For the Glory of Russia. Entrepreneurs and Patrons in Russia in the 18th – Early 20th Centuries

The exhibition For the Glory of Russia. Entrepreneurs and Patrons in Russia in the 18th – Early 20th Centuries is unique, both in the themes it explores and in the works it presents. The exhibition shows more than 200 works of painting, numismatics, graphic, decorative and applied arts from the collection of the Russian Museum. Portraits of merchants are presented in all their diversity. Merchants, the “third estate”, at that time, were the basis of Russia’s economic power. The Stroganovs, the Demidovs and other entrepreneurs sometimes established entire “empires” with their own settlements, roads and internal regulations. The richest merchants became nobles and patrons of the arts. 18th-century portraits convey their appearance: at first bearded and dressed in traditional clothes, albeit of high quality, the merchants change into luxurious European clothes, appear shaved and wearing wigs. 19th-century portraits have a certain canonical type: bearded dignified men posing, showing their medals received for large donations, award rings, letters and envelopes often with foreign addresses, and gold coins.

The exhibition is supplemented with works of decorative and applied arts and a large number of numismatics: tokens, shares, bills, bonds, receipts, pay rolls and share certificates. In its entirety, the show gives the idea of the life of the famous merchant dynasties: the Stroganovs, the Yakovlevs, the Gromovs, the Sapozhnikovs, the Zlobins and others.

The exhibition is part of the cultural programme of the 27th St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The show is organized with support from Severstal, Kindness of the North Foundation, Power Machines, Lenta, Nordgold, SVEZA-Les, FUN&SUN Travel Agency, Scandinavia and Scandinavia AVA-Peter clinic group.