The State Hermitage Museum: Information

Interest in History is not Eternal
An Article in the Sankt Peterburgskie Vedomosti newspaper
Issue No. 116
June 27th, 2012

Some days ago, the Russian Historical Society was reborn.

It was founded in Petersburg in 1866 on the initiative of famous historians, military men and government figures. In 1917, the society was eliminated; now it is being recreated. This was one of the wonderful events of the Year of History.

Several important dates will be remembered. One of them is the 1150th anniversary of Russian statehood.

The eternal question about whether or not the foundation for our statehood was laid by the Varangians was resolved by a presidential decree on celebrating its 1150th anniversary. This is partly the result of scientific research and arguments. A legend becomes a part of the national consciousness. There is a place for science here too.

The digs at Staraya Ladoga, the first capital of Russia, yielded a persuasively large about of Scandinavian material. In the course of arguments about the Varangians, a compromise was also worked out; the Varangians are also Slavs, just from further West. What was discovered as a result was, if not a consensus, then a new understanding; scientific truth can be combined with human notions about the events of the past. There is a scientific and psychological foundation for that.

The presidential decree was also issued to a significant degree because the 1000-year anniversary of Russian statehood was celebrated under Alexander II. At that time, a monument was built in Novgorod. We also want to mark that date. Repeating holidays is helpful.

The decision has been made. Tentatively speaking, there is a certain etiquette that has to be filled with meaning. A conference and exhibit dedicated to Staraya Ladoga were held at the Hermitage. We presented evidence that our state might come from the arrival of people from other lands. This was an important psychological moment that has yet to be fully grasped. Many of our holidays are built on who we drove out, and when and how; the Poles, the French, the Germans… This time, we are marking the time that Rurik was invited from abroad to rule. It is a moment that softens our national character somewhat.

A large scientific conference, dedicated to the 1150th anniversary of Russian Statehood will be held in Novgorod. With the participation of the Center for National Glory, a virtual version of the Laurentian Chronicle has been prepared. This is the oldest dated Russian chronicle, which includes “The Tale of Bygone Years,” the first story about the Varangians. The original is stored in the Russian National Library. Now people can view that chronicle as picture and read it on their screens.

I will be the first to admit that I always say this: despite all the merits of the virtual, it must have limits, and we must not forget that genuine objects exist. There is something especially lovely about touching a “living” manuscript with your hands, feeling that it is speaking to you. This will always be important for education. It is not enough to develop technology; that feeling must be preserved.

We need events that force people to remember those magical words: “The Laurentian Chronicle,” “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” “The Tale of Bygone Years.” These words must “sit” in everyone’s memory, which is often not the case. A holiday celebrating Russian statehood is helpful for national identity.

People are already arguing about what event will be celebrated more: the 1150th anniversary of statehood or the 200 year anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812.

It is, of course, important how we mark the anniversary of the war with Napoleon. This is the purest war in our history. However much you search, you won’t dig up anything like it. The guard went into battle and fell. The people rose up in defense of the country.

We also have the opportunity to discuss the more complicated questions connected with that way. For example, the burning of Moscow. One of the most tragic consequences of the war with the French was the fact that the fire claimed manuscripts collected by Musin-Pushkin, including “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” “The Tale of Bygone Years” and many more. It is interesting to see what harm was done by the French specifically to the national spiritual heritage, the monastic storage…

The battle of Borodino is a good historical lesson. For the French, it was a victory; they entered Moscow. The Russian troops stood their ground and then retreated, yielding Moscow to their enemies. The Scythian way of waging war in our vast country. We retreat in order to draw the enemy deeper, then we attack. There are some defeats that cannot be distinguished from victories. History has shown that this was correct. I think that doubts arose two hundred years ago, but the will of the Emperor forced those who felt them to be silent. It would be best for such contradictory moments in our history to be discussed. I hope that they will be.

The war of 1812 is important to the Hermitage. Its most important monument, the Alexander Column, stands in Palace Square. The Hermitage will commemorate it with an exhibit about how the war ended with the capture of Paris. This was not the only time Russians entered Europe. A parallel can be drawn with the 20th century.

There’s another aspect of the story: why didn’t the French take Petersburg? Did Wittgenstein defend our city, or did the French consciously only head for Moscow. The history of the defense of Petersburg is worthy of discussion. Our city is one of the few in Europe where the boot of an enemy soldier has never treaded. This important aspect of our Petersburg pride is worth remembering.

The important political question of 1812 is Tilsit, the agreement between Alexander I and Napoleon. I remember how Carl Bildt, the current minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, came to visit us. He gave an entire lecture about the history of the conspiracy between Russia and France against a free Europe. Napoleon gave Alexander I carte blanche on Finland. Russia freed the Finns from the Swedes. It was not at the battle of Poltava that the Swedes finally lost, but when Finland was taken from them. Carl Bildt asserted that this was the result of a conspiracy, like the Molotov-Ribbentrop conspiracy. He said: you conspired behind our backs with the Germans, as you once did with the French. There really is something similar. That is also a Russian way of waging war; using any moment to advance one’s own interests.

The Year of History gives us the opportunity to think broadly.

In Kazan, the Hermitage just opened an exhibit, dedicated to nomadic empires and peoples, from the Scythians to the beginning of the Mongol Empire. Names from books, like the Huns, the Alans, the Sarmatians, the Scythians, the Khazars, Cumans, took on new meaning thanks to the items shown at the exhibit. There are different kinds of objects; simple, primitive, specialized and luxurious. Much has been written about nomadic peoples. Many have read Gumilev’s books. The exhibit in Kazan is a history textbook on the nomadic peoples, built on the best examples over thousands of years.

The exhibit includes Scythian gold, the animal style, beasts that have become symbols. The winged leopard depicted in the coat of arms of Tatarstan. Shaimiev decided to place a large statue of a winged leopard in Bolghar on the bank of the Volga. The Tatar people actually had history before Islam. The winged leopard is part of their traditional symbolism. The exhibit shows this as well.

Tatarstan is a good example of how it is possible to use a political moment to get something done. They are created two spiritual, cultural and tourist centers there. The restoration of Sviyazhsk and Bolghar is ongoing at the same time.

Bolghar is a scared place for the Tatars, where the Tatar state emerged and where Islam was adopted. Beautiful monuments of Islamic civilization were discovered, which are now being restored. Sviyazhsk is a city that was built to take Kazan. It is Russian Christian civilization, monasteries and frescos.

Bolghar and Sviyazhsk must be restored now, when there is interest in history. It is entirely possible that it will disappear in time. In Tatarstan, this interest in history and monuments is being put to use.

Bolghar has become a place of pilgrimage. They will erect a memorial sign there in honor of the adoption of Islam, a grand Quran. People go there without taking off their shoes; it is a secular place and not a religious one. There is an exhibit hall underneath. There is an unrestored wooden cathedral mosque nearby, where one can pray. There is also a new mosque, outside the town. An archeological base is being created, which will make it possible to excavate ancient buildings and open them to visitors. It will be a tourist attract. There is a museum of bread for tourists, where they can eat, but not drink. There is also a place for the winged leopard. The monastery frescos are being restored in Sviyazhsk.

There are many issues that have to be resolved. What monuments must be preserved, what must be restored, what must be done to make sure that the excavated stone walls of the city are not destroyed… The search is underway for the right way for historical places to function, which will include history, archeology, religion and tourism. This has become possible under the aegis of great celebrations.

Celebrations of any kind may turn out to be excessively pompous, but they must be used to accomplish something. It has to be done in such a way that the result is not slapdash.

In the Year of History, the main task is not to struggle with falsification, but to attempt to get as many facts about the often-contradictory history of our country into people’s consciousness as possible. Of course, it is also important to preserve historical places.

There is some hope that, in memory of the War of 1812, it will be possible to restore the field of Borodino. This is difficult; the land has been divided, sold and seized. For it to be returned, we need great political effort and will. We will see how it turns out. It is worth trying a sneaky intellectual approach that has never been tried before; doing something worthwhile under the roar of parades and slogans.

http://www.spbvedomosti.ru/print.htm?id=10289501@SV_Articles