On 9 December 2006, during the 2006 Hermitage Days, an exhibition opened in the Arab Hall of the Winter Palace which demonstrates the way heraldry has been used in the artistic design of books. The exhibition was prepared by the Research Library of the State Hermitage.

The name given to the exhibition comes from Derzhavin's verse entitled Chorus for the Swedish Peace, which was written on the occasion of the solemn celebration of the conclusion of peace between Russia and Sweden. In this poem, eagles symbolize Russia and lions symbolize Sweden.

The exhibition presents more than 100 printed books and encompasses the period from the second half of the 15th century to the beginning of the 20th century. It is divided into two parts on the basis of geography: the first part includes Russian books with elements of heraldry; the second part is devoted to Western European books.

In the first part there are books from the 17th - 19th centuries showing heraldry on the title pages, frontispieces, headbands in the frames and also - in publications from the 18th to early 20th centuries - heraldic decoration on the bindings. A special section consists of variations on the Russian state coat of arms, family and corporative coats of arms on book bindings from the first third of the 18th century to the end of the 19th century.

In the second part there are the following separate sections: chronicles, atlases and books of tournaments; heraldic ornamentation on European book bindings (family, state, corporative, and city coats of arms). There are interesting coats of arms of European monarchs on title pages and frontispieces of the 16th - 19th centuries, miniatures, tail-pieces, initials in Western European books.

The exhibition includes the Description of the Constance Cathedral of 1414-1418 by Ulrich Richental (Augsburg, 1483) - one of the first printed sources on heraldry and predecessor of the specialized books on coats of arms.

The exhibition also displays the first volume of the Great Atlas of Karel Allard (early 18th century), which used elements of heraldry in its decoration.

Church heraldry is reflected in book bindings with heraldic bookplates of Pope Pius IX, Pope Innocent XII, Cardinal Gualteri, Bishop Auxierre Pierre de Brocq, the Benedictine Monastery of Tegernsee, the Ettal Monastery.

A scholarly illustrated exhibition catalogue has been issued by the State Hermitage Publishing House.

The curator of the exhibition is Georgy Vilinbakhov, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage for Research, State Heraldry Master of the Russian Federation, doctor of historical sciences. The curator on behalf of the Research Library is Olga Zimina, deputy director of the Department. The Information Partner of the 2006 Hermitage Days is television channel STO.

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At the opening of the exhibition

At the exhibition

The exhibition catalogue