Permanent Display “The Art of Byzantium: 4th-15th Centuries”

Visitors can see the exhibits already on the landing, where on display are funeral monuments, which were placed outside church walls. Standing out spectacularly is the early Christian marble sarcophagus depicting Jesus Christ and the saints. The fragments of the similar sarcophagi with the figures of the Good Shepherds and the circus scenes are attached to the wall. Thus, a local area is arranged, where a copy of Ravenna mosaic becomes a colour accent. Having been created at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, this copy has become a museum object due to the period of time that has elapsed since then.

The second area on the landing is occupied by the variety of gravestones dating from the 4th to the 12th centuries. These are rectangular plates bearing inscriptions, with the additions of depicted vessels and crosses. On view are also some cruciform gravestones. Two monuments are especially noteworthy. The first one is an antique gravestone with the Christian crosses and inscriptions applied at a later time, most probably in the 8th-9th centuries. It represents a vivid example of the secondary use of the ancient monument. Presumably dating from the 12th century, the other gravestone has the form of a Byzantine cruciform church with a domed roof, all architectural details having been reproduced with great accuracy. It is practically a model of the characteristic type of church architecture widespread in the Byzantine Empire.

The first room of the display is small and rectangular, with a vaulted ceiling. Due to the shape of the room the space is arranged in such a way as to resemble the interior space of a Byzantine church. At the end, opposite the door, are the fragments of wall mosaics, marble pair icons in relief representing the apostles Peter and Paul, capitals and the altar table from Chersonesus. Thus, one can get an idea of how the area around the altar in the medieval church was decorated. The other walls bear a variety of architectural details and reliefs including the capitals, consoles, architraves, fragments of the ambo, transennas, relief icons and ornamental plates. They date from various times and originate from different centres. It was characteristic of the Byzantine church to combine in its décor the features from different epochs and styles, as well as to incorporate imported architectural and ornamental details. Fragments of frescoes from the monasteries of Mount Athos, dating from the second half of the 14th to the 18th centuries, serve as colour accent in this room.

The items in the next two rooms are arranged chronologically. The first room acquaints the visitor with the 4th to 8th century art, with some exhibits dating from the later period. The showcases display the objects of art according to the particular materials they are made of, for instance, bronze, glass, ceramics, silver, carved ivories, as well as gold jewellery. This made it possible to create the specific climatic conditions needed in each particular showcase, which is vital for the preservation of ancient artifacts. A separate wall is given up entirely to the famous collection of Byzantine silverware, which is recognized as one of the best in the world. Alongside the well-known items, the Eucharistic plate from the early 6th century, dating back to the reign of Emperor Anastasius, is exhibited for the first time. Here the unique iconographic programme is represented including the Golgotha Cross, the medallions with the busts of the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as the spoons with monograms. These objects were discovered in the mountainous Khashupsa fortress in Abkhazia. This is the first time that the display of Byzantine art has a separate showcase with glass works from the 4th to the 10th centuries, where the world-renowned glass patera bowl from Podgorica occupies a prominent place.

Also for the first time the permanent exhibition features gold jewellery, including the famous Mersinsky treasure, previously displayed in the Special Storeroom of the Jewellery Gallery. Of particular note are the lead seals bearing depictions and inscriptions; the State Hermitage contains one of the largest sphragistic collections. This important historical source is impressively demonstrated: fitted to the small transparent panels, the lead seals spin around automatically, which gives visitors the opportunity to see both their obverse and reverse sides.

The showcase is also equipped with a touch screen providing detailed programme dedicated to the seals.

The last room is devoted to the Middle Byzantine and the Paeleolog epochs. Here the central place is occupied by the Byzantine icons from the 11th to the 15th centuries. Amongst them are generally recognized masterpieces, such as “St Gregory the Wonderworker” dating from the late 11th to early 12th centuries, “Saint Anastasia” from the early 15th century and “Christ Pantokrator with Donators” of 1363.

Byzantine small-size mosaic icons from the early 14th century are remarkable for their rareness. Out of the total number of 25 mosaics of this kind that have survived in the world, the State Hermitage collection includes 3. The showcases displaying the objects of applied art are filled with items of no less value, some of which may be regarded as truly unique ones: comprehensive and superb collection of carved ivory objects, including five caskets; the gold cloisonné enamels (with the famous triptych from the Monastery of Saydnaya presented to Emperor Nicholas II); the collection of glyptic art started by Catherine the Great; the silver vessels from the 12th century, including the plate with “Alexander the Great Flying Griffins”.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the Hermitage rooms present everything that constituted the pride and glory of the Byzantine Empire. However, for a variety of reasons, particularly due to the layout and size of the rooms, certain groups of applied art and painting, such as bronze, ceramics, numismatics, textiles, monumental and easel painting, as well as illuminated manuscripts, remained unrepresented or not displayed to the fullest extent. Exhibiting some of them requires special conditions and constant rotation, which is impossible to do within the framework of this exhibition.
The display was prepared by V.N. Zalesskaya, Y.A. Pyatnitsky and Е.V. Stepanova, the research fellows of the Oriental Department.