Anatoly Belkin Swamp Gold. The Original Version

On 21 October 2004 the first large exhibition of works by St Petersburg artist Anatoly Belkin opened in the General Staff Building of the State Hermitage. Belkin is the creator of “archeological finds" in cooperation with the Department of Archeology, Eastern Europe and Siberia of the State Hermitage.

A.P. Belkin's manuscript book entitled A Tragic Expedition. Swamp Gold presents what is called “documentary evidence” of gnomes and their gold, as well as scientific programs relating to their study. It has prompted a search for further material evidence of the existence of this Swamp Civilization.

The exhibition comprises 314 separate items, including texts, drawings, collages, sculptural objects, topological plans, maps and diary entries. In addition, there are diverse artifacts such as "golden" depictions of animals and people, "golden" vessels, clay tortoises, wooden sarcophagi, a gigantic flat-bottomed boat and other “finds” which illustrate the material and spiritual culture of the Swamp Civilization.

The task of the Department of Archeology, Eastern Europe and Siberia of the State Hermitage has been to search for reliable artifacts to make possible a full reconstruction of the Swamp Civilization.

The exhibition's curators are Yu. Yu. Piotrovsky, senior researcher and deputy director of the Department of Archeology, Eastern Europe and Siberia, and A.N. Mazurkevich, senior researcher and chief curator of the Department of Archeology, Eastern Europe and Siberia.

D. Yu. Guk and his team in the Computer and IT Section of the State Hermitage produced a compact disk to accompany the exhibition. The CD sets out the project's concept and key exhibits. Visitors are given the opportunity to participate in a kind of quiz about A.P. Belkin's book, A Tragic Expedition. Swamp Gold. Vladimir Tarasov has especially composed music for this project.

In cooperation with the Studio NP-Print Publishing House, the State Hermitage has issued a scholarly illustrated exhibition catalogue which has a preface by Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage.

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Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky at the opening of the exhibition

Anatoly Belkin

At the exhibition

The exhibition catalogue

Anatoly Belkin’s book, A Tragic Expedition. Swamp Gold