Four fresh exhibits have appeared in the hall of the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre, the creations of pupils of the “Original Doll in Historical Costume” studio of the State Hermitage’s School Centre.
Since the studio began working, its pupils have produced two collections of dolls. The first of them, entitled “Florence at the Time of the Renaissance”, was made up of depictions of great Old Masters who lived in that city and their enchanting muses. On display in showcases in the hall are La Belle Ferronnière, the lady from a portrait by Leonardo da Vinci (created by Yelizaveta Dorofeyeva), and Lucrezia Donati, the great love of Florence’s fanous ruler Lorenzo the Magnificent (created by Anastasia Burova).
Two more showcases are occupied by dolls of members of the Russian imperial family from the “Romanov Dynasty” collection: Anna Leopoldovna, the niece of Empress Anna Ioannovna and regent of the Russian Empire for her infant son, Ivan VI, and Alexandra Nikolayevna, a daughter of Emperor Nicholas I. Both were made by another pupil of the creative studio, Praskovya Khrustaleva.
The “Original Doll in Historical Costume” studio was formed in 2015/16 by Olga Atamanova, a resource teacher in the Hermitage School Centre. Some of the best works by the studio’s pupils are also on display in three showcases near the Jordan Staircase in the Winter Palace, where they arouse great interest among visitors.
On 5 December 2023, an exhibition will open at Staraya Derevnya presenting the best works of the pupils of the “Tsars and Tsarinas of Russia” studio that will feature depictions of Russian monarchs from Peter the Great to Nicholas I.
