RUSSIAN CULTURE NEWS _______________ News.museum.ru _________________________ Edition N 189 Jule 31, 2001 Number of subscribers 1716 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. History and map: development of national cartography 2. Russian America. Imperial Russia and the New World 3. A whim of a learned man. Prince N.B.Yusupov 4. Water colors by Sergei Andriyaki at Kolomenskoye 5. Washed by warm seas 6. Photographic heritage of old masters 7. Landscape gardening in the 18th and 19th centuries 8. "Transformation of shape" at Arkhangelskoye 9. Tumen. A glance at the past 10. Sergiev-Posad Museum houses a new exposition 11. Esenin's Museum welcomes guests again 12. The first elm manuscript -= 1 =- History and map: development of national cartography The State Museum of History which possesses one of the biggest collections of maps in Russia, proceeds with its series of exhibitions devoted to the emergence and development of national cartography in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The new series "History and map: three ages of Russian cartography" is timed to the 300th anniversary of publication by Adrian Shkhonebek of his famous map of the Azov sea - the first engraved map based on surveys by Russian cartographers and charted using mathematical principles. This map laid the foundation of the Russian cartographic production. The second exhibition of this series shows the development of Russian cartography in the 19th century. The visitors will see maps associated with the most important historical events of this period. Muscovites will be interested to see a map of Moscow environments dated 1823, covering the area of today's Moscow. The exhibition will be open until November 1, 2001. The State Historical Museum Addres: Moscow, 1/2, Red Square Direction: metro stations 'Okhotny Ryad', 'Teatralnaya', 'Ploshchad Revolutsii' Phones: (095) 292-4019, 292-3731 URL: http://www.shm.ru E-mail: shm@shm.ru -= 2 =- Russian America. Imperial Russia and the New World The Russian Ministry for Culture, the State Historical Museum and the Foundation for Cultural Cooperation between Russia and America present the exhibition "Russian America. Imperial Russia and the New World". The exposition prepared for a new anniversary of the Russian-American Company (1799-1867) tells the visitors about exploration of the American North-West (Russian America), unveiling pages of the history of friendship between the two continents and the two countries and providing specific details of the Russian-American relationship. The visitors will see about 20 cultural artefacts which include costumes, articles made of wood, leather, bone, precious metals, chinaware. All these exhibits narrate about travels and sea voyages, peoples' everyday life and traditions, luster of the emperor's court, diplomatic service, and Russian hospitality. The exhibition will be open until September 17, 2001. The State Historical Museum Addres: Moscow, 1/2, Red Square Direction: metro stations 'Okhotny Ryad', 'Teatralnaya', 'Ploshchad Revolutsii' Phones: (095) 292-4019, 292-3731 URL: http://www.shm.ru E-mail: shm@shm.ru -= 3 =- A whim of a learned man. Prince N.B.Yusupov The Russian Ministry of Culture, the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, The State Hermitage Museum and the State Memorial Estate "Arkhangelskoye" present an exhibition "A whim of a learned man" (Collection of Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov). The exhibition introduces one of the largest collections of West-European paintings and Russian decorative art of the 18th-19th centuries, which used to belong to Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov (1750/51-1831). Prince Yusupov was a state figure, a diplomat, Director of the Hermitage Museum and of the Armory Chamber, an admirer and a patron of arts. The exhibition is the first documentary reconstruction of the famous private collection which chronologically reflects the prevailing trends in the styles at the early stage of emergence and development of European neoclassicism and early romanticism. The exhibition will display over 500 entries, including 100 paintings, as well as sculptures, artware, drawings, and a unique catalogue of Yusupov's collection, containing several volumes published in 1827-1829. The exhibition will demonstrate the uniqueness of this collection which reflects the tastes of its owner who collected art pieces for half a century. The exhibition will be shown in Moscow from July 31 till November 11, 2001 at the Pushkin Museum, and from December 2001 to February 2002 - at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Addres: Moscow, 12, Volkchonka Street Direction: metro station 'Kropotinskaya' Phones: (095) 203-9578, 203-7998, 203-7412 URL: www.museum.ru/gmii E-mail: finearts@gmii.museum.ru -= 4 =- Water colors by Sergei Andriyaki at Kolomenskoye The exhibition hall "Year 1825 Pavilion" - a part of the State Conservation Area and Museum "Kolomenskoye" - will house an exhibition of paintings by an Honored Artist of the RF, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts S.N. Andriyaki. The exhibition "Water colors by Sergei Andriyaki" presents over 70 works painted in the classical water color style, picturing Russian churches, townscapes, Russian province and foreign countries, still life, and flowers. The museum on its part exhibits pieces from its own collections, which, in suit with the artist's paintings, create an exceptional atmosphere, full of admiration of the Russian land, its beauty and glory. The exhibition will be open to the public until August 19, 2001. The State Art and Architectural Museum Estate "Kolomenskoye" Addres: Moscow, 39, Prospect Andropova Direction: Metro Station: Kolomenskoe Phones: (095) 112-8174, 114-8298 URL: www.museum.ru/kolomen E-mail: kolomen@museum.ru -= 5 =- Washed by warm seas At the eve of the Independence Day of Indonesia, the State Museum of the Orient houses an exhibition "Washed by warm seas:", presenting paintings by 11 well-known Russian artists. The exposition displays about 100 out of 700 pictures painted in oil and crayon, graphical works, sculptures, as well as tapestry and painted silk. This exhibition was preceded by a two-month journey of Russian artists to Indonesia last year. Such an action is unprecedented by its scale and character in the history of cultural ties between the two countries. Vladimir Anisimov, Alexander Belashov, Stanisalv Nikireev, and other recognized art masters have vividly and colorfully reproduced the exotic nature of this wonderful country. At the exhibition's opening ceremony Vladimir Anisimov addressed Megavati Sukarnoputri, who took the President's oath of office on Monday, thanking her for "the rendered assistance in the preparation and organization of the expedition". The exhibition will be open until August 13, 2001. 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 -= 6 =- Photographic heritage of old masters The "PhotoSoyuz" gallery run by the Russian Association of Photo Artists invites you to the photo-exhibition "Old masters. Photographic heritage". The gallery exhibits works by national photography classics, such as Alexander Grinberg, Naum Granovsky, Robert Diament, Anatoly Egorov, Emma Yevzerikhina, Boris Ignatovich, Georgi Lipskerov, Mark Markov-Grinberg, Georgi Petrusov, Mark Redjkin, Victor Rukovitch, Yakov Riumkin, Mikhail Savin, Alexander Ustinov, Evgeni Khaldei, Yakov Khalip, Arkadi Shaikhet. The exhibition is open for the visitors till September, 2001. The "PhotoSoyuz" gallery by the Russian Association of Photo Artists Addres: Moscow, 5, Pokrovka street Phones: 921-5727 URL: http://www.photounion.ru E-mail: photosoyuz@arstel.ru, photounion@df.ru -= 7 =- Landscape gardening in the 18th and 19th centuries Moscow, with the support of the capital's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, will hold the First Moscow Flower Festival "Landscape gardening in 18th and 19th centuries", which will take place from July 14 to September 10, 2001. The goals of the Festival are: revival of the country estate "Kuzminki" - a memorial of Moscow landscape architecture; demonstration of traditional techniques used in estate landscape gardening in the 18th and 19th century; raising of the level of flower decoration in Moscow. State-owned and private companies specializing in landscape architecture and flower-growing were invited to take part in the Festival. The main requirement to the flower bedding and flowers to be presented for the contest is compliance with the traditions and spirit of the time. The jury will announce the contest results by the Day of the City in Moscow (early September). The country estate "Kuzminki" Addres: Moscow, 6, Topolevaya alley Phones: 377-9457 -= 8 =- "Transformation of shape" at Arkhangelskoye The Memorial Estate "Arkhangelskoye" and the "New Jerusalem" Museum invite you take part in the opening ceremony of an exhibition presenting works by Sergei Rudenski "Transformation of shape", which will take place on August 2 at the building "Over the Gully Storehouse". The exhibition presents over fifty paintings and drawings, including landscapes, still life, portraits, and scenes form the Evangel, painted by the author over the last decade. The diversity of exhibited works allows to demonstrate the author's quest for new forms shown in the process of shape evolution and transformation. The author's figurative arrangement, dynamic color palette, a strong and refined decorative talent create a unique atmosphere in his works, harmonic in all their paradoxes, and reflect the artist's outlook on this world, simultaneously ironical and romantic. Museum-Estate "Arkhangelskoye" Addres: Moscow region, Archangelskoe, Krasnogorskii Raiyon Direction: From Metro Station 'Tyshinskaya', take bus 549 to the stop named after the museum. Phones: (095) 560-2231 URL: http://www.museum.ru/archang/enter.htm E-mail: liakishev@yahoo.com -= 9 =- Tumen. A glance at the past The exhibition hall of the St. Petersburg Artists Association houses an exhibition "Tumen. A glance at the past". The main goal of this project is to show Tumen in paintings and drawing the way it was 100 years ago while preserving historical details of that period. The exposition displays paintings and drawings by the Chief Architect of Mosproject V. Vorobiev. His works are inspired by the themes he found in the old streets of the city. The author has tried to restore the view of the old city, which is now being studied by historians and researchers in local history and traditions and which is so dear to Tumen's inhabitants. After St. Petersburg where the exhibition will be open until 5 August 2001, it will be shown in Tumen. The exhibition hall of the St. Petersburg Artists Association houses Addres: Saint-Peterburg, 38, Bolshaya Morskaya street Phones: (812) 314-3060 -= 10 =- Sergiev-Posad Museum houses a new exposition Sergiev-Posad Museum and Conservation Area located on the territory of the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra has opened a new exposition complex "19th century vestry of the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra". The full collection of the vestry treasures will be exhibited for the first time in the history of this Museum. This famous collection, dating back to the middle of the 14th century, became a part of the Museum's funds in 1920. The new exposition complex has helped the Museum to solve the problem of premises shortage and to exhibit in it the vestry collection in whole. Sergiev Posad State History and Art Museum and Reserve Addres: Moscow region, Lavra, Sergiev Posad Phones: (09654) 453-56 URL: www.musobl.divo.ru E-mail: sergiev@divo.ru -= 11 =- Esenin's Museum welcomes guests again The house of Sergei Esenin's parents in the Konstantinovo village (Ryazan region) reopened its doors to the visitors on July 17 after completion of restoration works, which had been started last year fall. The wooden walls of the house built in 1922 were affected by the inexorable time and specialists from Ryazan Restoration Research and Industrial Complex had to practically rebuild the house. Reconstruction of the house and other buildings on the territory of the State Preservation Area and Museum of Sergei Esenin cost over 1.5 mil Rubles. 70% of the works were funded from the federal budget, with considerable donations also received from the regional administration and sponsors. S.A.Esenin State Museum and Preserv Addres: Ryazan region, Konstantinovo, Ribnovsky raion Phones: (09137) 5-1608 -= 12 =- The first elm manuscript The first elm manuscript was found on the territory of the Nerev End (a part of mediaeval Novgorod) on July 26, 1951. The manuscript was found during archeological excavations in the 14th-15th centuries level. This event inaugurated a new ear in historic studies in Russia of the middle ages (up to the 15th century). The 50th anniversary of this finding will be celebrated in 2001. Over the past 50 years the number of elm manuscripts found in Novgorod has reached 915 pieces. Apart from Novogorod such manuscripts were also found in other 10 ancient Russian towns and cities, including Staraya Russa, Smolensk, Torzhok, Pskov, Tver, Zvenigorod Galitiski (Ukraine), Moscow, Ryazan, Vitebsk (Belorussia), Mstislavl (Belorussia). Usually elm manuscripts are found in the 11th-15th centuries archeological levels. The oldest manuscript dates back from the first half of the 11th century, and the latest - from the second half of the 15th century. The texts are scratched on elm with a special tool called "pisalo", sharp on one end and paddle-shaped on the other. Over the period of excavations in Novgorod more than 200 such tools have been found there, mainly made of iron, with a few of them made of bone and only several made of bronze. The majority of the manuscripts are written in old Russian (the colloquial language of that time), with some of them being written in Church Slavic (the book tongue). ______________________________________________________ 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 news@museum.ru or by fax (7-095)135-3385 Subscription: empty message to rcn-list-subscribe@museum.ru to unsubscribe to send the same to rcn-list-unsubscribe@museum.ru Contacts: E-Mail: mail@museum.ru 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