In Honour of St Petersburg’s Founder

On 2 June, 2003, in the Winter Palace’s Neva Enfilade (rooms No. 190-192) opened an exhibition dedicated to Peter the Great, the founder of St. Petersburg. The exhibition has been prepared by the Hermitage with the participation of the Collection of Her Britannic Majesty Elizabeth II at the Kensington Palace; Archive of the St. Petersburg Department of the Institute of Russian History, Russian Academy of Sciences; Peterhof Museum; Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Summer Palace of Peter I; Moscow Kremlin Museum; Russian National Library and the Central Naval Museum.

The new capital of Russia in Peter’s age is showed in the prints with views of St. Petersburg and architectural designs of the early 18th century, including the masterpiece by A.F. Zubov, The Panorama of St. Petersburg. Especially noteworthy are drawings by Peter I himself.

The unique collection of memorabilia from the Hermitage (the Emperor’s personal belongings and works of art) show the life and activities of Peter I, along with his habits and appearance.

The exhibition displays Peter’s lifetime portraits created by Russian and European painters and sculptors, including the Emperor’s unique wax images, the famous “Wax Person” and bust by C.B. Rastrelli, and one of the best portraits of Peter I by the English artist Sir Godfrey Kneller of 1698. The portrait is preserved in a personal collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. By courtesy of Her Majesty the portrait is displayed in the Hermitage on the occasion of the Jubilee of St. Petersburg.

The wardrobe of Peter I including three hundred items of clothes and accessories is the largest collection of 18th century dress preserved in the world’s museums and private collections.

The Turnery of Peter I, a collection of the Emperor’s lathes and instruments from his palaces in St. Petersburg, has an immense value.

The exhibition’s gem are works of art collected by Peter the Great – paintings, sculptures and applied art. Due to Peter I, Russia acquired the antique sculptures, displayed in the Summer Garden, paintings by Rembrandt, Dutch School and other European schools, and many Oriental curiosities. Peter’s collecting activities were crowned by the foundation of the first Russian public museum, the famous Kunstkammer of St. Petersburg.

Many items in the exhibition catalogue, prepared by the Hermitage and Slaviya, are published for the first time.

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State Hermitage Director Mikhail Piotrovsky opening the exhibition

Prince Michael of Kent and St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev opening the exhibition

At the exhibition