell you that cosmetics and fragrances were in demand even during the years of the revolution and the Great Patriotic War, and then they will demonstrate specimens that have survived to this day. So if you think that Russia does not have its own, the guides will easily convince you otherwise.
Perfume Museum in Cologne
In Cologne, you should definitely come to the Farina Hause, where the legendary Cologne water was created three centuries ago. Finding the fragrance museum is easy - it is located in the very center of the city, in a mansion opposite the town hall.
In 1709, a perfumer Italian origin Johan Maria Farin invented a product that instantly captivated the kings of Austria, France, England and Russia. Cologne water with light hand The French received an elegant name - Eau de Cologne or Cologne.
Today, tourists have the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of the Rococo era and witness the birth of a masterpiece of perfumery. The atmosphere of the 18th century in the Cologne Perfume Museum is recreated with German precision - guests are accompanied by guides dressed in the latest fashion of the 18th century. In the house you can examine in detail the original interior items of a bygone era, but the main thing is to see with your own eyes the mystery of creating fragrances.
In the basement of the museum there is a real perfume factory that operates to this day. Tourists will see Farin's descendants at work - eighth generation perfumers - and will be able to taste the best samples of Cologne water. Main secret– the formula of Cologne water – will remain unknown. The composition of the fragrance is kept strictly secret and is national treasure Germany, but a lot pleasant impressions guaranteed.
Fragonard Perfume Museum in Paris
On the small street of Scribes in the capital of France, right next to the Grand Opera, there is a favorite place for fans of original perfumery - the Fragonard Perfume Museum. The building itself is a landmark of Paris. It was created by a student of the architect Garnier and has been perfectly preserved to this day.
You can wander around the museum for hours. The creators have done everything so that you can clearly see the process of producing fragrances and learn the most incredible facts from the history of perfumery. The exhibits occupy two floors.
On the first is the pride of the Fragonard Museum - the perfume organ or work desk of each “nose”. Rows of shelves with ingredients arranged in a shape musical instrument and crowned the composition with scales.
The Parisian museum also presents:
- unusual bottles from different eras;
- perfume almanacs;
- rare devices for distilling essences;
- antique luxury items for home and everyday life, personal care;
- exclusive garments made of the finest silk and cotton;
- exquisite jewelry made of semi-precious stones.
Entrance is completely free, as is the guide service. And at the end of the excursion you will definitely be offered to purchase a new fragrance for your collection.
Perfume Museum in Grasse
Grasse is not only the recognized capital of perfumery of the world, but also a Mecca for all perfume lovers. It’s worth coming here just to breathe in the aromas of flend orange, tuberose, irises and lilies straight from the gardens and fields. Here you can stroll through the quiet streets of the ancient town, and be sure to see the largest perfume exhibition on the planet.
The famous museum in Grasse is located in an ancient building that was built three centuries ago. After a small reconstruction, the doors are again open to visitors.
Today, museum guests should be prepared for an epoch-making journey across time, countries and continents. The modern exhibition is built in chronological order: from the very beginning of perfumery 3 thousand years ago to the present day.
The museum amazes with its scale and number of rare exhibits. More than 50,000 specimens have been collected here, and the collection is constantly growing. The museum operates under the auspices of the French government: new copies are purchased at auctions in all corners of the globe.
Any tourist will be able to see:
- perfumery products of ancient tribes of Africa, Asia, South America;
- ancient embalming flasks from Egypt, antique amphorae Ancient Greece and Mexico, where the first perfumes were stored;
- personal belongings of the monarchs - Marie Antoinette's travel bag is kept in Grasse;
- exclusive jewelry Rene Lalique.
When going on a museum excursion, be prepared for a long, eventful day and the most unexpected experiments. Only in this place is it possible to look into the essence of the ingredient by smelling its “heart”. Among the perfume samples there are such unexpected substances as cocaine or opium.
Whatever museum you visit, remember – the trip will be unforgettable. All perfume expositions in the world have their own flavor, and you will want to return to each one. If not for new impressions, then definitely for new aromas.
The Cultural Institution Moscow Perfumery Museum operates on the basis and in accordance with Federal Law RF
"About the Museum Fund of the Russian Federation and museums in the Russian Federation"
The inspiration for the founding of the Museum included examples such as the Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam); and many other non-state museums in Russia and Europe, specializing in collecting, storing, studying and publishing objects art XVIII- XX centuries.
The museum was founded in 2011 and was already open to the public in 2014.
A unique and labor-intensive path was chosen for the exhibition format: .
Following the example of the Van Gogh Museum, Tretyakov Gallery and other numerous museums, the Moscow Museum of Perfumery is a private charitable museum project, the key goals of which are:
carrying out educational, research and educational activities;
The museum's activities are carried out with private funds from the museum's founder and others.
The founder of the museum considered it insufficient to dwell on the traditional exhibition hall with the possibility of an ordinary inspection of the exhibition and implemented a unique format for the whole world: , accessible to the public, .
By the time visitor access was opened, perhaps the most large collection antique and vintage perfumes - about 60 thousand. units of museum collection items.
Behind short term Osmotheka has gained global significance and has become another reason for pride in our great country, which has been creating art for centuries.
The opening of the very first exhibition involved 1,570 exhibits.
Based on the results of the design of nine existing unique museum display cases with special storage and display conditions, the number of exhibits on display in the rotating exhibition was forever determined: from 1,500 to 2,000 bottles.
In December 2014, a year after it opened to the public, the founder of the museum made an unprecedented decision:
make access to display cases interactive - guides now have the responsible right to remove exhibits from display cases for a close view of visitors, including even the rarest exhibits.
Thus, the bottles ceased to be static exhibits and after 2-3 weeks of exposure they began to be sent back to storage for rest. Each bottle that has been on display goes on vacation for at least a year, and its place is taken by a duplicate, no less valuable and significant bottle.
Thanks to this, the museum visitor not only tracks time visible changes design of bottles, but also clearly hears from the aromas, like a European static for 150 years perfume art, literally changes by leaps and bounds over the next 100 years - each new decade of the 20th century is marked by fundamentally different, new, bright perfume features and by the end of the century it literally transforms into an incredible victory of synthesis, putting a solemn end to the forever gone era of the classical perfumery school.
Despite their venerable age, all fragrances are in exceptionally perfect condition and represent the first, reference samples and editions. The safety of the collection items is monitored 24/7 by at least four employees on duty and. The primary aspect is the temperature regime (+15 - +18 degrees Celsius) and light regime (infrared thermography). Thus, each substrate in the bottle can not only be protected, but also any changes in its behavior can be noticed in a timely manner.
clearly demonstrates the results to each guest scientific achievements modern humanity, the most surprising and stunning thing for ordinary visitors is still the fact that in order to conduct analytical and chemical examinations in modern world no need to open bottles and/or other packaging.
Claims from guests who have not pre-booked a place as a tasting participant will not be accepted. During the event, other visitors are not allowed into the osmoteka.
P It is not possible to attend a tasting without prior reservation of a place - toIt is uncomfortable to qualitatively taste perfumes in a company of more than 10 people.
*Fun fact: On Moscow City Day and for International Day Museums in the Moscow Museum of Perfumery organize an unprecedented number of visitors for osmotek over 300 people. Maximum amount The museum managed to receive guests on the Night of Museums 2017 - 382 visitors - participants in the tasting.
The showroom is located on the first floor, the Museum is on the second. Here are exhibits that have accumulated over a century and a half. The exhibition was also complemented by the State historical Museum. The museum's exposition consists of two small halls - the first is dedicated to the art of perfumery and its features from the 11th to the 20th centuries, but there are also more ancient rarities; the second reveals the history of the Novaya Zarya factory from its foundation to the present day.
The main exhibit is the glove maker! It was thanks to simple peddlers of gloves that wealthy citizens had free access to fragrances: leather items did not always smell pleasant and so that noble noses would not suffer, they were sold gloves with all sorts of eau de cologne (fr) - in other words, cologne (colonial or Cologne water).
In the display cases there are huge - sometimes almost human-sized - bottles in which the notorious cologne was poured precisely for hygienic purposes: they didn’t wash much, and even Napoleon himself used 30 gallons per month for the sake of cleanliness. Moreover, the bubonic plague added its contribution to the matter of hygiene, and it was necessary to wear leather products in large quantities: here the fragrant rivers of cologne flowed.
Egyptian balsamarium, the oldest exhibit on display, is more than 2000 years old. Medieval incense bowls and incense burners, luxurious toiletries of fashionistas of the 16th - 18th centuries (among them Madame Pompadour's garters, with recommendations on how to powder yourself embroidered on them).
At the end of the exhibition in Hall No. 1 there is a distillation apparatus for oils using the distillation method; distillation with steam (a jet of steam is passed through raw materials heated in a distillation cube).
There are also unusual things... Spectator tubes from the 18th century. Ladies were supposed to cry when watching plays where passions ran high. But to give out the right amount of tears right time Not everyone could. Therefore, the spectators brought tubes to their eyes - a crystal bottle with a binocular eye in the middle and smelling salts inside. I inhaled the pungent aroma and tears flowed with the required frequency.
A stand with fragrances - this is where you can smell everything we know about: lily of the valley, ginger, musk, incense, patchouli... Great amount aromatic natural scents not sold in pharmacies or stores. In our age, when a perfume composition consists of 70% non-natural ingredients, plunging into the world of real smells is worth a lot.
In room No. 2 there is the history of the Brocard and Co. Partnership factory, which is what “New Zarya” was called at the time of its founding. In 1864, a fragrance factory was founded by the hereditary fragrance connoisseur from France, Heinrich Brocard, and after the 1917 revolution. The factory was nationalized and renamed Zamoskvoretsky Perfume and Soap Factory No. 5. The faceless name did not catch on, and in 1922, at the suggestion of the chief perfumer August Michel (who had worked at the company since the time of Brocard), it became “New Dawn”.
Brocard was the first to make advertising sets that included small samples of his products (those same “samplers” would be adopted by perfumers all over the world in the 20th century). Judging by the marvelous beauty of the bottles, Brocard worked with the best glassmakers in Russia and Europe.
There is no guide (all the guides were fired recently) sad! - without them it’s not so interesting, now the sales consultant is narrating the story (from the 1st floor of the store). My friend and I were the only ones in the museum.
The excursion to the Perfume Museum is completely free! They also strictly warned that photos are prohibited!! I am posting a photo of the sign at the entrance.
MUSEUM: Tue-Sat from 10 to 19, Sun from 10 to 18, Mon - closed.
SHOP: Mon-Sat from 10 to 20, Sun from 10 to 19
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