RUSSIAN CULTURE NEWS _______________ News.museum.ru _________________________ Edition N 191 August 28, 2001 Number of subscribers 1724 issued from October 1997 ______________________________________________________ Translated by the ROID Translation Agency (http://www.roid.ru) Our gratitude is expressed to them for all their professional efforts. ______________________________________________________ -= CONTENTS =- 1. Exhibition of water-colors by V.S. Sadovnikov 2. An exhibition from the collection of the Tea and Coffee Museum 3. African cultures at the Museum of Oriental Arts 4. B. Kalita's one-man show 5. A summer tour over Europe in photos 6. 10th anniversary of August 1991 events 7. David Borovsky. Paintings and graphic art 8. State coaches in the Tsar Village 9. Bourdalut is not a sauce-boat 10. "Kazan Tea Party" in Kazan 11. Coachmen's bells and jingles in Rostov -= 1 =- Exhibition of water-colors by V.S. Sadovnikov The State Museum named after A.S. Pushkin and the State Russian Museum invite you to attend the opening ceremony of an exhibition "Water-colors by V.S. Sadovnikov". Back in his time Gogol said that the entire St. Petersburg can be only seen in Nevsky avenue. V.S. Sadovnikov on his part has reproduced St. Petersburg of that time. His "Panorama of Nevsky Prospect" displayed at our exhibition has become an original historic and artistic document of the Puskin's era. The painter has thoroughly reconstructed the details of the houses, having included in his panorama even the buildings under construction and existing only in designs. The total length of the panorama is 15.65 m. The exhibition also presents numerous street views of the city. The artist has covered practically all parts of the 19th century St. Petersburg in his water-colors, showing the city the way it looked like at the time of Pushkin. This exhibition is a tour of the 19th century St. Petersburg of a kind. One hall will get you to Nevsky avenue, in the next one you will meet elegant ladies and gentlemen making their regular promenade along the streets of the city, the third one will present St. Petersburg at night, when the scattered light of first lanterns creates a unique, mysterious atmosphere in the city. The exhibition will be open until October 31, 2001. The Pushkin Memorial Museum Addres: Moscow, 12/2, Prechistenka Ulitsa Direction: From metro station Kropotinskaya (the Ostozhenka Ulitsa exit), take trolleybus 5,15,16 or 31 Phones: (095) 201-3256 E-mail: [email protected] -= 2 =- An exhibition from the collection of the Tea and Coffee Museum The Museum of Moscow History and the London Tea and Coffee Museum present their joint project, an exhibition "English Tea-Making Traditions", opened on August 23, 2001 at the "Old English House" (a branch of the Museum of Moscow History). The exhibition displays different items, documents, illustrations presenting the history of tea, and samples of its various grades. The exhibits include reproductions of ancient gravures, drawings and documents pertaining to this subject, and a collection of tea-serving items. Old English Yards Chambers Addres: Moscow, Varvarka str., 4a Phones: (095) 298-3952, 298-3961 -= 3 =- African cultures at the Museum of Oriental Arts The State Museum of Oriental Arts houses an exhibition "Images of Tropical Africa", organized in the framework of the "Africana" forum and international congress "African Studies in the 20th century". The exposition features exhibits from 18 countries of this continent (Guinea, Sierra-Leone, Benin, Cameroon, Zambia, Nigeria, Mali and others), which introduce the visitors to national handcrafts of dozens of African peoples. There are 130 items of the 18th-20th centuries displayed at the exhibition. Statuettes of deities, ritual and carnival masks, symbols of power of African hoodoo priests and chiefs of African tribes, as well as contemporary paintings and sculptures; this is the first time that the art of Tropical Africa has been represented in Russia so abundantly. The Museum of Oriental Arts has been collecting monuments of African cultures from mid-1950s. Along with the Institute of Asia and Africa (a department of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov) this Museum is an important center for research in the cultures of African countries. The State Museum of Oriental Art Addres: Moscow, 12a, Nikitsky Boulevard Direction: From Metro Stations Arbatskaya, Tverskaya, Pushkinskaya or Chekhovskaya, take either trolleybus 15 or 31 Phones: (095) 291-0341, 291-9614, 202-4555 -= 4 =- B. Kalita's one-man show The State Museum of Ceramics and the "Kuskovo 18th Century Country Estate" present a one-man show of B. Kalita, featuring artist's works from the Museum's funds and the private collection of the author, created over 1970-1990. Boris Kalita is a Russian leading contemporary porcelain artist. While developing the traditions of Russian avant-garde of the 1920s-1930s, B. Kalita also creates new forms and shapes. His works made in 1970-1980 demonstrate eloquent plastic silhouettes decorated with laconic designs or by relief reminding forms typical for the Empire style. The artist prefers quiet landscapes of central Russia characterized by a lyrical, gentle style close to the watercolor technique. In the decor B. Kalita employs images of old Russian architectural monuments, fantastic birds, animals and flowers. B. Kalita has created over 100 works which have been displayed both in Russia and abroad. His best works belong to Russian museums and private collections in France, Czechia, Germany, USA and Chile. The Museum of Ceramics and the 18th Century Kuskovo Estate Addres: Moscow, 2, Ulitsa Yunosti Direction: From metro station 'Ryazanskii Prospect' take bus 133 or 208 to the stop named after the museum Phones: (095) 370-0160 -= 5 =- A summer tour over Europe in photos The Architectural Museum presents an exhibition of old-time stereopair taxiphotos "A European tour of a Russian family in a pre-WW1 summer". In the summer before the 1st World War which started in 1914 a rank-and-file Russian family decided to make a trip to Europe. They visited Austria and Switzerland, followed by Germany, France and England. At the beginning of the tour the family also visited Poland and Finland, but at that time these countries which were a part of the Russian empire were not regarded as foreign. Thanks to this trip the photocollection of the Architectural Museum now includes a wonderful set of 600 amateur photos which impressed the images of the lost world of the early 20th century. The exhibition displays 48 snapshots presented as a traveling diary: first the Alexandrovsky (Belorussian) railway station, then Warsaw with its now destroyed Russian Cathedral, followed by the views of the Alps taken in two countries, houses, hotels, births, railway stations, touching pictures of cars, genre-pieces, and a photo of St. Petersburg port which the travelers visited at the end of their tour. The State Reseach Museum of Architecture named after A.B.Schusev Addres: Moscow, 5, Vozdvizshenka str. Phones: (095) 290-4855, 290-0551 URL: www.muar.ru E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] -= 6 =- 10th anniversary of August 1991 events A Museum and Public Center "Peace, Progress and Human Rights" named after Andrei Sakharov invite you to visit an exhibition "August 1991. 10th anniversary of August 19-22 events - the State Emergency Committee. Attempted political coup", presenting photos made by Alexander Podosinov. In addition to these photos the exhibition also displays materials of the Parliamentary Commission which investigated the causes and circumstances of the attempted coup d'etat (from L. Ponomaryov's archives). Museum and Public Centre " Peace, Progress and Peoples Rights" named after Andrey Saharov Addres: Moscow, 57, Zemlyanoy val Phones: (095) 917-2653, 923-4401, 923-4420 URL: www.infoline.ru/g23/1780/ E-mail: [email protected] -= 7 =- David Borovsky. Paintings and graphic art The Marble Palace houses an exhibition presenting a retrospective display of the works by a brilliant artist from St. Petersburg David Borisovich Borovsky, dedicated to his 75th anniversary. The fist vintage work by the artist in book typography were his illustrations to Turgenev's novel "Spring Tide". In the 1960s Borovsky was engaged in printmaking which dynamically revealed new traits of his gift, his publicistic and social talents. Over many years the author has been attracted by the worker's image reflected in his lithographic series "Workers of the "Electrosila" plant" (1963) and "Soviet Youth" (1975). These portrait series, ideologized in accordance with the prevailing atmosphere of that time, haven't lost their edge today - first of all thanks to their sincere tone, a serious approach to the search of portrait characters. D. Borovsky is an experienced graphic artist, sophisticated practically in all graphic techniques. One of his series presents portraits of outstanding musicians showing the process of their creative work: D. Shostakovich, E. Mravinsky, M. Rostropovich, Yu. Temirkanov, E. Virsaladze. In 1990 the artist abandoned graphic arts and turned to painting. Over these years the artist has mainly painted oils and pastels, including portraits and scapes, with many of his works devoted to ballet and childhood. The Marble Palace Addres: Saint-Peterburg, 5/1, Millionnaya Ulitsa Direction: From either metro station Gostiny Dvor or Nevsky Prospect, take any of the following: buses 25, 46, 134; trams 2, 12, 34, 32, 54 Phones: (812) 312-9196, 312-9054 -= 8 =- State coaches in the Tsarskoe Selo A Museum and Preservation Area "Tsarskoe Selo" houses an exhibition "State coaches". The exposition presents state and every-day equipages of the Russian Emperor, 31 in total. This collection of coaches started to shape up over 80 years ago. After the Museum of Court Stables had been dissolved, the Ekaterininsky Palace received 52 coaches in addition to the equipages already available there. During the Great Patriotic War these rarities were kept at the Hermitage, and in 1969 half of the collection items returned to the old premises. There they were thoroughly inspected and restored by experts. In the course of restoration works the experts managed to find out names of some authors, such as a French cartwright Michalon, who had made the coach for Empress Maria Fyodorovna, and Cramer, an English master who had made the coaches for Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin Pavlovich, and others. At the exhibition the visitors will get acquainted with fine pieces by Russian and foreign cartwrights of the 18th and 19th centuries. The State Museum and Estate "Tsarskoe Selo" Addres: Leningrad region, 7, Sadovaya Ulitsa, Pushkin Town Phones: (812) 466-6674 URL: http://www.tzar.ru, http://www.tzar.ru/amber E-mail: [email protected] -= 9 =- Bourdalut is not a sauce-boat A State Museum and Preservation Area "Petergoff" has recently published a booklet "Emperor's Baths and Kitchens in Petergoff", dedicated to the freshly renovated Bathhouse, now open to public. Here, besides the tubs and steam-baths visitors can also see some amazing articles - for example, a "bourdalut". "In antique shops they are sometimes sold as sauce-boats", - says General Director of the Museum V.V. Znamenov", - but actually they have a different function". A porcelain bourdalut really reminds a sauce boat, but in fact this is a prosy bed-pan which got its name from a French orator of the time of Louis XVI Bourdalut who often engaged in lengthy speeches which were very popular with the public. Ladies-in-waiting, so as not to miss a word of these speeches, often brought these pans with them, which they hid in their bag-muffs. The Art and Architectural Museum and Estate "Petergof" Addres: Saint-Peterburg, 2, UlitsaRazvodnaya, Petergof Direction: Local trains go from Baltisky Station, St Petersburg, to 'Novy Petergof' Station. There is also a hydrofoil service that leaves from two terminals: on the Makarova Emba Phones: (812) 427-9226, 427-9953, 427-7425 -= 10 =- "Kazan Tea Party" in Kazan The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan houses an exhibition "Kazan Tea Party", telling the visitors about the history of tea, tea ceremony traditions and its accessories. The exhibition displays about 20 samovars of the 19th and 20th centuries made at the factories owned by Batashev, Teile, the Shemarins and some others. These samovars are different in form, size, decoration, and manner. One can find samovars in the shape of a tower, wineglass, and globe, and unique, rich in ornament articles. In addition to "classical" samovars the exposition demonstrates "samovars-cookers" having internal sections for simultaneous cooking of several dishes: buillottes (kettles/warming pans with a blazer) which appeared in Russia after the war of 1812; traveling ("camp") samovars, tavern samovars, etc. The visitors can get acquainted with the history of trading houses dealing in tea, which used to belong to Kazan merchants, as well as with the interiors of an early 20th century grocery and of the tea/dining room of the Kazan Temperance Society where in addition to tea visitors were also offered newspapers and magazines. The exhibition presents a rich collection of the 19th and 20th century tea-things made of china and metal, including memorabilia. The Associated State Museum of Tatarstan Republic Addres: Tatarstan republic, 2, Kremlevskaya str., Kazan Phones: (8432) 92-7162 URL: http://www.tatar.museum.ru E-mail: [email protected] -= 11 =- Coachmen's bells and jingles in Rostov The opening ceremony of an exhibition "Coachmen's bells and jingles from the collection of Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Kim" took place on the 17th of August at the State Museum and Preservation Area "Rostov Kremlin". This is the first exposition taking place in the new, recently built branch of this museum, which got the name of "The Museum of Private Collections". The Museum of Private Collections was organized by V.A. Kim (1938-2000), the Director of "Rostov Kremlin" from 1988 to 1999, an enthusiastic collector. V.A. Kim amassed the country's biggest collection of bells and jingles comprised of more than 2000 items, which includes not only shaft-bow bells made at different workhouses, but also neck jingles, door, cabinet, fishermen's, stationary and other bells, and details of horse harness. Readings in bell studies, devoted to the memory of V.A. Kim, timed to the exhibition opening, were held on August 18, 2001. The readings were attended by collectors of shaft-bow bells, museum researchers (including representatives of the Valdai Museum of Bells, the only museum having a standing exposition of bells in the country), and by other people interested in this subject. State Museum-Preserv "Rostov Kremlin" Addres: Yaroslavl region, Museum, Kremlin, Rostov Phones: (08536) 3-1717, 3-3294 E-mail: [email protected] ______________________________________________________ For use of any material of the Russian Culture News edition the reference to resource (Russian Cultural Heritage Network http://www.museum.ru) is imperatively needed. ______________________________________________________ Materials: send to [email protected] or by fax (7-095)135-3385 Subscription: empty message to [email protected] to unsubscribe to send the same to [email protected] Contacts: E-Mail: [email protected] phone/fax: (7-095)135-3385 http://www.museum.ru Copyright: http://www.rchn.org.ru/copyright.htm ______________________________________________________ (ñ) All rights reserved.1997-2001. Russian Cultural Heritage Network