The State Hermitage Museum: Hermitage News

245th Anniversary of the State Hermitage
Hermitage Days - 2009
Opening of a new permanent exhibition Art and Culture of Antique Towns of the Northern Black Sea Coast

9 December 2009, there was an official opening of a new permanent exhibition of the Antiquity Department Art and Culture of Antique Towns of the Northern Black Sea Coast in the halls of Bospor. Museum visitors were able to see the change in the appearance of the hall and the exhibition of the celebrated collection of antiquities discovered by Russian archeologists on the Northern coasts of the Black Sea.

The halls of Bospor were decorated in the Pompeian style in the middle of the 19th century to the design of an architect Leo von Klenze, creator of the New Hermitage. The halls’ reconstruction works began in 2007. At the first stage the project was developed, and restoration of the interiors with full reconstruction of historical wall decorations was conducted. In the 20th century the hall was repainted twice. In 1930s the unusual cheerful decoration - striped wall painting in the style of fresco paintings of Pompeii - was substituted by morose greyish-green colour. In 1970s the hall was again repainted, and this time it was painted in bright red. In 2007 the reconstruction of historical decoration was conducted basing on watercolours, drawings, design drafts and full-scale studies. Two fragments of plasterwork that miraculously have remained intact since the 19th century were found behind an old wardrobe and studied in detail. The restoration works included the renovation of all the elements of interior decoration performed in the 19th century by renowned Russian masters: delicate ceiling paintings reproducing antique motifs, the floor tiled with Italian marble. In the halls LED lighting fixtures were installed, they provide soft lighting of the ceiling and highlighting of the exhibits. The reconstruction of the original appearance of the halls has stylistically united them with other interiors, and technical renovation and new lighting style allowed to transform the halls of Bospor into a new museum space. Arrangement of display-cases, their proportions and elements of decoration remind of a library which was situated in these halls from the time of the opening of the New Hermitage until the beginning of the 20th century. Design drafts and drawings of objects of the modern exhibition ensemble were prepared in accordance with historical documents, measurements and examination of wardrobes that remained intact. Warm wood makes a perfect combination with archeological exhibits, and soft lighting creates the atmosphere of concentration and piece.

The exhibition Art and Culture of Antique Towns of the Northern Black Sea Coast tells about the history of the celebrated collection of archeological monuments, and at the same time it gives an idea of the modern view of art and culture of Greek cities-colonies on the Northern coasts of the Black Sea. Modern researchers of antique culture consider the close contact of the culture of Greek colonists with cultures of nomadic barbarians of the Black Sea Coast to be the main characteristic feature of the art of the Northern Black Sea Coast. In researchers’ opinion the result of this interaction was the formation of peculiar Greek-barbarian culture that is most clearly manifested in Bosporan aristocratic burial mounds. The main idea of the exhibition of Bospor hall is to demonstrate these processes. The exhibition is divided into several sections which differ from one another in theme and architectural, space and lighting designs.

The first section opening the exhibition is called Antiquity. Beginning of Colonisation and is dedicated to the settlement of Greeks on the Black Sea coasts. Two large display-cases display objects that belonged to the settlements on the Berezan Island and in Olbia. A great number of bright Eastern Greek, Corinthian and Egyptian vessels, examples of local ceramics and metal works creates a motley picture of the first hundred and fifty years of life of antique culture on far barbarian lands.

The second theme group is supposed to introduce visitors to the life of a Greek city of the Northern Black Sea coast during Classical and Hellenistic times. This is achieved through displaying of both the outstanding examples of Greek art brought from the main centres of Antiquity and articles which were made locally. The exhibition includes footings of statues with dedicatory inscriptions, stone herms, figured vessels, moulds for producing terracottas and coins, rings and household articles.

The main part of the exhibition is called Burial Mounds of Bospor and is dedicated to the well-known burial places of the Bosporan Kingdom. The exhibition displays three unique wooden sarcophagi with wooden decorations and inlaid works. The dim lighting of this part of the exhibition is supposed to bring up associations with an ancient burial place. The display-cases display articles from the Nymphaeum and Seven Brothers burial mounds, the famous Kul-Oba mound as well as from a rich group of the Yuz-Oba mounds. Special attention is focused on items of weaponry: swords, arrows, helmets and fragments of armour suits. Exhibits also include gold laid-on plaques, silver and bronze vessels, parts of bone decorations with engravings.

Chronologically the last section tells about Roman times when barbarian influence on the Bosporan Kingdom and other regions of the Northern Black Sea Coast was especially strong. Glass and ceramic vessels, wooden and painted sarcophagi, fragments of ceramic and metal statuettes are represented here. A separate display-case displays items from the famous tomb with the golden mask of the 3rd - 4th centuries, one of the last rich mounds of Bospor.

Quarter of the exhibition is assigned for displaying characteristic features of decoration of ancient home in Archaic, Classic and Hellenistic times. For the first time the exhibition fully displays the fresco with a depiction of a ship from the city of Nymphaeum with many carved inscriptions and paintings as well as frescoes and architectural details from excavation sites in Chersonesos, Olbia and Panticapaeum.

The new exhibition is a full-scale and unique collection of antiquities of the 7th B.C. - 3rd A.D. which were acquired as a result of many years archeological research works on the territory of the Northern Black Sea coast. This outstanding collection that has no analogues in other museums of the world occupies a key position in the structure of collections of the Antiquity Department. Monuments of antique art of the Northern Black Sea coast not only fully represent historical panorama of art and culture of a big region of antique world, but also personify the best achievements of Russian archeological science during its two hundred year history.

Exhibition reconstruction works were conducted with the help of the Restoring Ancient Stabiae Foundation (Italy).

The restoration of the hall, design of the lighting system, project development and exhibition equipment production were conducted by the Likeon - Museum Concepts and Projects Ltd. under control of the Department of the History and Restoration of the Architectural Objects of the State Hermitage. The project implementation period is January, 2007 - December, 2009.

The Project Partner of the Hermitage Days is LLC BDO Unicon.

At the opening of a new permanent exhibition Art and Culture of Antique Towns of the Northern Black Sea Coast

At the Halls of Bospor. General view
Larger view

At the Halls of Bospor. Fragment of the ceiling painting
Larger view

Statue of a Lion. Fragment
1st-2nd c. A.D.
Larger view

Portrait of a Bosporan King
1st Century A.D.
Larger view

Lekythos. Aphrodite Born from Shells
Second half of the 5th century B.C.
Larger view

Lekythos: Boar Hunt
Second half of the 4th century B.C.
Larger view

Statue of a Lion
1st-2nd c. A.D.
Larger view

Fresco
First half of the 3th century B.C.
Larger view