Hermitage. Golden Pantry

Friends, hello!

If you decide to visit the Hermitage St. Petersburg for the first time, this article will tell you everything about this attraction of the northern capital, will help you plan your visit correctly and not miss important details.

I tried to collect everything useful information for those who decided to see famous works art with your own eyes. In addition, coupled with the map-scheme that you “bleed from the nose” you need to get at the entrance, you can find way out of the “cultural trap” , when the voice of reason in your head treacherously creaks “Enough!”

Undoubtedly, the museum is worth visiting at least once. You must test your nervous system for strength. Will she be able to withstand two days of culture shock and emotional euphoria?

Many will ask why two days?

It's simple. It’s impossible to go around all the halls and see all the masterpieces in one excursion! You can get real pleasure only by leisurely wandering through the endless rooms of huge palaces. However, two lives are not enough for this, because in the museum there is more than 3,000,000 exhibits .

The history of the Hermitage begins in 1764, when the country was ruled by Catherine II. The Empress collected paintings by great artists, and at first the museum was considered her private collection. In 1852, the museum was given a new building and opened to the public.

Today the exhibitions are located in five buildings (!), located near the Neva River. Agree, in such a vast territory it is difficult for the average person not to get lost.

From one appearance The Hermitage is already breathtaking. By the way, when entering this temple of art, it is difficult not to experience a culture shock. The interior of the museum itself evokes admiration for its luxury. Of course, these buildings served as residences for the kings, where balls and receptions were held, so they spared no expense on the construction.

What are we going to watch?

The Hermitage is a huge complex of buildings. Here are not only unique works famous artists and sculptors. Items applied arts, ancient medals, coins, furniture, ancient artifacts - all this is located in a real palace museum.

The museum consists of:

• Winter Palace;
• Small Hermitage;
• Great Hermitage;
• Hermitage Theater;
• New Hermitage.

Purchase a hall plan possible at the box office. For beginners, I still advise you not to skimp and join the excursion group. The guides will tell you fascinating story creating a museum. In addition, this way you will definitely not get lost in the labyrinth of halls, and will find a way out of the “artistic” trap.

Tour of the Hermitage

Since it will not be possible to pay due attention to all the exhibits in the museum, tourists usually plan what they want to see even before going to the Hermitage. I will tell you about those halls that you definitely need to see.

Jordan Stairs. Typically, a museum tour begins with this. Made of white marble, the staircase is decorated with gold. Previously, it was intended for noble guests and ambassadors from other countries. Even in the photo the staircase looks amazing, royally majestic.

Portraits of the Romanov dynasty. A gallery of paintings depicting the famous imperial family can be found on the second floor of the Winter Palace (rooms 151 and 153).

Egyptian Hall (No. 100) is very popular among tourists. Here visitors will see mummies, sarcophagi, and ancient amulets.

Impressionist collection. Fans of Monet and Renoir will enjoy paintings by great artists located on the 3rd floor (rooms 316 to 350). There are also works by famous post-impressionists (Gauguin, Van Gogh, Cezanne).

Works by Leonardo Da Vinci. Two paintings by the famous artist, scientist and writer are located in the Old Hermitage building on the 2nd floor (room No. 214). Each painting is a priceless treasure.

Rembrandt Hall. Since there are a huge number of people who want to see the paintings of the famous artist, best time visiting this hall is an hour before the museum closes. At this hour, all excursions end, and you can calmly wander among the paintings. The hall is located in the New Hermitage on the 2nd floor (room No. 254).

Gold and diamond storerooms of the Hermitage

To visit the jewelry gallery, a tourist needs to buy two tickets at the box office. One to visit the museum, the other to visit the storerooms. Entrance here is strictly with a tour group and on a schedule.

I advise you not to delay purchasing a ticket; the gallery is in great demand among tourists. The schedule of the remaining excursions to the storerooms is indicated on the stands. The excursion lasts about two hours.

Visitor reviews

There are countless rave reviews about visiting the Hermitage. Many say that with its splendor the Winter Palace even eclipsed the famous Louvre in Paris . Of course, many did not have time to admire all the exhibits of this temple of art. Among the shortcomings, visitors noted long queues both at the ticket office and at the cloakroom, especially during the tourist season.

Information for visitors

Hermitage opening hours:
Tuesday – Sunday 10.30 – 18.00 (Wednesday, Friday until 21.00)
Closed – Monday and holidays
Museum address: St. Petersburg, Palace Square, 2
Ticket prices :

• 700 rubles(680 if online) - entrance ticket to the Main Museum Complex and the Main Headquarters, Winter Palace of Peter I, Menshikov Palace, Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory
• 400 rubles— entrance ticket to the Main Museum Complex and the Main Headquarters, the Winter Palace of Peter I, the Menshikov Palace, the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory for citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus
• 1020 rubles— entrance ticket to the Main Museum Complex and the Main Headquarters, the Winter Palace of Peter I, the Menshikov Palace, the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, operating within two days . The best offer on the market)) Sold only online here hermitageshop.ru/tickets/
• On the ball- preschoolers, schoolchildren, students, Russian pensioners and everyone on the 1st Thursday of the month (receive a free ticket is required)

Official website: hermitagemuseum.org

How to find the museum

The Hermitage buildings are located on Palace Embankment. If you are going to take a trip by metro, then you need to get off at the station "Nevsky Prospekt" . From any point on the avenue you can see the spire of the Admiralty. He will be a guide.

At the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and Bolshaya Morskaya Street, you need to turn right, passing under the huge arch of the General Staff Building. Thus, you will find yourself on Palace Square. Then you need to find the central entrance to the Winter Palace (and it’s hard not to find it).

Walk through the arches, decorated with openwork gates, into the courtyard. The stands have a schedule of excursions and prices. There is also an electronic scoreboard. Cash desks are located inside.

Those traveling by bus are also concerned about how to get to the museum. They must get off at the stop « State Hermitage Museum» , buses No. 7, 10, 24, 19 follow here. From Gostiny Dvor you can get to your destination by bus No. 49. You can also get there by trolleybus (No. 1,7,10 and 11).

This is good to know

Food and drinks are strictly prohibited from entering the museum. You can't even take water with you . If you have a large handbag or briefcase, you will have to return the accessory to the wardrobe. Ladies, it is better to leave your high-heeled shoes at home; they can scratch the parquet flooring made from valuable wood species. Take care of the beauty, do not touch the exhibits with your hands! This is especially true for vases, gilded interior items and antique furniture.

And one more thing. In my next article I will definitely tell you why I think purchasing tickets online for 2 days at once is an ideal option, but if you only have 1 day and you need to get everything done quickly, then on this site share great information on how to avoid queues:

http://www.speshun.ru/cultura/31-hermitage/hermitage-ocheredi

St. Petersburg is a unique city. There is always something to see and do here. During our 6 days of visit, we managed to do a lot, but, of course, not everything. Don't want to miss anything? Don’t want to spend your entire visit on non-essential things and leave the Northern capital with nothing?

Then you need to plan your visit correctly!

1. 1. Order yourself guide to St. Petersburg Here) in advance. This will help you start exploring the capital immediately upon arrival, rather than wasting time on acclimatization and searching for a bookstore.
   2. Decide on the program and book at least one excursion around St. Petersburg from professionals in their field. After this, sightseeing in St. Petersburg on your own will be more fun and productive)). If you come in a group, then watch the excursions here.
   3. About how we famously saved 50% at a band concert "Bricks" , visiting a restaurant "Mangal House" and boat rides on the Neva using the service Biglion read my articles about our stay in St. Petersburg.

So take action!

That's all for me! I suggest you subscribe to my blog . This way you will be the first to know all the useful information about travel!

See you again!

Personal Tours company offers you various individual excursions around St. Petersburg (sightseeing tours, walking tours) and its suburbs (Peterhof, Pushkin, Gatchina, etc.).

All our excursions begin and end at a location convenient for guests.

When conducting an individual excursion, it is important for the guide to understand what is interesting to you and what to focus on in the excursion, and what is better to omit. It is important for the guide to convey to guests not just formal information about the sights and cultural places of the city, but to tell unusual facts or stories related to them.

The Hermitage is state museum, which many experts and visitors call nothing less than the Crown of Russian museum decoration. Its halls are decorated with many unique works of art.

But this is not the only place where connoisseurs of beauty strive to come when they come to the Hermitage. The gold and diamond storeroom literally outshines everything in the other rooms. After all, these departments contain the most valuable treasures. But what especially strikes the imagination of the common man is the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage. This will be discussed in this article.

Story

When the Hermitage was founded, no one raised the question of the ownership of the treasures in it. Of course, the Russian autocrats were the owners and collectors of all valuables. But the situation gradually changed. And already Nicholas I began to distinguish between works, distinguishing between them “personal” and “state”. During the reign of this king, the Hermitage received visitors who were supposed to see the luxury and beauty of all the things presented in the exhibition. When did the Diamond Storeroom appear, its appearance is quite logical. After all, all existing imperial regalia, as well as crown diamonds, had to be stored somewhere. At the same time, they had to be kept in such a way as to guarantee their integrity and avoid any accidents.

In order to store the imperial regalia, crown diamonds, as well as valuable jewelry and fur items, Nicholas I created a special structure. He called it the Cameral Department of the H.I.V. Cabinet.

Of course, all these valuable items were under constant supervision until the 19th century. The history of the Cabinet created by Nicholas I dates back to 1704. Initially, such a structure was involved in managing the economic, administrative, and financial affairs of the ruling emperors. It was created according to what was published by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Until the end of the 18th century, such an Cabinet was responsible for storing all the imperial regalia, as well as the crown diamonds. But some changes to such activities were made on July 16, 1786. Then, by decree of Catherine II, the work of the Cabinet was clearly defined. In one of the paragraphs of this document, a description was given of some provisions directly related to the storage of sovereign valuables, which were jewelry.

By the end of the 19th century, a conditional division of the Winter Palace appeared. It was believed that there were several zones in it. They included living quarters, as well as rooms reserved for those close to the emperor. Was in Winter Palace and a special zone. It was a room in which there were artistic values belonging to royal family. This zone was called the Imperial New Hermitage. Items that were previously in the Kunstkamera and the Moscow Armory were stored here. Works of art from the Old Hermitage were also moved here.

In December 1856, a unique collection of exhibits was officially opened to the public. The room in which they were located became known as the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage. Initially, one hundred and sixty-five things were placed in it.

Collection of jewelry creations

What does the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage contain today? It contains many things that show museum visitors the gradual development of jewelry, which has been improved throughout the centuries-old history of mankind. But it is the 18th-century art objects that the Hermitage’s Diamond Storeroom is most proud of. It is no coincidence that exhibits made by the hands of excellent craftsmen of this era are here. After all, the 18th century is called the century of diamonds. Jewelers from Europe made all sorts of things for the most demanding customers!

These are caskets and snuff boxes, toiletries and toy boxes, fans and watches, decorations for dresses, hats and hair. Among these items are perfume bottles, bracelets and rings.

Precious snuff boxes

The Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage presents visitors with a large number of items. Many of them were purchased by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. For example, on her orders, various snuff boxes were purchased. Such a thing is difficult to find today. And in those distant times, these were special boxes designed for storing tobacco. What ended up in the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage was at one time a precious reward to the Empress for her services.

Snuff boxes made by jewelers were used as diplomatic and intimate gifts. This unique pantry also contains an oval box decorated with the monograms of Catherine II and Semyon Zorich (one of her many favorites). Also kept in the Hermitage are two gold-encrusted tortoiseshell snuff boxes that belonged to Tsar Peter. One of them is decorated with a miniature depicting ships in the harbor of St. Petersburg. The second one is made in a very original form. It is made in the shape of a ship and even has glass windows. These two works were made by an unknown master.

Watch

The mechanism showing time was very popular in those distant times when Russia was ruled by royal dynasties. However, only the nobility could afford to buy a watch. They were attached using a special chain - a chatelaine - to the belt. However, it didn't end there. Several more chains were attached to the belt. On one of them there was a key. It was needed to wind the watch. Another chain was decorated with a pendant made by jewelers, and the third could contain any exquisite trifle. And this entire set was richly decorated with various precious stones. The Hermitage (Diamond Storeroom) shows a lot of similar items to its visitors.

Clocks by Swiss, French and English masters are also presented here in a tabletop version.

Salt shakers

We are all familiar with the Russian tradition of offering “bread and salt” to guests. Such a ceremony was also important for august persons. That is why among the exhibits in the Diamond Room of the Hermitage there are salt shakers. They are bowls made of silver or pure gold. The salt cellars are decorated with embossing and precious stones.

Creations of Ivan Kulibin

During the reign of Empress Catherine the Great, the now well-known self-taught mechanic pleased with things made with his own hands. One of his priceless things is a watch, enclosed in an egg-shaped gilded openwork case.

Through the Empress's favorite, Count Kulibin, he presented this unique item to Catherine. In those days he aroused genuine admiration. After all, before this, masters in Rus' had never made watch movements. Jewelers made only the precious case intended for them.

Ivan Kulibin's watch, in addition to its usual movement, pleased the owner with a musical mechanism and figures moving to the tune.

Works of Jeremiah Pozier

This wonderful jeweler created his creations for three Russian empresses. An excursion to the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage will introduce you to its snuff boxes made of gold, decorated with branches of diamonds, as well as precious bouquets that in former times noble ladies wore on the shoulder, on the belt or on the bodice of their dresses. All stones were set in a silver frame, due to which they were devoid of a yellow tint. Gold served only to connect individual flowers into a bouquet. Because of this fastening, all parts were movable. This created an amazing effect. As the lady moved, the flowers moved and sparkled.

In order to display such bouquets, at the end of the 19th century. They even made special vases. They were made of rock crystal, which gave the impression of being filled with water.

Whose other works are kept in the Diamond Room?

Jewelry craftsmen working in St. Petersburg were, as a rule, of foreign origin. That is why visitors to the Diamond Room can admire the works of J.F.K. Bourdais, I. Pozier, I.G. Scharf, the Duval and Theremen brothers, as well as J.P. Adora.

Demand for jewelry in the 18th century. was extremely large. Interest in jewelry did not decline in the next century. During this period, items made by Carl Faberge were especially popular. The most iconic work of the famous master is a copy of such imperial regalia as the Great and Small Crown, as well as the orb and scepter. I made all these items in tenfold reduction.

Today, all copies are provided for review by the Hermitage (St. Petersburg) and the Diamond Pantry. The smaller imperial regalia is placed on cushions made of white velvet and decorated with silver tassels. In turn, the pads are mounted on silver pedestals specially created for this purpose. All this splendor is placed on a platform similar to a Roman column. This pedestal is made of pink quartzite and decorated with a silver garland.

In order to begin work, Faberge needed to obtain special permission from the Palace. For this masterpiece, which participated in the 1900 World Industrial and Art Exhibition in Paris, the author received Gold medal and the Legion of Honor. At the same time, he was recognized as the best jeweler in the world. After this exhibition, Tsar Nicholas II purchased the products for the Hermitage.

Brilliant exhibits

One of the most striking collections in the Diamond Room includes jewelry made during the Renaissance. All of these items have a nautical theme and are decorated with “irregular” baroque pearls. One such product is the caravel pendant. It is made of solid emerald and serves as the hull of a ship.

Among the marine-themed items is the pendant of Elizabeth's corsair. This item is a translucent rounded pink quartz with a gold chain mount. On the mount there is an image of a ship cutting through the waves. The name of the owner of the pendant is also indicated here, as well as the date - 1590.

The Diamond Room of the Hermitage also contains unique items from the Sicilian city of Trapani, dating back to the 17th century. Experts assess them as extraordinary and rare. These are objects made of coral, silver and gilded copper. Their beauty literally captivates the eyes of visitors. One of these products is a hand jug. Crystals seem to grow from the walls of this vessel.

Browse unique collections

How to get to the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage? To do this, you need to purchase tickets for one of the excursions, which are conducted only according to the schedule.

The Hermitage (Diamond Pantry) invites everyone to visit. The tickets you will need for this are as follows:

1. At the entrance to the Hermitage. For citizens of Russia and Belarus, the cost of such a ticket is 400 rubles. Everyone else can purchase it for 600 rubles. Children and students of any country, as well as Russian pensioners, can visit the museum free of charge.

2. On a tour of the Diamond Storeroom. The cost of such a ticket is 300 rubles. for all categories of citizens.

Both tickets are sold by the Hermitage ticket office located directly at the entrance. During the high tourist season, you need to come for them as early as possible. After all, the number of tickets is limited. The high tourist season is considered to be the time of the white nights, May and New Year holidays.

Today it is possible to purchase tickets online. To do this, just go to the official website of the museum. However, the cost of tickets with this purchase option will be slightly higher. It will be 580 rubles. to enter the Hermitage, and to participate in a tour of the Diamond Room - 430 rubles.

Also on the Internet you can come across numerous websites of travel companies that offer tickets at inflated prices. It should be borne in mind that there is no need for intermediaries. Anyone can organize a visit to the Hermitage and the Diamond Room on their own. Moreover, excursions are conducted only by museum employees. The work of intermediaries consists only of purchasing tickets, for which they take an impressive commission.

What time is the Hermitage (Diamond Storeroom) open to the public? Museum opening hours vary slightly depending on the day of the week. Thus, on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday the Hermitage invites visitors from 10.30 to 18.00. The ticket office is open only until 17.00. On Wednesday and Friday the museum welcomes guests from 10.30 to 21.00. You can get to the box office until 20.00. Monday is a day off at the Hermitage.

On Saturday and Sunday, as well as in the summer season, it is recommended to come to the museum either half an hour before opening or directly to it. This is due to the large influx of visitors. Anyone who arrives later will stand in line for several hours or simply not get into the museum.

How does the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage work? The schedule of her excursions can be found by contacting the information center administrator on the day of your visit. They are also displayed on special stands.

Excursions to the Diamond Room are well organized. After purchasing a ticket, visitors undress in the cloakroom and enter the museum. The group gathers thirty minutes before visiting the storage room in the museum lobby. This place is marked with a large sign. Museum workers will also help you find it. They will gladly point to the right place.
The excursion lasts an hour and a half, introducing you to the exhibits kept in the Diamond Storeroom of the Hermitage. Visitors are prohibited from taking photographs of jewelry.

Golden and diamond storerooms Hermitage

HUMAN HISTORY

On Saturday, April 2, 2011, we decided to go to the Golden and Diamond Storerooms of the Hermitage. I was only in the Golden Vaults when I was a child. And one memory remains - the Scythian golden comb.

History is an amazing science. It cannot be called science in the truest sense of the word. Science - This an excitingly interesting business in which there is beauty, and upsurges of the human spirit, and the light of truth!
The goal of science is to understand and explain the phenomena of the surrounding world on the basis of laws, theories and principles; Improve the quality of life of people through the application of the latest scientific achievements in practice; Predict the future (including the future of humanity) and learn to properly direct the processes occurring in reality. The substantive and objective way of viewing the world, characteristic of science, distinguishes it from other methods of knowledge. For example, in art, the reflection of reality occurs as a kind of gluing together of the subjective and objective, when any reproduction of events or states of nature and social life presupposes their emotional assessment. Reflecting the world in its objectivity, Science provides only one slice of the diversity of the human world.

So history is in many ways art! The art of imagining the past. Pavel Kogan wrote:

They'll invent us again
-Sazhen oblique, firm step
-And they will find the right foundation,
But they won't be able to breathe like that,
How we breathed...

That's the whole point. And then I read R. Rozhdestvensky:

Story! Let me be a naive boy!
I believed too long, too sincerely
That you are more accurate than any mathematician,
More indisputable than the most trivial truth!

I was such a naive boy, and I believed what the greats said.

But what can you do? Boys are getting old!
Your (History) winds cut across our faces.
Seconds count for centuries.
I speak on behalf of seconds.

I love Russia. I am used to talking about it as a great country. But it always amazed me, I could not understand how it happened,
that our country occupies the largest territory in the world!?
And where did Russia come from?
Russia grew with Siberia, as Lomonosov said.

Since the 16th century, Siberia has been part of the Russian state. And before that, the Siberian Tatars ruled here.

We are accustomed to the fact that the development of Siberia has always proceeded from West to East. Now the distant descendants of the Russian pioneers look with surprise at the oncoming wave of new colonists. This is the finally awakened Chinese tiger stretching. With his right paw he has long tenaciously pressed the Far East to himself, and with his left paw he is testing the strength of sleeping and sick Siberia.

On the websites of Chinese revisionists and revanchists, the methodology by which China will regain its “lost lands” is openly discussed: Outer Dongbei (Primorye), Boli (Khabarovsk), Haishenwei (Vladivostok), Outer Khingan Range and then almost to Novosibirsk. There are only two ways to return “what was taken away by Tsarist Russia”: systematic settlement of disputed territories and increasing one’s economic influence. In fact, all this is already happening.

There is a “generally accepted” version” of the annexation of Siberia. Somewhat exaggerating, it can be stated as follows: a certain Ermak, being in the service of the Stroganov merchants, with his gang, either out of personal whim, or in a secret conspiracy with the Stroganovs, went on a campaign to Siberia, defeated the troops of the Siberian Khan Kuchum and annexed Siberia to Russia . That’s it, period, this is where the “generally accepted” historiography of “Russian Siberia” ends.

There are not even attempts to explain the events from the point of view of common sense. For example, with this: how in this way would Ermak, with half a thousand even amazingly brave and experienced “warriors,” be able to “conquer” at least the territory of the then Siberian Kingdom - which included the territories of the present Tyumen, Kurgan, Omsk, Tomsk, Novosibirsk regions, Altai Territory and a fair chunk of what is now Northern Kazakhstan? Yes, he simply would not have had enough to set up garrisons at least in the largest uluses of the “conquered” country!

So why did the “annexation of Siberia” take place? And what did it consist of?

The Siberian kingdom, the Blue Horde, Khuhe Ulus, was one of the parts of the Jochi Ulus, a division of the Power of Genghis Khan. In addition to him, the Dzhuchi possessions included Altyn Orda - the Golden Horde, known from the official course national history as the source of the “Mongol-Tatar yoke.” The Russian principalities - Ryazan, Vladimir, and later Moscow - also belonged to the Golden Horde with special rights. Moreover, the princes of Vladimir, and later those of Moscow, were not just conquered rulers, but relatives of the Genghisids of the Juchi tribe, the ruling dynasty of the Golden and Blue Hordes. The founder of the Vladimor-Moscow branch of the Rurikovichs, Alexander Nevsky, was officially adopted by Khan Bato (Batu), and Bato’s son, Sartak, became andoy- Alexander's brother-in-arms.

Twinning among the peoples of Asia is considered even higher than blood brotherhood, which is not chosen - one must stand up for the brotherhood in all cases.

This sister-city relationship was remembered in the 15th century, when the Khan of Siberia Ediger recognized the fraternal seniority of the Prince of Moscow Ivan Vasilyevich, bequeathing to him his kingdom in the event of the suppression of his family, and a century later, when Kazan, which separated from the Golden Horde, became a platform for confrontation between a variety of political “agents” influence" - Crimean-Turkish, Khorezm-Persian and, of course, Moscow. The capture of Kazan was the work of, first of all, the Kazan Tatars - and Tsar Ivan the Terrible simply combined these two “crowns” in his title - the principality of Moscow and the kingdom of Kazan (later Astrakhan, and later Siberian).

In the case of the Siberian kingdom, the situation was approximately the same: the Khorezmian Kuchum (from the Sheybani clan, that is, distant relatives of the Genghisids) killed the young Khan Ediger, the legal heir to the throne, and declared himself khan. Which was completely unacceptable both for the local Siberian population and for the Moscow prince Ivan the Terrible (by that time already calling himself a king), as having obligations to the Siberian Genghisids.

Only this—allied help—can explain the unexpected success of Ermak’s enterprise.

We have all the details of the annexation of Siberia to the Russian state. We will probably never know. It is far from always possible to believe the reports of local governors preserved in the Moscow archives, which are often replete with complete fantasy. Based on a number of indirect signs, one can judge that Siberia, from the very beginning and for a long time, was completely autonomous entity, connected with Moscow, and then with St. Petersburg mainly by tributary obligations.

Only the appeals of the local population to the White Tsar for judicial assistance led to the formation of the Ilimsk (later Irkutsk) and Yakutsk voivodeships. The Buryats, Yakuts and Russian colonists, Cossacks and arable peasants, faced with the lies and extortion of the commanders of military garrisons, quite legally turned to the supreme sovereign with the demand to find justice for their servants - and in a number of cases (trial and punishment of the Ilimsk governor Philip Kaftyrev, or steward Matvey Glebov's mission to Yakutsk) they achieved their goal. It is clear that there was no talk about the “conquered” land: having assumed by inheritance the functions of the Tsar of Siberia, the Grand Duke of Moscow also took on many responsibilities.

However, this was offset by huge financial profits. Russia-Muscovy during the times of Ivan the Terrible and his immediate successors experienced a strong, as they now say, “liquidity crisis.”

In other words, internal resources for full development were extremely insufficient, and export opportunities were very limited: Russia had nothing special to export. Neither wines, nor silks, nor spices were transported from Russia to Europe, due to the lack of such.

Only one export item, profitable enough as a source of serious financial income, was available to Russia at that time - fur, which is in great demand in Europe.

So, let's summarize.

The northern part of Western Siberia was known to the Novgorodians back in the 11th century. under the name of Ugra land. Novgorod ushkuiniki went there for fur trading, barter trading and collecting yasak. In the 13th century Yugra is mentioned among the volosts subordinate to Novgorod. In the 15th century periodic trips to Siberia were made from Moscow. In the 15th century Diplomatic relations were established between the Russian state and the Tyumen Khan Ibak. Since that time, some Ugric tribal associations of the Lower Ob region have been paying tribute to the Russians. In mid. XVI century relations between Russia and the rulers of the Siberian Khanate began. By the last quarter of the 16th century. conditions developed that made it possible for Siberia to join Russia.

And in the Golden Storerooms of the Hermitage, the exhibition begins with the Siberian collection of Peter the Great, which began with a gift from Nikita Demidov...

“On one visit of Mr. Demidov to St. Petersburg, a son was born to the monarch, Tsarevich Peter Petrovich, and when noble persons, when congratulating the monarch, according to ancient custom, presented decent gifts, he, taking this opportunity, presented Her Majesty with rich golden hillock Siberian things and one hundred thousand rubles money."

According to the famous archaeologist M.P. Gryaznov, these “hilly Siberian things” consisted of magnificent cast belt plaques depicting the fight of animals and neck torcs with figures of animals at the ends.”

Nikita Demidov’s gift interested Tsar Peter, who loved various curiosities. Obviously, he meticulously questioned the Nevyansk breeder about ancient gold things. What exactly Nikita Demidov told the Tsar is not known. What is known is that Peter immediately sent a decree written by the Tsar in his own hand to the Siberian governor, Prince Matvey Petrovich Gagarin, to Tobolsk, which did not happen often at that time. The original of this decree, along with other unique documents, burned down during a devastating fire. But the essence of this decree lies in the Gagarin decree, which was discovered several years ago by Hermitage researcher M.V. Zavitukhina:

By decree of the great sovereign and by order of the governor of Siberia, Prince Matvey Petrovich Gagarin, the colonel and commandant Mr. Voronetsky and his comrades were sent to Tyumen.

According to the personal decree of his royal majesty, ancient gold and silver things that are in the land of ancient poklashes were ordered to be announced to all kinds of people in Tobolsk and ordered to take those things from them to the treasury of the great sovereign, and to give them treasury money for those taken things.

And already at the end of December 1715 or in the very first days of January 1716, the tsar received a parcel from Gagarin with ten gold objects. For on January 10, having already examined the sent antiquities, Peter handed them over for safekeeping to his quartermaster P.I. Moshkov. In December 1716, Prince Gagarin sent the richest ancient treasure from Tobolsk - 122 gold items. And finally, in October 1717, Gagarin sent the third group of products...

But neither the Demidovs nor Governor Gagarin were the first to find out about the ancient jewelry.

It is believed that the Novgorod ushkuiniki knew about the fabulous riches of the burial mounds beyond the Stone Belt. Both the first Russian pioneers and simply “walking people” who explored Siberia after Ermak knew about these mounds. And not only did they know. Already in the 15th century, and perhaps earlier, even such a profession appeared - mound workers, that is, people who excavated ancient mounds (hillocks).

The prominent Russian archaeologist A. A. Spitsyn, speaking at a meeting of the Russian Archaeological Society at the beginning of the twentieth century, said: “The collection of antiquities, collected by the energy and happiness of Peter the Great, constitutes one of the most important assets of Russian archaeology.” And for more than a hundred years now there have been scientific debates about the so-called Scythian-Siberian style.

This style ancient art It’s not called that for nothing. Because its main characters are animals. The most diverse: wolves, lions, tigers, deer, rams, horses, snakes... These are, so to speak, real animals - we recognize them immediately. And there are also combined animals. For example, a lion with the head of an eagle or an eagle with a snake's head. Often three or four different animals are combined in one image. This animal has the body and head of a deer, the beak of a griffin, the tail of a feline predator, branched horns ending in bird heads, and the same heads on the back of the neck and the tip of the tail.

And finally, the third type of animals are fantastic, mythical, fairy-tale creatures created by the imagination of an ancient master.

And the main plot of the animal style is struggle, fight, rivalry. The fight between a boar and a snake, a tiger and a mythical wolf. Thus, on the paired gold belt plaques, which entered the Siberian collection back in 1716 from the Siberian governor Gagarin, the same composition is mirrored: a mythical winged predator with the body of a lion and the horns of an antelope is tormenting a horse that has fallen on its front legs. Their strangely twisted bodies give the scene special expressiveness and dynamism.

Where exactly were the golden animals from the Siberian collection found? Nikita and Akinfiy Demidov were also looking for the answer to this question. But the Demidovs were looking for the golden path along which the golden animals came. And they found it before scientists by at least two centuries. The path led them to Altai, or rather, to the upper reaches of the Irtysh and Ob to the ancient, or, as they said then, to the Chud mines. It was there that Akinfiy Demidov began to set up his factories. I found myself in the very center of ancient deposits. Of the almost one hundred (one hundred!) ore mines started under Akinfiy Nikitich, the majority were Chud horses. Ancient miners, mining tools, and the remains of smelting furnaces were found there more than once. If Akinfiy Nikitich had a passion for archeology, what service would he provide to historical science? But he had other passions, and therefore the finds of that time were not preserved.

On the highest steppe basin of Tuva, the Turano-Uyuk, surrounded by the peaks of the Uyuk and Kortushibinsky ranges, in the area of ​​​​the villages of Arzhan and Tarlyk, one of the most beautiful natural and historical monuments of Southern Siberia is located. Local residents call it the “Valley of the Kings”. A large number of large chains of mounds are concentrated here, which are the graves of clan and tribal leaders of Scythian times. The chains probably reflect the blood relationship of the people buried in them. The most famous mounds of the “Valley” are “Arzhan-1” and “Arzhan-2”. The first has a diameter of 120 m and consists of pure stone with a spring in the center and huge wooden structures inside. Along with the ancient leader, 16 more people and 160 horses were buried. Despite the fact that the grave was plundered in ancient times, archaeologists were able to discover many valuable finds - these are horse harness items, jewelry made of gold and silver, coins, luxurious woolen fabrics, remains of clothing made from sable skins and the famous bronze plaque in the form of a curled-up ring. panthers. Excavated in 1971-1974. The mound dates back to the 9th-8th centuries BC. The Arzhan-2 mound, which is 2700 years old, was discovered in 2001. This 80 meter wide grave belongs to a noble couple. The remains of people and horses buried with the leader were also discovered on the territory of the tomb. Gold jewelry, copper and amber items, iron weapons, military armor, dishes, etc. were found near the remains. The total weight of gold recovered from the tomb was about 20 kilograms.

There were legends about the gold of Altai. The then nomadic tribes herded cattle, cultivated the land with hoes, fought, traded... And they also mined gold and silver. Lots and lots of gold and silver sconces. Their life, according to scientists, is oversaturated with gold. The abundance of things made of precious metals even in relatively ordinary graves was amazing. It turned out that the people of these tribes not only ate, drank and died on gold and silver, but also supplied precious metals and products made from them to other, near and far countries. This traditional trade in Altai gold was disrupted by the campaign of Alexander the Great. The Achaemenid power collapsed.

What exactly happened to the tribe that supplied the gold is not entirely clear, but Bactria began to import gold from distant China. This was probably inconvenient and expensive, and therefore the Bactrian king Euthydemus I (225-189) undertook a grandiose campaign to Siberia - for gold. It is known that Euthydemus’ warriors followed some “old golden road”, but only reached Issyk-Kul and for some reason did not dare to turn north. The Bactrian troops were defeated by the Seleucid king Antiochus III.

In general, after the death of Alexander the Great and the collapse of his huge empire, great civil strife began and, apparently, many of the usual trade routes were disrupted. At least Altai gold on the international market seems to have disappeared.

One way or another, the famous “golden age” of Altai ended, leaving behind golden mounds. The tribe or people that created great art has disappeared.

According to Herodotus, Aristaeus and other evidence, we know something about the tribes that surrounded the mysterious tribe that created the Siberian collection.

Here it is, the Siberian collection of Peter the Great. I showed only a small part of this collection. Think about it, about 4000 years ago in Siberia there was a great civilization that dissolved in the darkness of centuries!

Yes, we are Scythians, yes we are Asians... Read Blok before we talk about Scythian gold.

Millions of you. We are darkness, and darkness, and darkness. Try it, fight us! Yes, we are Scythians! Yes, we are Asians, With slanted and greedy eyes! For you - centuries, for us - a single hour. You have been looking to the East for hundreds of years, Mining and melting our pearls, And you, mockingly, counted only the time when to set the guns in the mouth! Now - the time has come. Trouble beats with its wings, And every day it multiplies resentment, And the day will come - there will be no trace of your Paestums, perhaps! old world! Until you perish, While you languish in sweet torment, Stop, wise as Oedipus, Before the Sphinx with an ancient riddle! Russia - Sphinx! Rejoicing and mourning, And dripping with black blood, She looks, looks, looks at you And with hatred and with love!.. Yes, to love as our blood loves, None of you has loved for a long time! You have forgotten what is in the world there is love, Which burns and destroys! We love everything - the heat of cold numbers, And the gift of divine visions, We understand everything - the sharp Gallic meaning, And the gloomy German genius... We remember everything - the Parisian streets hell, And the Venetian coolness, the distant aroma of lemon groves, and the smoky masses of Cologne... We love flesh - both its taste and color, and the stuffy, mortal smell of flesh... Are we to blame if your skeleton crunches in our heavy, tender paws? Are you used to it? we, grabbing the reins of the zealous playing horses, breaking the horses' heavy rumps and pacifying the obstinate slaves... Come to us! From the horrors of war, come into the arms of peace! Before it’s too late, sheathe the old sword, Comrades! We will become brothers! And if not, we have nothing to lose, And treachery is available to us! Centuries, centuries - you will be cursed by the sick later offspring! We will make way wide through the wilds and forests Before the beautiful Europe! We will turn our Asian face towards you! Go, everyone, go to the Urals! We are clearing the place for the battle of Steel machines, where the integral breathes, With the Mongolian wild horde! But we ourselves are no longer your shield, From now on we will not enter the battle ourselves, We will see how the mortal battle is in full swing, With our narrow eyes.... January 30, 1918

Under the general name "Scythians" modern researchers unite tribes of various origins, which, starting from 1000 BC. e. for dozens of centuries they occupied part of Eastern Europe, the territories of modern Russia and Ukraine.

Field Scythians The life and customs of the Scythian tribes are known to us from the description of the Greek physician Hippocrates (about 460 - about 377 BC). Hippocrates described in detail their diet, based on fish, beans and onions. He emphasized in particular the importance of sheep farming, which provided the Scythians with both meat and milk from which they made cheese. These nomads, cattle breeders, horse trainers, distinguished by their powerful physical strength and belligerence, immortalized themselves in gold items - depicting not only battles, but also everyday life .

And next to the Siberian collection is a collection of gold from Scythian burial mounds. So much in common!

The Scythians were extremely warlike, and it is believed that the construction of the Great Wall of China in the 2nd century BC. e. pursued the goal of containing their raids in the East. Gold jewelry and household items, which are fused together decorative forms of Asian and Greek origin, are full of images of brutal military skirmishes and indicate that the Scythians carried out their raids on neighboring countries with the aim of seizing booty.

Scythian art is characterized by two main directions: geometric and realistic, with a planar image. The first is more primitive, but cleaner. These are ornaments of intricately intertwined geometric shapes, among which are golden figurines of curled-up deer, lambs and panthers. Perhaps deer were symbols of sunlight among the Scythians. The Scythians took a lot from the Greeks. For example, the reclining figures of lions on a golden ridge from the Solokha mound, located on the same line, are reminiscent of the friezes of Greek temples. It is known that the Scythians included some Greek gods in their pantheon.

Diamond storerooms of the Hermitage

The Treasure Gallery is a most interesting collection of the Hermitage, which received its name under Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The main idea of ​​"The Diamond Pantry" is to show the development of jewelry throughout the centuries-old history of mankind - from the 3rd millennium BC. until the beginning of the 20th century.
The Hermitage jewelry collection contains rare examples of jewelry created by European jewelers in the 16th-17th centuries. Most of it consists of pendants, which were used not only as decorations and additions to costumes, but also as amulets. The appearance in the Hermitage collection of a collection of gilded silver figurines decorated with precious and ornamental stones is associated with the travels of Peter I throughout Europe. Empress Anna Ioannovna, who loved luxury, replenished the collection of palace storerooms with wonderful examples of ceremonial tableware from Augsburg masters. The reign of Elizabeth Petrovna dates back to many different snuff boxes in the form of baskets, irregular ovals, rectangles, chests of drawers, flowers and fruits..

The 28th century was called the century of diamonds. European jewelers did a lot of things for discerning customers: snuff boxes, boxes, boxes, mugs, toiletries, watches, fans, perfume bottles, hair decorations, hats and dresses, rings and bracelets.

My attention was drawn to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, studded with diamonds.

The first holder of the order was Fyodor Golovin. The second holder of the order was Hetman Ivan Mazepa, who received it on February 8, 1700 from the hands of Peter I, but was deprived of the award for treason in 1708. The remaining 38 gentlemen of this order, awarded during the reign of Peter (including the “Wallachian ruler” Constantin Brincoveanu, who received this award secretly for his sympathies towards Russia, who was not included in the official lists of those awarded), turned out to be more worthy of this distinction. Peter himself was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the seventh - in 1703 for leading the capture of two Swedish warships at the mouth of the Neva.

By presidential decree Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin dated July 1, 1998, the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called was restored.
According to this decree, the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called is the highest state award of the Russian Federation.

This order was awarded to Dmitry Likhachev, Mikhail Kalashnikov, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Alexy II, Rasul Gamzatov, Lyudmila Zykina, Sergei Mikhalkov and Daniil Granin.

And so, the last holder of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was Mikhail Gorbachev, who destroyed a great country.

But still, the treasures of the Hermitage Diamond Treasury cannot be compared with the Diamond Fund of our Kremlin in Moscow and with the Museum "Grunes Gevolbe"(German) Grünes Gewölbe — Green Vaults) is a famous collection of jewelry in Dresden, the former princely treasury of the Wettins, covering the period from the Renaissance to classicism. It is considered the richest collection of jewelry in Europe.

The exhibition of the Russian Diamond Fund occupies two halls on the lower floor of the Armory Chamber. The exposition opens with showcases of Soviet and Russian natural diamonds - jewelry and industrial. Thousands of carats of diamonds are found in them. The second hall displays the historical part of the Diamond Fund: unique precious stones known as the “Seven Historical Stones”, or “Seven Wonders of the Diamond Fund”, which include the Orlov diamond, the Shah diamond, a flat portrait diamond, a giant spinel, an emerald and sapphire; imperial regalia, ancient orders, the best examples of jewelry of the 18th and 19th centuries. Due to their exceptional beauty and value, almost each of these exhibits deserves a separate showcase. Visitors emerging from the semi-darkness of the historical hall back into the first hall are greeted by a bright display of Russian diamonds (4,500 carats) and modern jewelry. The beauty, diversity and nobility of forms, the masterly execution of these products testify to the high perfection of the national jewelry art. There is also an extensive collection of colored precious stones, in which the emerald takes pride of place - a stone equally precious and today even rarer than diamond. A separate showcase is dedicated to emeralds and first class precious stones - rubies, sapphires and alexandrites. And finally, Ural gems, semi-precious and ornamental stones. Their beauty leaves no one indifferent. Central showcase. Outwardly calm, but magically alluring, truly underground light of gold and platinum nuggets, fantastic works of miraculous art of inanimate nature. This collection is the largest in the world, it is more than 150 years old.

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