Exhibition Russian Silver of the 18th – early 20th century from the collection of the State Hermitage in Salekhard

3 December 2010 an exhibition Russian Silver of the 18th – early 20th century from the collection of the State Hermitage was opened at the Shemanovsky Yamalo-Nenets District Museum Exhibition Complex, Salekhard.

The collection of Russian fine silver at the State Hermitage presents a unique set of highly artistic works of decorative applied art. The exhibited items, supplemented with portraits of royal persons, women of high society and representatives of merchantry, illustrate well the development of silvesmithing in Russia throughout three centuries – from the 18th to early 20th century.

The core of the Hermitage silverware collection is comprised of items from the Silver Storeroom of the Winter Palace and the Gallery of Valuables of the Imperial Hermitage. After 1917 the collection was significantly enlarged by items from nationalized private collections (of princes Yusupovs, counts Shuvalovs, Sheremetevs, Bobrinskys, Stroganovs).

Presented at the exposition are works made by Russian and foreign smiths who worked in Moscow and St Petersburg. Among them are items of church art (gospels, chalices, liturgical sets), scoops, trays, salt shakers, sets, dishes (services, tea pots, coffee pots, samovars, vases, glasses, etc). Works by renowned smiths - I. Kepping, Yu. Lunda, S. Kuzov, P. Tenner, G. Stanga, I. Sazikov, F. Verkhovtsev, P. Ovchinnikov, I. Khlebnikov, G. Grachev, Carl Faberge – allow you to explore all the characteristic features of style development, technical innovations and their artistic identity.

The exhibition curators are A. Solin and O. Morozova, junior research associates of the Department of the History of Russian Culture of the State Hermitage. A scientific illustrated catalog has been prepared for the exhibition (Slavia Publishing House, 2010).

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V. Matveev, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage, at the exhibition opening ceremony

V. Matveev and A. Mazharov, Deputy Governor of the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous disctrict, at a press conference

The exhibition from the Hermitage is a true gift for inhabitants of the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district

Oksana Morozova, the exhibition curator, presenting the exposition

One of the exhibition halls